Product Update
Is AB Performance Still in Business? (2026 Update)
Is AB Performance from Dragons’ Den still around in 2026? The deal it made, the dragons who invested, and where to buy AB Performance today.
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AB Performance built its name on bike-engined track cars, and Andy Bates walked out of the Den with backing from Peter Jones himself. The company behind that pitch, however, is no longer trading independently.
The Short Answer
No, AB Performance closed as an independent business. Public reporting and the company's own social media posts describe the closure as a difficult, drawn-out process, with the brand's assets, including its Facebook presence and website, handed over to MK Sportscars and Kit Car Direct in a takeover announced in 2024.
Our records for this pitch currently show the business as still selling, but that flag reflects the deal outcome rather than a fresh 2026 check. Based on the evidence available, the underlying company appears to have wound down, and this page is being flagged for review.
The Dragons' Den Pitch
Bates appeared in series 9, episode 6, pitching AB Performance in the Automotive category. The business built, serviced, repaired and tuned bike-engined cars, lightweight track-day machines powered by high-performance motorcycle engines rather than conventional car engines, with the Sabre model as its flagship.
He asked for 50,000 pounds in exchange for 35 percent of the company. That is a fairly high equity stake to offer for the amount, which usually signals a founder prioritising the cash and the credibility of a named investor over holding onto ownership.
The Deal That Got Done
Peter Jones backed the pitch, putting up the full 50,000 pounds asked for in exchange for the 35 percent equity on the table. Jones's background in performance vehicles and engineering-led businesses made him a sensible fit for a niche automotive manufacturer.
The deal gave AB Performance real television exposure in a small, enthusiast-driven corner of the car world, where a Dragons' Den appearance carries real weight among the kit car and bike-engined car community specifically.
What Happened After the Deal
AB Performance kept building and servicing bike-engined cars for years after the pitch, remaining a central resource for the UK's bike-engined car scene, supplying parts and know-how to enthusiasts building their own machines around motorcycle engines.
That changed in 2024. Bates described closing the business as a depressing and difficult task, and the brand's Facebook presence and website were handed to MK Sportscars and Kit Car Direct, who now supply the parts and services AB Performance once provided. Notably, the Sabre and Arion car projects that AB Performance manufactured did not transfer with the brand, so those specific models are no longer in production under any successor.
A Tough Niche to Sustain
Bike-engined cars occupy a genuinely small corner of the automotive world, built around enthusiasts who want the power-to-weight advantages of a motorcycle engine in a lightweight track car. That kind of business depends on a loyal but limited customer base, and running a small manufacturing operation on thin margins over more than a decade is a difficult grind even with strong community goodwill behind it.
The closure was clearly not a snap decision. Bates had built AB Performance into the go-to resource for the entire bike-engined car community over roughly fifteen years, and by his own account winding it down was an emotionally difficult process rather than a routine business closure.
What This Means for Existing Owners
For anyone who already owns a Sabre or an Arion, or who bought parts and services from AB Performance over the years, the practical takeaway is that support has shifted to new hands. MK Sportscars and Kit Car Direct have absorbed the parts and service side of the operation, so existing owners are not entirely without a route to keep their cars running, even though new units of those specific models are no longer being manufactured.
This is a reasonably common outcome when a small manufacturer closes in an enthusiast niche, the community itself, through forums and successor businesses, tends to keep some support alive even after the original company has gone.
Where Things Stand Now
Here is the recap. AB Performance pitched in series 9 with a bike-engined car manufacturing business, asked for 50,000 pounds for 35 percent, and got it from Peter Jones.
Today the original company is closed. MK Sportscars and Kit Car Direct have taken over the parts and service side of the brand, but the Sabre and Arion cars themselves are no longer being built. If you are looking for AB Performance today, the closest thing still standing is under a different name.
Where to buy AB Performance
Still selling as of 26 February 2026. Check today's price and availability.
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See the full AB Performance deal breakdown and term sheet →
