An easy virtual cache that will take you to a Fleur De Lys delivery van at a brewery in Limassol.
THE HISTORY OF FLEUR DE LYS VEHICLE MANUFACTURING
The Fleur de Lys range of period vans was one of several around in the eighties– most being offered in kit form. Several of them frankly weren’t very good but the Newark company’s offerings thanks largely to the input of sixties motorsport designer-great LEN TERRY, were first class. They were available as turnkeys or as kit packages.
Fleur de Lys means ‘flower of the lily’ and has been widely used in heraldry through the ages and the company behind the vans and period vehicles had a very interesting story.
It’s often been said that when Newark patisserie owner, Dionysios Andreas Livernas (Fleur de Lys Patisseries) wanted a period-style vehicle to help promote his business he couldn’t find what he wanted so decided to build his own hence the Len Terry connection.
I’ve also seen it written elsewhere that Liveras ran a baker’s shop. While it is true that his business did produce pastries – fresh cream a speciality – it was hardly a corner kiosk.
It was a huge operation employing some 600 staff.
The company were the kings of the supermarket chilled fresh cream (nice line in profiteroles!) and pastry aisles for many years supplying the likes of Birds Eye, BHS, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer with own-label products. The company was ultimately bought out by Grand Metropolitan.
In 1983, Livernas designed his own vehicle and engaged the services of Terry and even set up a new division of the company called Fleur de Lys Vehicle Manufacturing with Kyri Kyriacou installed as managing director. Another key member of the management team was Iain Robertson Muir.
They didn’t just stick to vintage vehicles either as they were quite ambitious. One notable thing about the Fleur de Lys vehicles was their superb handling. Liveras had complained that a couple of rival products didn’t have a good ride quality.
Len Terry was known for his suspension set-up skills. Therefore, Fleur de Lys’ vehicles may have looked vintage but they drove like brand-new, modern-day cars.
Just prior to the company taking on the Evante project in 1991, Len Terry had been working on a low-cost modern two-seater under the Fleur de Lys name called The Zero. He carried some of it over to the Evante Mk2, such as the Zetec engine.
Kyriacou was pretty successful in getting his vans and limos out to a wider audience with plenty of companies small, large and artisan recognising the promotional impact that a vintage-looking van with modern mechanicals could make on their business.
Fleur de Lys’ corporate customers were an impressive list and included – Harrods (they bought six!), Kelloggs, Michelin, JVC, Walls, Castrol, Bang & Olufsen and Budweiser UK.
The vehicles were even sold with a Ford warranty meaning they could be serviced and repaired by a Ford dealer’s service department. By 1985 the company had complied with European Low Volume Type Approval regulations and a growing number of its products were exported. 90 per cent of them at the height of sales.
They were coachbuilt vehicles using mahogany and solid brass fittings, brass radiator cowls and diecast artillery-type wheels. Bonnets, doors and mudguards were usually formed from aluminium. They also had period-type klaxon horns fitted, too.
With the effects of the early nineties recession taking hold, Fleur de Lys’s sales, particularly their exports, were contracting and so in 1994 Kyriacou decided to close the vehicle manufacturing arm which at one time had employed 80 staff at the company’s Brunel Drive, Newark factory.
To claim this virtual just take a photo of yourself pointing at the vehicle registration plate and post it in your log. The registration plate must be visible in your picture.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.