At the start of the 1980s, Erin was in financial ruin. Their strong range of cars had been whittled down to just two models, and they were in desperate need of reform if they were to continue in any shape or form. Enter the Nasaro, a new mid-engine sports car designed to revitalise the company. Competing in the same price range as the hot hatch market with its entry-level 2.0l Turbo model (shown here) and with the sports saloon market (i.e. BMW M3 and the like) at the top end, the Nasaro was a bold step in a new direction for Erin.
Styled by newly hired Head of Design Chris Famerley and based on a secretive late-70s project called the “New Sports Concept”, the Nasaro would go on to be one of Erin’s most succesful sports cars ever, bringing in the necessary profit to update the rest of their range a year later, as well as seeing incredible success as a Group A touring car machine from 1983 to 1986.
Within the wedge-shaped lines of the mid-engined Nasaro, Erin’s climb back to success was to be found. it was the car that saved the company both from financial ruin and indeed itself as a whole, finally bringing the odd British brand in line with the general standards of different car classes for different markets. When Erin had tried to corporatise before (see the latter half of this post), it had gone disastrously, because in the company’s heart to do so. But now, left with little option but to conform and rebuild, Erin were finally ready to become a proper car company like their rivals, and they did it with all the flair that had ensured their fairly continuous success so far.