Jeremy Phillips and the Sylva story

Posted by John Mellberg September 17, 2020

Jeremy Phillips and the Sylva story

The Sylva Stylus was the 'civilized' one...

Sylva Autokits is a kit car manufacturer based in Lincolnshire, England which was founded in 1981 by Jeremy Phillips. Since that time its products have seen massive success in 750 Motor Club racing as well as a fair degree of commercial success. Phillips came to be regarded among the best designers of kits and racecars in the specialty car industry.

In the course of more than three decades, Sylva produced a wide range of roadsters and track day cars. One way the company was able to accomplish this was by selling off or licensing older model properties to other kit manufacturers. For example the Fury was sold to Fisher Sportscars, the Stylus to Specialist Sports Cars, and the Striker to Raw. By using the proceeds of such sales, Sylva has been able to continue developing new designs.

What follows are descriptions of all the major models produced by Sylva Autokits thus far (as of 2020). This includes the first of Phillips' designs "the Star" and concludes with the J15 (aka "Vectis").

The cars of Sylva

A pair of Sylva Stars

The Star was the first kit car designed by Jeremy Phillips and was put into production in 1984 by the newly minted Sylva Autokits. It was based on a Vauxhall Viva donor using the front subframe and the rear axle. The intent of the model was to compete with other "Seven Type" kits such as the Dutton Phaeton that offered an alternative to the more expensive Caterhams and Westfields of the day.

The Leader was the next Sylva, based on the Star but with a two piece Fiberglass body. The car was intended to be used on both road and track. Brain Healey won the 750 Motor Club kit car championship for three successive years in a Leader 400 using a Ford 1700 Crossflow engine. The Leader project was later sold off and the car renamed the Leader SS. The Leader 400 can be distinguished by the bonnet bulge, and its use of Vauxhall Chevette running gear.

Writer/Racer Dave Roberts in a Sylva Striker

Sylva's most enduring and profitable car came next, the Striker, which featured a lighter construction than its predecessor and a more explicitly Lotus Seven-like configuration. It made for a very versatile platform for the hobbyist or racer accommodating a variety of engines including Crossflows, Fiats, Rotaries, and even V8s.

The Striker has evolved during the years. It was originally available with "Clamshell" or cycle front mudguards, with the latter being more common. The Mk2 striker, by far the most popular Striker, features rocker arm front suspension with inboard damper and springs. However, the follow-on Mk3 used more familiar wishbone and control rod setup.

Sylva's next product coincided with the Mk4 Striker, being based on the same chassis. It was called the "Phoenix" and was essentially a "streamliner" version of its sibling and was intended strictly for racing purposes.

It wore newly developed fiberglass bodywork with a curved and lowered front end and fully enclosed wheels. Used extensively in kit car racing series, it saw great success. the design was ultimately sold to Stuart Taylor Motorsport who have since sold it on again. It currently resides with Raw Engineering who also own the rights to the Striker.

The Sylva Fury

In 1991 Sylva launched the "Fury", which could be considered an evolution of the theme established by the Phoenix. It was a curvaceous, low slung roadster that utilizes suspension bits from either the late model Ford Escort or Sierra and can be fitted with a wide variety of engines. The chassis is strong enough for a Rover V8 or Cosworth Turbo motor, but some examples have even used large displacement motorcycle engines. The Fury has continued the Sylva tradition of racing success in the UK's various kit car club racing series.
The tooling and rights to the Fury were initially sold to Fisher Sportscars in 1994 but changed hands a number of times before finding a home in Kent with Fury Sportscars. It is still produced today.

The 1994 Sylva Stylus

After the sale of the "Fury", Phillips' next work was a more civilized iteration of the roadster idea called the "Stylus". It was launched in 1994 and, at first, used a modified Fury chassis, depending on Mark II Escort parts. Later, as these Escorts were becoming harder to find, a purpose-built chassis was made. This could also accommodate lowered doors. The front rocker arms were upgraded with needle bearings and the front lower arms got redesigned to prevent the lower ball joints being damaged. As with most Sylva models, various four-cylinder engines as well as the Rover V8 can be fitted.

