Although the chassis is vastly different from the GP car it does share the same suspension geometery and was originally fitted with a spare set of Grand Prix car suspension components.   A 4.5 litre V8 DeSoto Firedome engine was installed, the gearbox was a Jaguar 4 speed “Moss” box with close ratios and, same as the GP car, an ENV rear Axle in a Kieft made housing.

    On its arrival in the states we can only find evidence of it being used at a hillclimb where it suffered damage to the front of the car in an accident. Kieft in the UK sent parts to have the car repaired shortly after, but its history largely remains a mystery until it turned up again and was restored in the early 80's. In the mid 80's, it was stolen from an aircraft hanger and was subsequently destroyed by fire and an insurance pay out made on the car. If there were any remains, nobody knows what happened to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Kieft originally built three sets of components for the Grand Prix cars, and two chassis, the first chassis is the car that has been seen during the last few years in the UK , the second, but not completed, chassis, (which is just the main structural tubes with the magnesium front bulkhead attached) is in storage in the UK. We have used all the components that came with that second chassis to recreate the sports car. We have obtained lots of photos or the car under construction and from these have been able to create a very accurate recreation of the chassis and completed it with many original Kieft suspension components and wheels. Unfortunately it was not fitted with the Dunlop Disc brakes as are on the GP car, but with large Girling Drums which we have also been able to obtain. The Moss Box was easy to find, the correct engine proved very difficult, but we were able to track down a genuine 1953 (S17 prefix) DeSoto 276 engine that had been shipped from the States and was advertised on Ebay in Melbourne!!.

    Bill Morris was always addament that people know that this is not the original car, but a very faithful recreation using as many original Kieft components as possible. The original car was painted white, this one is painted "Cyril Green", the same colour as the Grand Prix car which was chosen by Cyril Kieft, the original constructor, during it’s restoration in the late 1990’s.

 

 

    The Kieft DeSoto made its first appearance at Historic Winton in May 2009