EBM Tazio Speedster

The EBM Tazio Speedster was an open version of the Tazio sports car developed by Eric Booth Motors, a South African manufacturer founded by former racing driver Eric Booth in Cape Town in 1994. The company initially produced racing cars before developing road-going sports cars during the late 1990s. The Tazio programme followed three prototypes and reached its final form in 1999. The cars used a stainless-steel chassis with fibreglass bodywork and were developed in both closed Coupé and open Roadster/Speedster configurations. Published specifications give a weight of approximately 1,000 kg. Early development cars were powered by a 4.0-litre BMW V8. Later examples used a 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8, with contemporary figures quoting approximately 400–420 hp. A maximum speed of 331 km/h was claimed for the Tazio, although this figure has not been independently verified. The open Tazio has also been described as a Speedster, Roadster or Barchetta in different sources. The project was intended for very limited production rather than conventional series manufacture. EBM Sportscars of Milton Keynes marketed the cars in Britain and reportedly sold three examples in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2000. This figure refers to British sales and should not be considered confirmation that only three Tazios were constructed. The Tazio has been attributed to Pininfarina in some descriptions, and surviving cars carry Disegno di Pininfarina badges. However, no primary documentation confirming that Pininfarina designed the Tazio has yet been identified. The attribution should therefore be considered unverified. Earlier accounts have also associated the Speedster with a commission for the Sultan of Brunei, but the currently available documentation does not establish this connection. Likewise, claims that the car was designed and built in England or that the Speedster remained unfinished conflict with evidence for Eric Booth Motors’ South African origins and the existence of completed Tazio road cars. Eric Booth Motors ceased production around 2000, after the Tazio programme had remained at very low production levels.