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
What did this one sell for?
Make a guess, then reveal one identity-matched completed auction result. It is a comparison point, not a price promise.
Reveal the auction result
Based on a completed sale at Collecting Cars, an estimated value for this vehicle is £21,600.
Why this sale: Exact 1964 British right-hand-drive Gordon-Keeble GK1, reported as chassis 33, with Chevrolet 5.4-litre/327 V8 and four-speed manual transmission. A non-running restoration project with 26,078 miles indicated and extensive disclosed needs: incomplete engine rebuild, damaged wiring, rusted exhaust, stale fuel, brake and suspension rebuilds, replacement tyres and steering play. The seller also noted that the blue paint might cover an original red finish.
Displayed final bid/hammer; Collecting Cars' buyer premium (6% plus VAT for a UK buyer), taxes, transport, recommissioning and restoration are excluded. One auction result is a reference, not an appraisal; condition, history, options, location and market timing can change value. Accepted because year, body, steering side, engine family and four-speed manual identity match the profile. Its project state materially depresses the result and must remain visible; it is not representative of a road-ready GK1.
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 ↗A survivor photograph may show later club-era changes
The owners' club says every factory car was right-hand drive and originally looked almost the same, but many survivors later gained larger wheel arches, borrowed bumpers, rack-and-pinion steering, revised front geometry, anti-roll bars, automatic conversions or added ventilation. Its specification page also identifies black plastic as the original upholstery covering and leather retrimming as a frequent rebuild change. A modern cabin or exterior photograph can establish the model while still needing a visible modification warning before it is used as 1964 factory-detail evidence.
Source: Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · original specification and rebuild changes ↗The club separates three build phases
The owners' club gallery divides the cars into 36 original-specification Eastleigh examples, 56 cars from chassis 37 through 92 with minor factory changes, and eight final-phase Sholing cars. For this 1964 profile, an early Group 1 car is the closest production-detail reference; later cars remain useful only when their phase and changes are visible.
Source: Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · chassis groups ↗Where these facts come from
- Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · production history, specification and survival record
- Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · technical index
- Gordon-Keeble Owners' Club · chassis-group gallery
- 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.