• Improved specification 2004 Invicta S1 sportscar to debut at NEC
• Full production of V8-powered, hand-made two seater underway

The Invicta Car Company will reveal a much improved version of its 170 mph S1 luxury two-seater sports car at Birmingham’s NEC Motor Show on Tuesday 25th May. The sleek 2004 model Invicta S1 showcar features a carbon-fibre body in granite-silver with saddle-tan, black and magnolia interior trim. The S1’s suspension has revised settings for a more comfortable ride and softer mounting bushes to isolate the cabin from road surface-shocks, but the car retains the sharp turn-in and agile handling of the prototype. Inside, the quality and finish of the all-leather hand-crafted interior is greatly improved.

"The 2004 Motor Show marks a new beginning for Invicta," comments Invicta Chairman Michael Bristow. "Last September, Invicta proudly handed over its very first customer car, just 11 months after the prototype S1 made its world debut at the NEC. Now, after building and testing two prototypes and several customer cars, we have incorporated numerous small but worthwhile improvements in response to media and customer comments. We are delighted to return to the NEC with the improved, definitive, full production, 2004 specification S1 model."

Luxury interior specialists ADT of Coventry developed the S1 with Invicta and the 2004 coupe comes comprehensively equipped as standard, with metallic paint, full leather interior, air-conditioning, RDS tuner/CD player, reverse-parking sensors, satellite navigation, anti-theft alarm, Tracker recovery system and 19 inch, five-spoke alloy wheels shod exclusively with TOYO Proxes T1-S directional tyres – all included in the £77,000 on-the-road price.

"We have road-test requests from several hundred potential customers whom we regard as serious prospects," continues Bristow. "We look forward to fulfilling those test-drive requests in the coming months and to delivering a steady stream of new S1s. Invicta’s production for 2004 is mostly allocated and a number of customers have placed deposits on cars for delivery in 2005. Our aim is to deliver 20 cars in the next 12 months."

Designed to echo and surpass the effortless performance of pre-WWII Invicta cars, the thoroughly modern Invicta S1 is a front engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe, with race-bred suspension, steering and brakes. It is a genuine ‘Grand Tourer’ with a powerful 320 bhp V8 engine, spacious and luxurious cabin, cavernous boot and large capacity (100 litre) fuel tank for high speed, long distance cruising.

Response to the Invicta S1 has been overwhelmingly positive. The S1 is hand-built by a team of highly-skilled technicians, and is produced in strictly limited numbers at The Invicta Car Company’s facility in Chippenham, Wiltshire.