The Purvis Eureka is a

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

which was produced by Purvis Cars at

Dandenong Dandenong ( ) is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated m ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

, Australia from 1974 until 1991.Purvis Eureka at www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au
Retrieved on 17 August 2010 First exhibited at the 1974

Melbourne International Motor Show The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Mel ...

, the Eureka was based on the British

Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...

kit car Kit may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kit (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Kit (surname), a list of people Places * Kit, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province * Kit Hill ...

design of 1971. Models at www.eurekacarclub.com.au
Retrieved on 27 August 2010 It utilised a

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small family car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. One of the most iconic cars in automotive history, the Beetle is noted for its distinctive shape. Its pr ...

chassis,Mike McCarthy, Great Australian Sports Cars and Specials, 1987, pages 110-115 a fibreglass body and, most commonly, an air-cooled

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

flat-four or a

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

inline four-cylinder engine. Some cars with Mazda rotary powerplants were also produced. The Eureka was offered both as a

and as a fully assembled vehicle. The coupe body had no doors, with access being via a manually operated one-piece

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

, although a power-operated canopy was later offered as an option.Tony Davis, Aussie Cars, 1987, page 151 A

Targa top Targa top, or targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full-width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Pors ...

version was also available from the early 1980s on. Three models of the Eureka were produced. * Purvis Eureka Sports, from 1974 to 1975 * Purvis Eureka PL30, from 1975 to 1976 * Purvis Eureka F4, from 1976 to 1991 Some 235 examples of the Eureka Sports were produced and the total output of all Eureka models had reached 683 when production ended in 1991. In 1977, Eureka Cars NZ, of

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand, was set up to manufacture the Eureka in New Zealand. The number made by them is unknown but some still exist. The company closed in 1990.Purvis Eureka - Keith McAdam
Constructors Car Club, retrieved 1 February 2016 File:Eureka.jpg, Purvis Eureka with bonnet flag File:Purvis Eureka F4 (15287248534).jpg, Purvis Eureka F4

References

External links

Purvis Eureka Car Club of Australia
{{commons category, Purvis Eureka Cars of Australia Sports cars Rear-engined vehicles Cars introduced in 1974 1980s cars 1990s cars