MEN IN SHEDS INSIDE STORY
7 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 61
We ’r e dow n on t he f a r m a ga i n ,
but rather than occupying a large,
sprawling barn, Raw’s premises is a
purpose-built, single-unit affair with
a huge sliding door, a sprinkling of
four-post lifts and space for plenty
of t he c a r s it pr o duc e s: m a i n l y
Caterham Seven-looking Strikers
for racing, available as full builds
or in component form. There’s also
a solitary full-bodied Phoenix, but
mor e of t h at l at e r.
First, though, an admission.
Raw is based in Canon Pyon – in
Herefordshire, not Worcestershire.
However, it’s not too far into that
county and in any case, the day I turn
up, a friend of Jeremy and Martin
who works at Morgan has dropped in
for a chat. So that’s okay, then.
Je r e my i s a me mb e r of t he Bu l me r
cider-making family. He and his
br ot he r C a l lu m b ou g ht R aw f r om it s
Hereford-based owner in 2010. The
s t or y go e s t h at Je r e my h a d p opp e d
into the company to buy some parts
for his Lotus Seven and ended up
putting the rights to the Striker and,
later, the Phoenix, into his shopping
basket. The founding company was
actually located in Lincolnshire and
produced its first Striker in 1986.
Today, there are around 1000 Strikers
on road and track.
To ge t he r Je r e m y a nd M a r t i n
produce around 10 models per
year, while the rest of their time is
spent prepping and maintaining
c u s t ome r s’ c a r s. To f r e e up s pa c e i n
the workshop they’ve outsourced
chassis and body construction to
lo c a l s uppl ie r s. T h i s a l low s t he m
to spend time tailoring ground-up
builds and creating chassis and
engine packages for customers.
“We’re surrounded by skilled
metal fabricators and machinists,”
says Martin. “Meanwhile, our
engines and engine management
systems come from OmexTechnology, down the road in
Cheltenham.”
A typical Striker is powered by
a 2.0-litre Ford Zetec engine and
weighs 530kg. Fully built it retails
for £21,244; a kit costs £17,494. Each
requires single vehicle approval.
They look great but the car I have
my eye on for a drive is the firm’s
Striker-based Phoenix roadster,
powered by a supercharged version
of the Zetec engine which produces
an appealing 320bhp.
As with the Pembleton, I must
step over the car’s side (having no
doors avoids the issue of crafting
millimetre-perfect shut lines)
before dropping into the driver’s
seat. Safety harness on, engine
fired and the Phoenix burbles
out of the farm and up the road.
It requires a hefty prod of the
accelerator but once roused the
Phoenix surges forward, rapidly
devouring gears. The steering
is ultra-fast and direct, but the
suspension is unyielding. It’s for the
track, not the road, but it’s a blast all
the same and a fine example of what
two men in a shed can produce.
MARTIN JONES AND JEREMY BULMER
RAW, STRIKER-CARS.CO.UK
Raw makes^ about^10
cars a year^ from^ its^
Herefordshire^ base