Founded 1969 | ||
 | ||
Enfield Automotive was an electric car manufacturer founded in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. Under the ownership of Greek millionaire Giannis Goulandris, production was moved to the Greek isle of Syros during the oil crisis of 1973, although the vehicles were still sent back to be assembled on the Isle of Wight.
Contents
Enfield 465
The Enfield 465 was a small 2+2-seater electric car built only in prototype form in 1969. It was equipped with a 48 V, 4.65 bhp (3 kW) electric motor and had an ICI royal plastic body with no metal chassis. It is believed that only three were Built but only two remain as one failed the crash testing. The rear axle came from a Bond Bug with the Motor parrell to it.
Enfield 8000
The Enfield 8000 (also known the E8000 ECC or "Electric City Car") was similar to the 465, but with an 8 bhp (6 kW) motor and aluminium body. 120 Enfield 8000s were built on the Isle of Wight in the mid-1970s, of which 65 were used by the Electricity Council and southern English electricity boards.
The E8000ECC had passed all the necessary tests for production in the United Kingdom and was on its way to be produced in the United States of America. Then Governor of California Ronald Reagan sent a cargo plane to have three E8000ECCs moved to California in support of his Clean Air legislation. However, the E8000ECC was never produced in the United States. The unique aerodynamics of the E8000ECC were not based on traditional industry principles and ideas. They were based on designs made by Konstantine Adraktas, the Chairman and Managing Technical Director of Enfield. The car was eventually produced in Greece after the company was incorporated into Neorion (also owned by Mr. Goulandris) and renamed Enfield-Neorion.