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Trident Prepares Amazing Roadster.  Look out TVR, Morgan and Marcos, this new Trident is aiming to spear your sales. Originally unveiled at the 1998 British Motor Show, the UK-built Trident roadster will be
ready to hit the highway in August, with prices expected to start from £32,990 ($50,000).
One of the men behind the Trident project is Eric Broadley, for 38 years the boss of the highly respected Lola race team.
Using his vast experience of making racing cars perform, Broadley has played a major role in the development of the fibreglass-bodied Trident.
 Although the Trident's bodywork – with its unusual central roof-spar to give additional
rigidity – is little changed from that of the 1998 concept car's, the roadster's chassis has been extensively re-engineered.
And in the last couple of weeks Norfolk-based Trident has changed engine
suppliers, from Ford to General Motors. Other than to say that the car's engine is a US-sourced V6, available with two or three power outputs, the company is keeping specification
details secret for now. In addition to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Trident will also be available with a five-speed automatic. And it's promised that equipment levels will be to a very high specification
which is superior to those of its more established rivals. Trident is currently deciding on a model name for its new car – the company recently asked for ideas in a newspaper competition and now has a
shortlist of four possibles to choose from.
Production plans are ambitious. The company is hopeful of building as many as 2,000 cars annually by
2002 at a state-of-the-art plant near Fakenham. Trident also has proposals to target major export markets, with Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the US on its hit list.
In addition, the company is hoping to become a force on the race track during next year's Privilege GT Championship – engine supplier General Motors is reported to be "genuinely enthusiastic" about the
prospect and is expected to provide valuable technical assistance. |
