Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd was founded by Giles Smith, a butcher, and Bernard Friese a German engineer with experience in glass fibre mouldings and was one of the few cars to be made in Wales. Friese had made a one off car for himself and the two partners used this as the basis for the first Gilbern car. The initial premises were a tiny workshop in Church Village, Pontypridd but when production started the business moved to a new location at the old Red Ash Colliery at nearby Llantwit Fadre. The cars were available at first only as kits but later complete cars were also available.