Gordon-Keeble GK1
Italian lines, an American V8 and a British aircraft-site factory came together in one very rare four-seat grand tourer.
1964 Britain Gordon-Keeble GK1 · Ralf Prien · CC BY-SA 2.5
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
John Gordon and Jim Keeble's project first appeared as the steel-bodied Gordon GT at Geneva in 1960. Production did not begin until 1964 at Eastleigh aerodrome, by which time the body was glass fibre and the engine was Chevrolet's larger 327-cubic-inch V8. The low selling price, thin funding and repeated supplier interruptions pushed the original company into liquidation in May 1965 after about 82 cars. A reorganized concern completed more cars, bringing factory output to 99; a separate hundredth car was assembled from leftover parts later.
Look a little closer.
Its badge is a tortoise: the owners' club says one was placed on the bonnet during a photo shoot, and the joke of a slow animal on a very fast four-seater stuck.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
From show car to production car
The 1960 Gordon GT prototype used a steel body and a smaller 283-cubic-inch Chevrolet V8. The delayed 1964 production car switched to glass-fibre coachwork to avoid expensive press tooling and used the 327-cubic-inch engine. Those changes mean the celebrated Geneva prototype is historical background, not the exact specification of this profile.
Source: Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · production Gordon-Keeble ↗More than a large engine
The car's mixed-national recipe went deeper than its Chevrolet V8 and Bertone shape. A square-tube spaceframe, independent front suspension, a De Dion rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes made a sophisticated chassis for four people. Contemporary road-test performance is best treated as period evidence: the club quotes 140 mph and less than seven seconds to 60 mph, but does not publish weather, load or timing method.
Source: Autoweek · Gordon-Keeble historical profile ↗Where these facts come from
- Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · production history, specification and survival record
- Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · technical index
- Autoweek · Gordon-Keeble historical and chassis profile
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.