A history of the Moss Owners Club

John Cowperthwaite designed all Moss cars.  The first Moss had two seats and was produced in Sheffield around 1981.  The Moss range was extended in 1982 to include the 2+2 Moss Malvern and the original car was renamed the Moss Roadster.  In 1983 the Mamba went into production and the set was completed in 1984 with the production of the Monaco.   The grill on the first Roadster and Malvern cars had seven bars but was changed to the multi-bar version during 1983.
In 1985 the factory caught fire and some of the moulds and sales records were destroyed. The rights and remaining moulds were sold on to Hampshire Classics in 1986, who did little with them. It is at this time that the Mamba's moulds are believed to have been sold on, although it is equally possible that they were lost forever in the fire at the Sheffield factory.
In 1987 seeing the possible demise of the marque, 3 members of the owners club bought the moulds and the rights from Hampshire Classics for all the cars except the Mamba and continued production until the mini-depression of the early nineties when Moss Cars (Bath) quietly followed many other manufacturers into obscurity.
Due to the loss of the sales records in the fire at Sheffield it is impossible to give accurate production figures. Estimated figures make the most popular model the Malvern followed by the Roadster, the Monaco and lastly the Mamba.
The approximate production figures are:
Malvern	....	350		Monaco	....	70
Roadster	....	150		Mamba	....	16 (22)
For a long time it was believed that there were only 16 Mambas produced, however a newly discovered Mamba has the serial number 22.
The Moss Owners Club in its present format was formed in 1983 not only for Malvern, Roadster, Monaco, and Mamba enthusiasts but also for Midge and Locust owners although these  have separate owners clubs.   The club is non profit making so all membership fees are used in the interests of club members and the club is still going strong, making appearances at several kit car events and organising several events for members each year.
In it's heyday of the late 80's the Moss Owners club could boast a membership of around 350.  This figure has been steady around 140 since 2000 although there are more Mosses on the road than there are members.
While there have been no new kits sold since the early 1990's the club still recruits new members with previously known and unknown cars.  Most cars are either Triumph or Ford based but range from standard 850cc to 2000cc nitrous injected engines and from standard to custom body shells.
The club organises numerous events over the year and these normally include the yearly AGM, attendance at various shows and events, a club camp, trips abroad clocking up mileage and visiting places of interest, a Christmas party and other one off events organised by members.  Members can get details/reviews of events in the club newsletter or in the Members section of this website.
The club also has several "experts" who can find solutions to most technical difficulties and also has details of many Moss sales for those interested in buying. We try to be a friendly, informative and helpful group, well organized but informal and with fees of only £10 per year we think we are great value for money.
Over the years we have had members (with and without cars) in many countries including: Australia, France, Spain, New Zealand, Jamaica, Canada, USA, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England.
There is no doubt that the Moss Owners Club  will continue for many years to come. It has a strong core of willing and able members and, as members sell their cars and leave, new members have been joining to take their place.  There are also several build projects still under way moving towards road legal status.
The club usually knows where there are cars for sale.  These are mostly Malverns and Roadsters but occasionally we get asked if we can find a good home for a Monaco or Mamba.  Check the sales page of this site to see  what is currently available or send us details of your requirements if there is nothing there at present.
The owners club is keen to keep track of any surviving Moss cars.  If you know of a Moss car, especially one hidden in an old barn etc., please email us to tell us of its location and some contact details. We should also appreciate it if you would tell the owners about the club and this web site.