Durango 95… Proper Horrorshow

Cars Culture




There’s a bit of an accidental filmic mini theme emerging this week. So for Friday’s offering meet the The Probe, star of Stanley Kubrick’s epoch making film “A Clockwork Orange” .

This special low slung piece of period imagineering was built by engineers Dennis and Peter Adams. Launched at the London Car Show of 1969, it shared a stand with manufacturer Marcos. The Adams brothers had worked for Marcos – and with this pet project wanted to see how far they could push design under their own brand.

The original issue, the Probe 15, stood just 29 inches tall. Such a ridiculously low profile meant that their couldn’t be doors fitted, so drivers were expected to climb into the cockpit via the siding roof, a bit like the setup in the Pininfarina’s Modulo concept.

The body was made of a mixture of plywood and resin and the mechanical underpinnings were pure Hilmann Imp. The 900 cc unit and running gear would have given the Probe a terminal velocity of a very unspectacular 85 MPH.

The Probe 16, which came next, was a full five inches taller than the original and rocked a more powerful Austin 1800 engine. The package retained the ethereal feeling of science fiction and make-do-and-mendthat fitted the early seventies era perfectly.

Only three Probe 16s were ever completed – one apparently bought by American composer Jimmy Webb, one by Jack Bruce of Cream. The third was, of course, used by Kubrick, though no one seems to know where this car ended up.

Rumour has it that there are a number of Probe shells still kicking around in people’s back yards – and a version was apparently pieced together last year. Any word to where this iconic oddity might be would be greatfully appreciated.

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3 Responses to “Durango 95… Proper Horrorshow”

  1. vipertruck99

    used to have a clan kit car,same imp engine and if this was also glassfibre,and around the same weight,the 85mph was more like 115.120 or with works kit 140.not that it mattered the clan would lap a 50 metre roundabout at 90+ in top….until the tyres went off.mispent youth

  2. Mr Nugent

    the clockwork orange car is now fully restored and living in Kent. see http://www.adamsprobe for loads of pictures and info on the three Adams Probe models: the Adams Probe 15, the Adams Probe 16 and the Adams Probe 2001 … enjoy

  3. Nae Comment

    the clockwork orange car is now fully restored and living in Kent. see http://www.adamsprobe.com for loads of pictures and info on the three Adams Probe models: the Adams Probe 15, the Adams Probe 16 and the Adams Probe 2001 … enjoy