Boro GT

The Boro GT was built by Robin Lacey and his father, Eric, who spent two years in the latter’s ‘Borough Garage’ in Hedon, Yorkshire. The Boro was built up from two Mini subframes, joined together by a spaceframe made from square tubing. The floors were sheet steel, but the bodywork was nearly all aluminum, all hand-beaten, and gas welded In the Laceys. The bonnet turned out to be the most difficult part to make, but luckily Robin and Eric discovered that an old Hillman Minx bonnet fitted perfectly.

An 850cc Mini engine was bored out to 890cc, and an Aquaplane cylinder head was fitted, as were twin Stromberg carburetors. The interior was trimmed professionally in black vinyl.

With a height of just 42 inches the car was very low, and the wheelbase just two inches longer than that of the original Mini. The Lamborghini Miura-slyle rear window slats gave the engine some extra cooling — a radiator was fitted at the rear of the car, cooled by air drawn from the rear vents.

The Boro was finished and given to Robin just before his 17th birthday, whereupon it was featured in the local newspaper as recognition of this extraordinary birthday gift. Eric told the local press:

“I must admit it’s a very nice piece ofwork. I like it so much that I am seriously thinking of building another for myself.”

Robin drove the car in and around Hedon for years. Originally it was painted bright orange, but at some stage Robin decided to change it to Metal Flake Blue, in keeping with the fashion of the day. Eric didn’t like the new paint job at all, and decided to have the car repainted again; this time to red. By the time Eric Lacey passed away in the late nineties, Robin had moved to the United States to start his own motor accessory company.

He has thought of transporting the Boro GT to America, but as yet, the car remains in the family garage in Hedon.