Intro: Started in 1982, Birkin was born from a love of the legendary Colin Chapman creation, the Lotus Super Seven. John Watson, always wanting one for himself, set about producing a few cars locally to generate enough profit to cover the costs of his own. Local enthusiasts, John Scott and Barry de Groot, who were keen Lotus fans, learnt of the task that John had embarked upon and offered to help.
The first car chassis number 001, was finished and delivered to coincide it's official launch with the South African Formula One Grand Prix of 1983.
From the launch, Birkin grew steadily improving manufacturing methods to produce the car more efficiently. The first vehicle was produced with a Ford Kent 1600 engine and a 4 speed gearbox, various other configurations were also experimented with to meet market demands.
In 1986 a factory and assembly line was set up to produce about five cars per month. By 1987, more floor space was required for the manufacturing facility which had doubled. Separate premises nearby were rented to facilitate the component manufacturing departments. During this time, staff had increased from five to about 50. 1988 saw Birkin celebrate their 200th vehicle and reach a production target of one car per day.
The following year, with the Japanese market taking everything Birkin could produce, it was once again time to move. This time Birkin bought their own premises where they are currently situated. The new facility allowed both the Assembly line and the Manufacturing departments to be accomodated under one roof with space for further expansion if necessary. The current facility can produce ten cars per day.
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