Welcome to the world of the 1969 M-505 Adams Brothers Probe 16, chassis number AB/4. This car was designed and engineered by Dennis and Peter Adams, two brothers and former designers for defunct British sports car manufacturer Marcos Engineering, famously known for their ‘futuristic’ designs. The brothers set out in 1969 to conduct ‘an investigation into extremes of styling’. This Probe 16 is 1 of just 3 examples ever produced, of which only 2 are believed to still be surviving to this day. The first car ever produced, chassis number AB/2, license plate MJO 145H, was previously sold to American songwriter, Jimmy Layne Webb, who has written numerous platinum-selling songs. The second car built, AB/3, license plate PWV 222H, was sold to Jack Bruce, who was the bassist for British rock band, Cream. If you don’t know Cream, you may know one of there band members, the highly-praised guitarist Eric Clapton. The third car, chassis number AB/4, license plate JFB 220H (this car) wound up in England. Chassis AB/3 was completed in 1969, and then subsequently exhibited at the 1969 London Motor Show. This Probe 16 (Chassis AB/4) was featured in a 1971 crime film called ‘A Clockwork Orange’, a movie about young hoodlums wreaking havoc around England. In the Stanley Kubrick film, the car was referred to as the ‘Durango 95’. A Probe 16 was also featured on Top Gear, in the 2nd episode of series 5 on October 31st, 2004. A one-off car called the ‘Probe 15’ was also built by the Adams Brothers previously before the Probe 16 came to life. After the success of the Probe 16, the Adams brothers went on to built a successor in the ‘Probe 2001’.
How many made? Just three Probe 16’s were built, of which only 2 are believed to still survive. No one has confirmed this, so this car is truly a 1 of 3 in the world.
Engine: A 1,900cc JanSpeed-Tuned 4-cylinder engine that produces an estimated 100bhp at 5,500rpm.
Debut: Chassis AB/3 in specific was first shown publicly at the 1969 London Motor Show.
Top Speed: Unknown
0-60mph: Unknown
Photo credit: @scr33nag3r
Research: @rarecarsonly