The Rapport Forté was created by noted designer Chris Humberstone and made its debut in 1980. He had quite the portfolio by that time. His first commercial car design was a body kit for the BMC Mini marketed by Scorpion Car Company, which he penned at the age of 21. He followed that with the Imp based Humberstone Sports 408, the Owen Sedanca, and a number of designs under the Rapport brand including the Jaguar powered Forte.
Chris Humberstone could be considered a peer and contemporary of Richard Oakes (who was known for his Nova and Midas designs) and he was nearly as prolific. He also owned Spice Racing Cars and designed racecars for Benetton, Force F1, and Brun Technics. Sadly, his illustrious career was cut short by his untimely death in 1999.
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| The Rapport Forté featured a retractable hardtop which folded neatly into its trunk |
The origin story of the Rapport Forté begins with a Californian car dealer who wanted to sell a bespoke, high-end British convertible at a time when there were really none to choose from: Aston Martin was on the verge of bankruptcy, the Jaguar XJ-S was only available in hard-top guise, and the Rolls-Royce Corniche was not sporting enough.
Humberstone, recalling the initial discussions about the project, stated that, "…the Jaguar was regarded as the most attractive basis for such a car, particularly when the fuel-injected 4.2-litre engine arrived. That generated new interest in the marque. We wanted a full four-seater, so we selected the regular XJ12 saloon as the standard base rather than the XJ-S, with 3.4-litre and 4.2-litre engines optional. We offered turbocharging and, of course, with either of the 'sixes' the regular five-speed manual could be specified."
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| The Rapport Forté, with the hardtop retracted |
The Forté was a strikingly modern design for the period, with a very Italianate wedge-shaped profile and strongly creased curves giving it a sheer, elegant appearance. It was designed as a folding-hardtop cabriolet, years before they would once again be fashionable, with an electro-hydraulic system was employed to stow the aluminum and steel roof within the trunk. The roof panel also featured its own electrically operated 'moonroof'.
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| The Rapport Forté interior |
The interior was upholstered in Connolly hide, complemented by lambswool rugs. The standard specification included air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, automatic transmission, cruise control and a stereo hi-fi system. Considering its Jaguar XJ donor car, it was appropriately appointed.
The car made its debut at the British Grand Prix for a demonstration run, with Mark Thatcher at the wheel. There it received a very positive reception and many potential customers expressed interest. Fourteen pre-paid orders followed in a matter of weeks and Rapport seemed set for success in the venture. Initially, the plan had been to take brand new cars from Jaguar in New Jersey (USA) and convert them into Forté specification, using Rapport parts shipped over from the UK. However, this ambitious plan was mooted by 1983 as the company became insolvent. Humberstone cited "management problems within Rapport" as the cause.
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| The Rapport Forté shooting break version |
In Rapport's wake, the remains of the Forté project were purchased by the Patrick Motors Group of Birmingham (UK), family-owned coachbuilding concern that was founded in the 1930's. This included the original car and 2 partially completed prototypes and all of the tooling for further production. The company was no stranger to the specialty car business, as they were agents for the products of Lynx and Panther WestWinds. The group had also sold several Rapport Range Rovers after Rapport International went under – and, realizing that they would never get these cars, moved in…
One additional Forté was completed by the Patrick Motors Group with the assistance of car builder, Ladbroke Avon’s Special Projects Department. This car was a shooting break, finished in a two-tone metallic green paintjob and tan hides, completed in 1983. This car would ultimately find its way into the collection of a Swiss enthusiast and was treated to a beautifully executed restoration.
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| The Rapport Forté, both coupe and shooting break used Jaguar running gear |
As a bit of a postscript, the original Forté, which had been unaccounted for and feared lost or destroyed, resurfaced in 2019. It made news when it was purchased by a British businessman named Stuart Brown from its previous owner (who owned the car for 38 years). As a lifelong fan of the Forté, it was Brown's intention to restore it, but the car was in a terrible way and the circumstances of ensuing years prompted its eventual sale. Its current custodian is the same unnamed Swiss collector that owns the estate car, and a restoration is reportedly in progress.
So, this may not be the end of the Forté story...
Sources -
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| The Rapport Forté coupe, with side glass down |
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| The Rapport Forté coupe in profile |
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| The Rapport Forté shooting break profile |
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| The Rapport Forté shooting break, front 3/4 view |
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| The Rapport Forté shooting break interior |
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| The Rapport Forté print advertisement |
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| The Rapport Forté print ad promo photo |
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| The Rapport Forté had a novel lid/wing that hid its headlights |
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| The Rapport Forté was a rather tight 2+2 |
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| The Rapport Forté, rear 3/4 view |
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