Gilbern is perhaps best known for being the only Welsh manufacturer to build cars in production quantities. It all started back in 1959 when the company was established by Giles Smith and Bernard Friese, the first production car being the attractive MG based GT model. Production of the Gilbern GT continued until 1967, by then it had been replaced by the more modern Genie.

The next model from Gilbern was the 1969 Invader. The Gilbern Invader remained in production until 1973 after which the company stopped producing cars.