Before Radford, Ant Anstead Built The One-Off 2018 Dowsetts Comet Modern Classic

Wheeler Dealers’ Ant Anstead has long been interested in making limited production cars. Now associated with the Radford Type 62-2, he helped build this, the 2018 Dowsetts Comet.

The one-off creation is built on a steel spaceframe chassis with Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass body panels made to be both strong and light. That bodywork was then shaped into a design inspired by sports cars and racers of the ’50s and ’60s and finished in Porsche Crayon Grey.

Under the hood, there is an engine that wouldn’t be entirely foreign to the drivers of that era. A 6.2-liter GM LS3 V8 coupled to a Tremec 5-speed transmission provides a proven basis on which to build a good sports car. The Comet reportedly made around 430 hp (435 PS/320 kW) when new and could hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.9 seconds.

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Inside, the cabin is clad in red quilted leather to reflect the design trends of the golden era of sports cars. It also features full racing harnesses, white-faced dials, a Moto-Lita steering wheel, a turned aluminum stubby short-throw gear stick, satin-finished stainless steel trim, and embossed leather.

Although it’s designed to perform and look like a sports car, it does come with some modern creature comforts like a backup camera, air conditioning, navigation, and a radio.

Built specifically for its current owner, he has decided to part with the car after three years and 2,500 miles (4,023 km) as a result of an unfortunate back injury.

Originally priced at around £140,000, Silverstone Auctions expects it to sell for around half that price now. The Dowsetts Comet will cross the auction block at the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale, which takes place on November 13-14.