That`s how I remember it.  1200cc 34 bhp ... enough for me 

That does look really stylish.

There's one for £2,300 awaiting re-birth on ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bonito-seraph-1980s-kit-car/253350554287?hash=item3afcdeaaaf:g:xGQAAOSwNWxaJYpA

That`s how I remember it.  1200cc 34 bhp ... enough for me 

Thats a big motor my first buggy came with the earlier 28 bhp motor

It was quite nice

Pretty sure but with an asthmatic 1200 four banger in the rear...nein  danke!

Even so cruise slowly to shows and accept the looks from those who dont know its a sheep in wolf's clothing
A thing of beauty

[Dear Mr. Watts,Thank you for your enquiryThe DVLA assess applications case by case on the evidence presented and it is a legal requirement to tell us when alterations have been made to a vehicle. If a keeper has failed in the past to comply with this legal requirement to notify a change of vehicle details the application will be assessed in line with the date the notification was made. Where there is evidence of a previous notification the DVLA will consider the application in line with that dateBest RegardsJ Rich]

Not that it helps with any history, but if you CAN prove the history, then DVLA will consider changes

This is their official line so far . . . .


Dear Mr. Watts,

Thank you for your enquiry

The DVLA assess applications case by case on the evidence presented and it is a legal requirement to tell us when alterations have been made to a vehicle. If a keeper has failed in the past to comply with this legal requirement to notify a change of vehicle details the application will be assessed in line with the date the notification was made. Where there is evidence of a previous notification the DVLA will consider the application in line with that date


Best Regards
J Rich

Their statement does not bode well if a previous owner/ builder has not done any changes on the V5 as they take it from the application date however if they did have a  previous notification why was in not changed back then and would they keep any ignored paperwork on file.

A bit different from the reply than that from the Department of Transport who are the ultimate authority.

Well I've contacted the guy who built my buggy and he says the chassis was from a beetle not a buggy.

I think the statement is pretty much as I expected, but it does infer that they are negotiable which I was not actually expecting as a first draught from them.

Gives us a benchmark to work from, and I have asked for more clarification. This response has come from the first line of support, and their job is just to throw it back - it took several months of wearing them down to get a real reply as we did with VHI, so here goes . . . .

That does look really stylish.

There's one for £2,300 awaiting re-birth on ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bonito-seraph-1980s-kit-car/253350554287?hash=item3afcdeaaaf:g:xGQAAOSwNWxaJYpA

Hi Hugh..... took a look at this.... How I wish I had some land and a big barn.   I squeeze around my buggy build with next to nothing between me and the 4 walls. Can just picture myself in an old barn with power, a wood burning stove of the old cast iron type with the circular top lid that come off, plenty of room to store stuff, a kettle for brewing up.... My wife wouldn`t see me from one year to the next and that would probably suit her too. Ah well I can but dream. Do you watch Shed & Burried"  That would be me

Paul you're starting to sound a little like you have reclusive hill billy tendencies....

...remember that prolonged isolation and too much of your own thoughts can so easily lead to some pretty hair raising behaviour.

Mind you perhaps this is what the buggy community needs/thrives on ?!

It was quite nice

that is very nearly a muira 👍

Yes.. This was a car you needed to see close up. perfect design in my eyes. The Bonito took the air cooled vw engine and the "nymph" was modified to take a front placed engine. Two colours stood out by a mile... red and of course yellow.

I missed out on a Bonito on ebay  last year. They were asking £6000 and it was pretty near all there parts wise. I couldn`t convince myself to part with this amount of cash even though I know what a fully restored one can be worth.