The rights to manufacture the Stylus were sold to Specialist Sports Cars in 1996. SSC production began in 1997, and the company also offered turn-key cars.

The Sylva Jester

Sylva's next car was a pretty major departure from the track weapons it had been producing up until 1997. Called the "Jester", this was to be the first and only front-wheel drive Sylva. It was based on parts from the Mk1 and Mk2 Ford Fiesta and was meant to be a fun, economical roadster. It had a triangulated and stressed steel monocoque chassis with a GRP body. While not a huge success, Sylva still managed to find a buyer for the project in Harlequin Cars in 2000.

The Mojo was launched in 2000. It was originally designed around the front-wheel-drive engine and gearbox from a Mk2 Fiesta, but with the whole setup fitted at the rear to give a mid-mounted transverse setup. The Ford CVH engine was standard, but other engines such as Ford Zetec, Toyota 4AGE and Renault 5 GT Turbo were also used. The Mojo used a De Dion rear suspension setup combined with another variation on the Sylva inboard front suspension design.

It featured styling that was likely inspired by prior takes on the "mid-engine 7" idea such as the Status Minipower. As is typical of Sylva's, it had a spartan, no-nonsense interior with much left up to the builder in terms of gauges and accessories. The body had a wide rear track with fully enclosed rear tires and open wheels up front, partially covered by cycle fenders.

The Sylva Mojo 2

The Mojo 2 was a redesigned Mojo with independent double wishbone rear suspension. The body was restyled, at the rear, and two new nose designs were also introduced.

The Mojo SE was a further development of the Mojo 2, which employed the rear chassis design of the Riot SE, so as to provide a slightly longer wheelbase and accommodate a wider variety of engines. The rear bodywork was also altered due to the extra length behind the rear bulkhead.

The Riot is a motorcycle engined version of the Mojo 2. The original version used a Yamaha R1 engine and was called the R1ot. Later it was redesigned to take a Ford Zetec SE and was called Riot SE. It went on to become "Kit Car of the Year 2005"

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In terms of design, the Riot takes the theme of the Mojo to its most seven-like extreme with cycle fender clad wheels at all four corners, ultra light weight, and a roll cage and windscreen for safety and protection from the elements.

In 2013 the Riot project was sold to Xmoor Cars, later rebranded as Riot Cars, and is still being produced and refined.

Jeremy Phillips' final design, the J15 "Vectis"

The 2014 Sylva J15 "Vectis" was to be Jeremy Phillips last Sylva design before his retirement. It is a two-seat sportscar built around an MGF donor, which makes for a dynamic package with independent suspension, disc brakes front and rear, with a superb 1.8-litre engine, and five-speed gearbox.

Designed to maximize part usage from donor car, it uses the MGF wheels, tires, front hubs complete with ball-joints, steering arms, calipers, discs, rear hubs complete with drive-shafts, CV joints, rear subframe, rear upper and lower wishbones, engine as well as the gearbox assembly complete with all ancillaries, fuel pump, clutch slave cylinder, handbrake lever, heater, steering column, ECU, and even the stock immobilizer.

The J15 is an attractive and agile package that makes for a fitting finale to the career of one of the UK specialty car industry's most celebrated talents. A proper parting statement that sums up Mr. Phillips' whole ethos as an engineer and designer.

Phillips, with the entire Sylva lineup - Complete Kitcar Magazine

So with that, Jeremy Phillips retired in April of 2016, selling Sylva Autokits to David MacBean. The company was rebranded, slightly, as "Sylva Sportscars" and moved manufacturing of the J15 to MacBean's workshop at Mallory Park.

Sources:
TKC Magazine
Riot Cars
Complete Kit Car Magazine
Sylva & Raw Kit Car Club (Facebook)
Surrey chapter of the Sylva Register