This is the 1997 Lavazza GTX (registered FX 997 LB in Italy), and it’s a car that connects a number of different cars together with its fascinating story. In the early 1990s British designer John Forakis began shaping the Minotaur, a mid engine sports car with the visual aggression of a prototype racer, broad proportions, and muscular bodywork. A number of configurations were developed, a targa with a removable panel and a fixed roof coupe, followed later by a one-off open Spyder created for a German client. To bring the concept to life Forakis formed Minotaur Cars Ltd. in the Chatham Dockyards of Kent in the year 1998. He was no newcomer to the craft, having been involved in automotive design and fabrication since 1975. The Minotaur debuted in 1993 at the National Kit Car Show, earning coverage from both specialist kit car magazines and the broader automotive press. Only around handful of kits and completed cars were sold before the company shut down in 2005, and in that same year British manufacturer Pilgrim Cars took over production until 2009. Then, from 2009 until 2012 Vision Sports Cars in the UK took over, closing out the Minotaur chapter for good. During this time, Enrico Lavazza had been running his own operation in Italy. Lavazza, who founded Automobili Lavazza in 1975 and later renamed it Simbol Design, specialized in one off prototypes, replicas, and specialty builds. Working with a Minotaur assembled in a kit, Lavazza constructed several examples of the C8 between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s before turning to newer projects, one of which became the Lavazza GTX. This platform provided the foundation for the Lavazza GTX, the more extreme GTX-R that in turn served as the base for the Monte-Carlo Automobiles Rascasse, and even for one off projects such as the Kaiserova C12, which started as a Lavazza chassis before being rebadged for a collector.
How many made? Approximately 3
Engine: 5.4L V12
Debut: n/a
Top Speed: around 202mph
0-60mph: around 4.6 seconds
Photo Credit: @famoia76
Research: @rarecarsonly
1997 Lavazza GTX
03.10.2025
Simbol Design Automotive