A special commemorative plaque featuring the outline of one of the world’s most unique sports cars has been unveiled in order to remember the Reading firm that built the vehicles.
‘Unsung’ Derek Buckler set up Bucklers Engineers and Car Makers at 67 Caversham Road between 1939 and 1968.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of company founder Derek Buckler designing and building his first car in 1947.
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To remember the founder and the company, a special blue plaque has been installed on Caversham Road, near to where PureGym now stands.
Members of the Buckler family on Caversham Road
A special ceremony to celebrate the installation took place on Saturday, June 25, where members of the Buckler family were joined by six Buckler cars to mark the occasion.
The plaque was unveiled by Derek’s son-in-law Keith Ambrose, assisted by Derek’s son Malcolm and Derek’s grandson Simon Ambrose.
David Montgomery, the event organiser and registrar at The Buckler Car Register, said: “Derek Buckler is one of the unsung people of the post-war era. He is credited with what became the kit car industry resulting in cars capable of everyday use and motorsport at weekends.
The newly-unveiled plaque, with a ERD 96 car on top
“The plaque will hopefully provide a prompt for those that see it to go on to discover Derek’s true worth to motorsport around the world.
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“The plaque features the preproduction Buckler car, ERD 96, built in 1949. A few similar cars were built by the company but Bucklers are primarily known for their tubular space frame chassis that were bought in their hundreds by those wishing to build their own car. Indeed, Derek is credited with starting the kit car industry.”
Records indicate 277 chassis were built by Bucklers, of which 124 survive.
The prototype ERD leaving Bucklers in the 1950s.
They are kept around the world in locations including New Zealand, Japan and Qatar, where Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani keeps one of the sports cars in a private museum.
Bucklers also offered motor repairs and restorations, manufactured a range of parts and in 1960, started building racing karts.
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Some of the Bucklers cars known to have survived
The Buckler Car Register wishes to thank the owners of the building for permission to fix the plaque, to the businesses occupying the building for their cooperation and to the Fire Service for allowing access for the cars.
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