For a small Hot Rod company based outside of the U.S. our story is one you might not expect.
I won't bore with a life story but my journey with automobiles can be attributed to my Great Grandad, who back in the mid teens worked for Lord Herbert Austin of the Austin Motor Company. As one of his first employees he was put in charge of the famous North Works at Longbridge.
The beating heart of the company, he oversaw production at Austin for many decades. The following decades saw all my family working at Austin, but it is my Uncle to whom I owe my connection to Hot Rods.
As a young experimental engineer in the early 1950's, he had a big involvement in developing and taking the MG streamliner to Bonneville over a number of years.
This car not only captured many records but also lit a fire in my family that continues to this day. It was at this time my Uncle quickly located and hopped up a rare for the U.K. 1935 Ford....this must have been one of the first Hot Rods in th U.K.
Ably supported by a wealth of knowledge from his growing collection of Hot Rod magazines, this car continued to develop. His interest and knowledge also saw him oversee a "research" exercise where Austin obtained crate V8 motors from all the lead U.S. manufacturers. In time this passion was passed to my Dad who followed by modifying a 1954 Thames van. Relatively unthought of over here in the U.K. at that time, this diminutive van was rapid due to a full race 4 banger.
It is here why I pick up the Hot Rod mantle. Growing up next to the remains of a WW2 U.S. army hospital,
Surrounded by hot cars and a now huge collection of Hot Rod magazines spanning 40 years, my involvement with Hot Rods was never in question.
By the mid 1980's a club called the
"Low Flyers," here in the U.K. was starting to do some interesting things with vintage style Hot Rods. At the crest of a nostalgia wave this club along with the Shifters and the Choppers in the U.S. proved to be a huge influence on me as a kid.
Fast forward to the early 90s and with a lack of American tin I do what I can and create my own T style modified based on a British '34 Ford chassis and a full race 4 banger.
Using old articles in Hot Rod for reference and an unforgettable lesson in engine tuning as a result of a chance meeting with Ak Miller, my modified begins to take shape.
In time the modified gives way to an Olds powered T, a succession of British shoebox Fords, and latterly a 50's style Model A Pick Up.
With a passion for model T's as strong as ever, current builds include a 1926 T powered by a '53 GMC motor and a longer term '23 T, which is going to be the Goliath race car at a future point.
Goliath is more than just me, I owe my involvement to my family and a continued passion thanks to a vibrant Nostalgia scene that is stronger here in the U.K than ever before.
Goliath Speed Equip - We Live Hot Rods.
Jim.
When Ya Wanna Go -Goliath