Bolwell Mk IX Ikara History

After the Nagari's 1974 shutdown Bolwell Corporation shifted focus to composite manufacturing — boat hulls, vehicle components, and eventually wind-turbine blades. The Mk IX Ikara, launched in 1979, was a deliberate return to the kit-car format: by selling the car in component form, Bolwell could legally bypass the full Australian Design Rules compliance required of turnkey vehicles.

The Ikara used a spaceframe chassis, a mid-mounted 1.6-litre Volkswagen Golf four-cylinder engine driving through the Golf's transaxle, and a new fibreglass body. Only 12 examples were completed, with 11 reported as surviving. It attracted some corporate interest in Bolwell's composite expertise but did not achieve a commercial scale.

The Ikara closed out Bolwell's original production era. The company would not return to car-making until the Nagari 300 concept appeared at the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show, beginning a modern chapter in carbon-fibre and Kevlar construction.