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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The car is the Gordon-Keeble GT, a four-seat British grand tourer with Italian styling and a Chevrolet V8 from the Corvette family under its bonnet. Its reputation for performance is well documented, and period price comparisons placed it against Ferrari. What the available sources do not provide is a measured test in which a production Gordon-Keeble beats a named Ferrari, so the “humiliate Ferraris” part of the headline is best read as a claim about reputation and value rather than a proven result.
What the Gordon-Keeble is
The Gordon-Keeble was a small-production British car, made in limited numbers, whose design brief was a four-seat grand tourer rather than a two-seat sports racer. Its development name was the Gordon GT, after John Gordon, one of the two men behind the project alongside Jim Keeble. One retrospective account describes the blend as Italian styling, British engineering and American power, and says the brief targeted 140 mph.
That 140 mph figure is a design target. None of the sources consulted records an independently timed top speed for a production car, so it should not be read as a measured result.
How a Corvette V8 ended up in a British GT
The prototype
According to one retrospective account, the early prototype used a chassis derived from the Peerless, and was fitted with a Chevrolet Corvette V8 for a USAF pilot. The same account says Chevrolet agreed to supply engines and gearboxes after seeing the prototype. The story of how that agreement came about is secondhand, and no Chevrolet or factory record was located to confirm the details.
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The production car
The production car received a Chevrolet 327 V8, the engine family that sat in the Corvette. The Motor Sport Magazine retrospective of July 1990 describes it as a 5.3-litre Corvette engine producing 300 bhp. A later Hagerty UK retrospective, published around 2024, gives the same engine as a 327 cubic inch Corvette V8 and calls it about 5.4 litres. The two descriptions are consistent: 327 cubic inches works out to roughly 5.36 litres, so the gap is a matter of rounding.
The figures as the sources report them
Every number below comes from a named secondary source. None has been verified against factory records, and the sources are a magazine retrospective, a later history and a 2019-era enthusiast article.
Rank #2
- Brand new box, Comes in a blister pack.
- Real rubber tires, Authentic detail.
- Detailed interior, Exterior.
- Authentic Paint & Graphics
- Die-cast metal body and chassis
| Detail | Reported figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 5.3-litre Chevrolet Corvette V8, 300 bhp | Motor Sport Magazine, July 1990 retrospective |
| Engine (alternate description) | 327 cubic inch (about 5.4-litre) Corvette V8 | Hagerty UK retrospective, published around 2024 |
| Design target | 140 mph | Influx, published around 2019; a design target, not a verified top speed |
| Production total | 99 cars | Motor Sport Magazine, July 1990 |
| Original asking price | £2,798 | Motor Sport Magazine, July 1990 |
Where the price comparison places it
The 1990 Motor Sport retrospective sets the Gordon-Keeble’s original asking price against two rivals, using the magazine’s own figures:
| Car | Reported price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon-Keeble | £2,798 | Original asking price, as reported by Motor Sport Magazine |
| Jensen CV8 | £3,392 | Comparison figure, as reported by Motor Sport Magazine |
| Ferrari 250 GT | £5,609 | Comparison figure, as reported by Motor Sport Magazine |
On those figures the Ferrari cost about twice as much as the Gordon-Keeble. The price gap is the clearest hard evidence that the two cars were compared in the same market, and it is the basis for much of the claim that the Gordon-Keeble punched above its price.
Rank #3
- Brand new box
- Real rubber tires.
- Detailed interior, exterior, engine compartment.
- Has opening hood.
- Made of diecast metal with some plastic parts.
Why the Ferrari headline needs care
Price positioning is not performance
A lower price and a Corvette-derived V8 show that the Gordon-Keeble offered a lot of engine for the money. They do not show that it was faster than a Ferrari. Measuring performance requires instrumented tests of acceleration and top speed on the same conditions, and the sources consulted do not include one for the Gordon-Keeble against a named Ferrari.
Reputation and the Autocar line
Hagerty UK’s retrospective repeats a line attributed to Autocar: “the most electrifying vehicle we have ever tested.” The original Autocar road test has not been checked against that wording, and no named writer is attached to the sentence. Treat it as a secondhand attribution that reflects the car’s reputation, not as a verified quotation from a dated test.
Rank #4
- Brand new box. Real rubber tires. Steerable wheels. Made of diecast with some plastic parts. Detailed interior, exterior, engine compartment. Opening hood, doors and engine compartment. Dimensions approximately L-9.25, W-4, H-2.25 inches.
Styling and the Ferrari reference
The Hagerty account also discusses the Gordon-Keeble’s styling in relation to the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. That comparison is about appearance and period taste, and it does not establish comparative speed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Comparing it with a contemporary Ferrari GT, axis by axis
The table below uses the Ferrari 250 GT as the period reference, since that is the model the 1990 Motor Sport comparison names. Where a value is not stated in the sources reviewed, the table says so rather than filling the gap.
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Best Value
- Brand new box
- Real rubber tires.
- Detailed interior, exterior.
- Die-cast metal body and chassis,
- Dimensions approximately L-2.75 inches long.
| Axis | Gordon-Keeble | Ferrari 250 GT | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | Chevrolet 327 V8 from the Corvette family; 300 bhp reported | Ferrari’s own engine; specification not stated in the sources reviewed | Output is a reported figure, not a road-test result |
| Measured performance | No period instrumented test located | Not stated in the sources reviewed | No head-to-head result in the available sources |
| Purpose | Four-seat grand tourer | Not stated in the sources reviewed | The Gordon-Keeble’s seating layout is established; the Ferrari’s is not covered here |
| Period price | £2,798 original asking price | £5,609 comparison figure | Motor Sport Magazine, July 1990 |
| Production and support | 99 cars reported | Not stated in the sources reviewed | Motor Sport Magazine, July 1990; parts and service not covered here |
Rarity, collecting and ownership
Rarity
The 99-car total reported by Motor Sport Magazine makes the Gordon-Keeble a genuine rarity. It also means that a buyer or owner depends on a small pool of documentation and specialist knowledge. This article does not cover current values, parts supply or servicing costs, so readers considering ownership should check those separately.
Collectibles
A model-car collectors’ club newsletter documents a 1:43 resin-cast Gordon-Keeble miniature. The newsletter confirms that the model was made, but it does not establish whether any particular model is currently sold or in stock.
Quick Recap
How to check the headline yourself
- Read the Motor Sport Magazine retrospective of July 1990 for the engine, production total and price comparison.
- Read the Hagerty UK retrospective, published around 2024, for the 327 cubic inch engine description and the Autocar line.
- Look for the original Autocar road test and check whether the “most electrifying” sentence appears in it, with a named writer.
- Search for any instrumented test comparing a production Gordon-Keeble with a named Ferrari. If one exists, its acceleration and top-speed figures would settle the performance question.
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