Purvis Eureka 100
Mitchell Tulk25 Mar 2017
FEATURE

Forgotten Cars of Australia: The Purvis Eureka

Like many a UK expat, the DIY Purvis Eureka sports car established a comfy niche for itself in Oz

Some of the world's most iconic sports cars have been lightweight constructions with rather ordinary mechanicals.

It was no Lotus 7 or MG TC, but the Purvis Eureka adhered to the same principle.

Starting out in life as a British kit car named the ADD Nova, the sports car design was spotted by Aussie Allan Purvis during a trip to Britain in 1971. The holiday quickly became a business trip, as he negotiated licensing production of the sports car back home.

He wasn't the only one to do so; the design was exported worldwide. America received its own version, called the Sterling, while South Africa had the Eagle. Sold locally under the banner of Purvis Motors, the kit car was renamed Eureka, paying tribute to the miners that rebelled against the colonial authorities at the Eureka Stockade. Their flag was even adopted as the company's logo.

Purvis Eureka 101 b2ga

Journalists seeing the Eureka for the first time at the 1974 Melbourne International Motor Show were taken aback by the car's sleek design, which didn't differ too much from the British model's. For Aussies, moreover, it was highly reminiscent of Holden's Hurricane Concept from 1968, particularly with the Eureka's similar forward-opening canopy.

In that same year, production of the Eureka Sport began – the first of three iterations. 1975 saw a facelifted model introduced, named the PL30. This added a larger instrument panel to house more gauges, squared taillights with a narrow bumper bar, a higher roofline to accommodate taller people and a remoulded centre console that reduced legroom thanks to an increase in width.

Another facelift followed in 1976. The F4, as it was known, was released with slight styling tweaks such as round headlights, "elephant ear" air ducts and a rear spoiler. A Targa top was later offered during the 80s.

Mechanically, all models shared the same VW Beetle underpinnings; this provided a few issues which were addressed over the years, thanks to owner input. Among those issues, the brakes were lacklustre, the steering felt disconnected and the exhaust was deafening. Fit and finish was poor too, and handling was polarising – much like the Beetle's. Some sources claim the cars were easy to control while others say handling was unforgiving on the limit, especially with too much weight behind the rear axle.

Purvis Eureka 103

The Eureka being a kit car, a variety of engines could be fitted; most cars were powered by Volkswagen's 1.6 and 2.0-litre flat fours, but Purvis also offered the Eureka ready for Ford four-cylinder power.

Handfuls were also produced with a Wankel rotary from Mazda, now a popular choice instead of the original power plant. Combining a high revving rotary with a fibreglass body that weighed in at 700kg resulted in fearsome acceleration that too easily overpowered the already lose rear end. Numerous upgrades were needed to keep the Eureka tame.

The primary appeal of the Eureka in its day was its affordability. Buyers could avoid the sales tax by assembling the cars themselves and then, insurance-wise, the car was placed in the lowest tier. Here was an eye catching sports car delivering respectable performance, good fuel economy figures (8.8L/100km from the VW engines) – and they didn't break the bank.

Production expanded to New Zealand during 1977, before wrapping up in 1990. Here in Australia the Purvis Eureka lasted until 1991, spanning an impressive 17 years. A total of 683 units were produced and are now a rarity on the roads, making Allan's kit car an Aussie collectable.

Images: Wikimedia Commons

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Written byMitchell Tulk
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