The Dax Rush is a two-seat sports car from the British kit maker Dax Cars of North Weald, Essex. It is one of the most engine-agnostic kit cars of its time: the same basic car has been built with V8s, with turbocharged four-cylinders and with motorcycle engines, most commonly the Suzuki Hayabusa.
Dax Rush at a glance
| Maker | Dax Cars (DJ Sportscars Int.), North Weald, Essex |
|---|---|
| Company founded | 1968 |
| Model | two-seat sports car, sold as a kit |
| V8 option | yes |
| Four-cylinder option | 2.0-litre with turbocharger |
| Motorcycle option | commonly the Suzuki Hayabusa engine |
| One-off | a single chassis with a helicopter turbine, not road legal |
| Company origin | fibreglass moulding firm; first British Cobra kit |
| Other Dax models | Kamala (1996), Californian (1985), Nevada (1985), Dax 427 |
| Maker of the 427 | production acquired by John Kox on 15 August 2017 |
No Wikipedia page exists for the Rush itself. This article is based on the maker’s page, Dax Cars, and is based on one source.
History of the Dax Rush
A fibreglass firm in Essex
Dax Cars was founded in 1968 and is based in North Weald, Essex. It started as a fibreglass moulding company under the name DJ Sportscars Int. and became the first British company to make a kit-based replica of the AC 427 Cobra, the car that later took the name Dax Tojeiro and then Dax 427.
The Rush
The Rush is the company’s two-seat sports car, offered in kit form with many engine variations. Buyers could specify a V8, a 2.0-litre straight four with a turbocharger, or a motorcycle engine, commonly the Suzuki Hayabusa unit. One chassis was built as a one-off with a helicopter turbine engine; unsurprisingly, it was not road legal.
The company around it
The Rush was never the only Dax model. The Californian appeared in 1985 as a Porsche 356 lookalike using VW Beetle components, the Nevada of the same year was an off-roader on a tubular space-frame chassis with a VW Beetle engine, and the Kamala of 1996 was an original supercar design by the ex-Ford designer Peter Walker with a Cosworth 2-litre turbo. On 15 August 2017 John Kox acquired the production of the Dax 427 from 427 Motor Company, the firm formerly known as Dax Cars and DJ Sportscars Int.
Design and features
- Two seats, kit form: a lightweight sports car supplied as a kit by an Essex fibreglass specialist.
- Engine freedom: V8, 2.0-litre turbo four or motorcycle power, commonly a Suzuki Hayabusa engine.
- Bike-engined option: the Rush is known for taking motorcycle engines, a popular route in British kit cars.
- Turbine one-off: one chassis was built with a helicopter turbine and was not road legal.
- Long-lived maker: Dax has been building cars in North Weald since 1968.
Dax Rush versions
- Rush with V8: the largest engine option listed for the model.
- Rush with 2.0-litre turbo: a four-cylinder turbocharged version.
- Rush with motorcycle engine: commonly the Suzuki Hayabusa unit.
- Turbine one-off: a single chassis with a helicopter turbine engine, not road legal.
The Rush shares its maker with the Dax Cobra, the company’s 427 replica. More cars are in the Dax collection.
Video: Dax Rush Road Test With – Richard Hammond
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Dax Cars, English Wikipedia: company history, Rush engine options, other models, 2017 sale
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