2018 Dowsetts Comet

• Dowsetts Classic Car Company is the new trading name of the company formerly known as Evanta whose superbly built creations we have been privileged to offer in the past
• The Comet is built around a steel spaceframe chassis which is clothed in GRP reinforced with Kevlar to create a shell that is strong yet light
• Its unique looks echo the classic lines of sports racers from the fifties and early sixties without becoming a pastiche of any one model
• They are entirely bespoke enabling potential owners to create exactly what they want
• Comet 02, on offer from its first owner, is powered by a General Motors LS3 V8, coupled to a Tremec 5-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential
• It's finished in Porsche Crayon Grey, not an obvious choice for an evocative 6-litre fifties-style sports car but in execution, truly successful
• It sits on a set of alloy wheels that, like everything else about this remarkable car, are Dowsetts-designed and unique in the proper sense of the word
• Clad in red quilted leather, the car's interior reflects this same design philosophy and every nook and cranny appears to have been thought about and created to be special, and it is. Full harnesses, white-faced dials, a Moto-Lita wheel, turned aluminium stubby short-throw gear lever, satin-finished stainless details and embossed leather. Really impressive
• Whilst Ant was naturally focussed on developing the car's dynamics, handling and road-holding etc., our vendor planned on using the car regularly so spec'd it with air-conditioning, Sat-Nav, a radio and a reversing-camera 
• Having covered only 2,500 miles, a recent back injury means that our vendor sadly must now part with '02
• It's very sensibly guided and is now available at around half its build cost

Here at Silverstone Auctions we are pleased to have been able to help Ant Anstead and his passionate team at Evanta bring some of their fabulous fifties and sixties Aston Martin re-creations to the market. Evanta has recently morphed into the Dowsetts Classic Car Company and now stands proudly on its own design ethos building unique sports and GT cars, whilst still capturing the essence of the 1950s and ‘60s.

Their current project is the Comet which, like other Dowsett models, is built around a bespoke steel spaceframe chassis. This is then clothed in GRP reinforced with Kevlar to create a shell which is strong yet light and, importantly, is suitable for limited production runs where tooling might otherwise be prohibitive. That said, it’s not a simple process, taking over 50 different mould tools to make the panels for a single Comet.

The car’s shape is unique, in the proper sense of the word, but most viewers familiar with classic cars will identify references and styling cues that could well have come from legendary sports cars of the period, however, that was not intentional. Dowsetts’ Darren Collins comments “There are bound to be certain similarities. If you’re taking inspiration from a particular era, there are only so many ways in which it can be done. We’ve created something new, but there are clear nods to the era it evokes.”

The second production car, Comet 02, on offer here from its first owner, is powered by a General Motors LS3 V8, coupled to a Tremec 5-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential. It's finished in Porsche Crayon Grey, not an obvious choice for an evocative 6-litre fifties-style sports car but in execution, truly successful and it sits on a set of alloy wheels that, like everything else about this remarkable car, are Dowsetts-designed. Clad in red quilted leather, the car's interior reflects this same design philosophy and every nook and cranny appears to have been thought about and created to be special, and it is. Full harnesses, white-faced dials, a Moto-Lita wheel, turned aluminium stubby short-throw gear lever, satin-finished stainless details and embossed leather.

These cars are totally bespoke and whilst one owner may prefer a hard-edged Mille Miglia-style sports racer with no creature comforts, the buyer of ‘02’ planned on using the car regularly so spec'd it with air-conditioning, Sat-Nav, a radio and a reversing-camera. He was only able to enjoy some 2,500 miles in 02 before a recent back injury makes driving it really difficult. He has asked us to include a few words.

“As I explained I got involved with Ant Anstead over four years ago and on visiting his workshop spotted the Barchetta (open top early version of the Comet) and fell in love with it. Ant had by then started work on the Comet and I agreed to buy number two – the first having already been purchased off plan by another client and is now in America with Ant who is trying to fit an electric motor in it so mine is still the only road going Comet in the world!

The car is basically the dream car of Ant, mixing an Aston Martin front with a Ferrari back and some Lotus in the middle. Constructed much like the original AC Cobras squeezing a huge 6.2-litre Chevy engine into a bespoke, hand-built lightweight body. I spent many happy hours up at the workshop watching the car come together and worked with Ant and his team to specify some of the “luxury” additions not previously planned for the car (air conditioning, radio, sat.nav. and reverse camera) Ant looking to focus more on the performance and the track cred aspects of the car which I am pleased to say he achieved and then some! I have some personal photos of the build process for anyone interested and Dowsetts can provide more.

I took delivery of the car after it had finished full road testing back in December 2018 but shortly after I injured my back requiring surgery. My back is now okay but I find the Comet too low and with a fixed seat I just cannot get comfortable and so have come to the difficult and sad decision to sell the car and let someone else enjoy it.”

The Comet will be available for viewing prior to our NEC sale and we strongly urge interested parties to come and have a close look at this remarkable motor car.