RARE LAWIL BERLINA A4 - early 70's FOR SALE

[blob]

I saw a car like the one in your picture on a camp site in Northern France earlier this year.  Chateaux Des Ormes
Was it you. I don't know much about them - tell me more.

The car in my avatar picture is a Nissan Pivo concept EV, which has a canopy that pivots 180º doing away with the need for reverse. This was the original design, however Nissan has since developed the idea by building the Pivo 2 with a front door reminiscent of the Isetta and wheels that rotate, clever stuff.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi2aSfbGUYQ&feature=related
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Ijsfg4tx4

[Barry]

Hi Barry. Where abouts in Essex are you, I'm in Hornchurch. My friend who owns my old car now lives in Romford. The car is a 125cc BCB  single cylinder model. I will ask him if he minds you contacting him.   Bob

Bob
I am just down the 127 in Rayleigh.  Almost doable in a Lawil!
Barry

[Barry]

I saw a car like the one in your picture on a camp site in Northern France earlier this year.  Chateaux Des Ormes
Was it you. I don't know much about them - tell me more.

The car in my avatar picture is a Nissan Pivo concept EV, which has a canopy that pivots 180º doing away with the need for reverse. This was the original design, however Nissan has since developed the idea by building the Pivo 2 with a front door reminiscent of the Isetta and wheels that rotate, clever stuff.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi2aSfbGUYQ9
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Ijsfg4tx4

Thanks for the links Blob - Fantastic
Barry

[Barry]

Hi Barry. Where abouts in Essex are you, I'm in Hornchurch. My friend who owns my old car now lives in Romford. The car is a 125cc BCB  single cylinder model. I will ask him if he minds you contacting him.   Bob

Bob
I am just down the 127 in Rayleigh.  Almost doable in a Lawil!
Barry

Bob and everyone.
I now have a two page road test from Autosport - Feb 1974.
I have scanned it as a readable pdf but don't know how / if I should make it available to anyone who is interested.
I have a high quality jpg but might have to reduce the 42mb file size !!!
I don't think there are any copyright issues are there?

Barry

[Jean]

"Did you Know that the RUM club can also write you a letter confirming the date of your car but they would need some concrete proof that the date your submitting was geunine."
  So please don't forget to put your car on the Register as soon as possible, you can download a registration form from this web site to do so.  This reminder goes to any other Lawil owner too, or owners of any rare microcars  for that matter, We need them on the Register then we are in a better position to help all 'newbies' as they come along.   

[Barry]

"Did you Know that the RUM club can also write you a letter confirming the date of your car but they would need some concrete proof that the date your submitting was genuine."
  So please don't forget to put your car on the Register as soon as possible, you can download a registration form from this web site to do so.  This reminder goes to any other Lawil owner too, or owners of any rare microcars  for that matter, We need them on the Register then we are in a better position to help all 'newbies' as they come along.   

I will definitely put it on the register now that I know more about it.

Quote from Mike (googo) 'From the look of it and the late grill I'd say it was 76 - 77,' - I don't suppose that will do as proof!!!

Proof of it's exact date of manufacture is a little bit elusive.

I will try Denis in France next but I really need some manufacturing data from the Lawil factory.

Regards to all
Barry

[Denis]

Dear Barry,
Congratulations for this nice buy!
Your Lawil isn’t a version built for France.
Few reasons:
All French one were sold under the name Willam never Lawil (Even if the name Lawil was on the identification plaque near the engine)
All French models were some 125 cm3. Just a 175 cm3 was available on the very first generation with Lambretta engine (End of the 60’s ).
The two cylinder BCB engine 250 cm3  type A52 was too big for our “without licence French drivers”!
Difficult for me to give good information about age!
Certainly beginning of the 80’s (or very last years of the 70’s ).
Sorry, all documentation and technical information I own are about 125cm3.
Hope an Italian reader will be able to give us more than I…
Regards
Denis

[Barry]

Dear Barry,
Congratulations for this nice buy!
Your Lawil isn't a version built for France.
Few reasons:
All French one were sold under the name Willam never Lawil (Even if the name Lawil was on the identification plaque near the engine)
All French models were some 125 cm3. Just a 175 cm3 was available on the very first generation with Lambretta engine (End of the 60’s ).
The two cylinder BCB engine 250 cm3  type A52 was too big for our “without licence French drivers”!
Difficult for me to give good information about age!
Certainly beginning of the 80’s (or very last years of the 70’s ).
Sorry, all documentation and technical information I own are about 125cm3.
Hope an Italian reader will be able to give us more than I…
Regards
Denis

Thanks for contacting me Denis
At least I can cross France off as a source for a manufacturing date - Italy it is then.
All I need is to find a similar car with a chassis number somewhere near 0000000119
There could be some records left over from the factory perhaps.
The chassis plate states A4.
I am told it is a Berlina but I haven't come across this name in my research.
I have road test from Autosport - 1974, that quotes Crayford Auto Developments of Westerham imported them using the name William.
This means that they were used on UK roads - left hand drive in the photos.  These had the 250cc twin engine like my one.
I will try to find out how long they carried on importing.
I wonder if anyone in England still has one of these (in any condition) to compare chassis numbers?.
Is there a record of when they ceased production at the factory in Milan?  At least that would put a last possible date on the car.

Regards
Barry

[g-o-g-g-o]

Hi Barry
            Crayford only imported 7 vehicles - they did not sell well, Have you got in contact with the Crayford Club, I'm sure they will be able to tell you how many there are on the road - I know of one of them but Crayford cars had a very high survival rate - I have discovered they were built up to 84 and I agree with Dennis that yours was one of the last built - weather it was late 70's or early 80's. the chassis no is A4 and then the number, not just the number - I hope this helps you, I have dug out of my collection the Willam habdbook, but it only deals with the 125cc engine and is in French - you are welcome to have a copy of it, I need your address to send it to you.
                                                                                                                                                 Mike

[Barry]

Hi Barry
            Crayford only imported 7 vehicles - they did not sell well, Have you got in contact with the Crayford Club, I'm sure they will be able to tell you how many there are on the road - I know of one of them but Crayford cars had a very high survival rate - I have discovered they were built up to 84 and I agree with Dennis that yours was one of the last built - weather it was late 70's or early 80's. the chassis no is A4 and then the number, not just the number - I hope this helps you, I have dug out of my collection the Willam handbook, but it only deals with the 125cc engine and is in French - you are welcome to have a copy of it, I need your address to send it to you.
                                                                                                                                                 Mike

Mike
That's great information and I would love a copy of any literature.
I will contact the Crayford club ASAP.
My road test is from 74 and shows pictures of the soft top Jeep style car. if Crayford only imported 7 vehicles, the chances are that they won't help in dating my later version.

e-mail on  barry@vividimage.demon.co.uk for my address - Thanks again Mike



 

[Barry]

Richard - Just found something from 2008.

I still have the Lawil and I still don't know when it was made.

[richard]

Barry ! This topic is from FIVE years ago ! Ho ho ho rofl 

[genbua]

hi all,
Im from Austria-Vienna and restored (frame off rest) my 1973 LAWIL
if you need info help where to get parts (very small parts are Fiat500!- its a story) most of them are rare parts from Fiat650 giardinera 1958-1961

price I bought it for 300€ 95% rustfree, restore it and invest ca.6500€ and if I find one who does it cheaper- good luck its an normal car as other ones

[Barry]

genbua.  Hello.
It would be very good to talk to some more about your lovely Lawil.

I need to find out when my Lawil was made.
Perhaps one day you could take a good photo of your chassis plate.

Here is my car.  They make a nice pair.