FLM (Panelcraft) Limited was a small coachbuilding firm in Battersea, London which, in addition to other work, specialized in converting

saloon car A sedan or saloon (British English) is a passenger car in a three-box configuration with separate compartments for an engine, passengers, and cargo. The first recorded use of the word "sedan" in reference to an automobile body occurred in 1 ...

s to

estate car A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...

s or

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving ex ...

s. FLM also did major restoration of valuable old cars and design and build work under contract for more famous coachbuilders whose name appeared on the finished product.

Founders

Founded in the early 1950s by former staff of James Young, Corsica and Alpe & Saunders, the initials stood for H.S. (Nobby) ''F''ry, Robert (Dick) ''L''ee (founders) and W. ''M''cNally. They were joined by J.R. (Jack) Stammers from Corsica, nephew of Robert Lee.

Production

FLM provided bodies for Healey and HWM cars. Their most famous products were their series of bespoke "taxis" on Austin taxicab chassis for

Nubar Gulbenkian Nubar Sarkis Gulbenkian ( hy, Նուպար Սարգիս Կիւլպէնկեան; 2 June 1896 – 10 January 1972) was an Armenian-British business magnate and socialite born in the Ottoman empire. During World War II, he helped organize the u ...

and their Aston Martin estate cars. Much of their later work was on Rovers. They lengthened the first 2-door

Range Rovers Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to ...

10 inches (25 cm) and converted them to 4-door cars, a body style not available from the factory until 1981. They also built other special variations to Range Rovers, including six-wheeled eight-seaters, open top versions, and they built estate car versions of the Rover 3500.

Sources

* Mike McCarthy, The Boys from Kings Cross, ''Classic and Sportscar'' magazine, p.p. 110-115, June 1991. Interview about Corsica with Jack and Charles Stammers.

External links

{{commons category, FLM Panelcraft coachwork Images not otherwise available:
Nash-Healey
- This car was built by a different company, Panelcraft Sheetmetal Co. Ltd of Woodgate, Birmingham who also built the

Swallow Doretti The Swallow Doretti is a two-seater British sports car built on Swallow's own design of box-section tube chassis using Triumph TR2 mechanicals, made between 1954 and 1955. It was intended for the U.S. market and to be a more refined two-seater th ...

. (Source: http://www.acmefluid.com.au/nash/panelcraft.html) Healey_Sports_Convertible_white_front.jpg, Healey Sports by Panelcraft Sheetmetal Co. Ltd of Woodgate, Birmingham
Rover P5 drophead coupé

Rover P6 estate

Aston Martin DBS estate
FLM Panelcraft Vehicle manufacture in London