Ginetta Cars
Encyclopedia
Ginetta Cars is a Garforth
, Leeds
, West Yorkshire
based British specialist builder of racing and sports car
s.
, Suffolk
. The first car, not destined for production, which subsequently became known as the G1 was based on a pre war Wolseley Hornet
.
From their original base, the company moved to Witham, Essex in 1962, and between 1972 and 1974 operated from larger premises in Sudbury
, Suffolk before returning to Witham where they remained until 1989. Under the Walkletts, Trevers was mainly responsible for styling, Ivor for engineering, Douglas, management and Bob sales.
Following the retirement of the Walkletts in 1989 the company was sold but failed, and was then bought by an international group of enthusiasts, based in Sheffield
, and run by managing director Martin Phaff producing the G20 and G33.
. In mid 2007 Ginetta moved to a state-of-the-art factory near Leeds, with a target to sell 300 cars a year. Trained engineer Tomlinson himself penned the base specification for the Ginetta G50
, which was produced to celebrate 50 years of Ginetta production, and became a successful GT4
and award winning car.
In March 2010, Ginetta acquired the Somerset
-based sports car manufacturer Farbio, and re-badged their car the Ginetta F400. In March 2011, Ginetta launched the G55, running in the GT4 Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup and contender for GT3. In October 2011 Ginetta launched the G60, a two-door mid-engined sports car powered by a Ford-sourced 3.7 litre V6 engine.
for enthusiasts and consisted of a tubular frame chassis to take Ford components and aluminium body. About 100 were made. The G3 was introduced with glass fibre body in 1959 to be followed by the G4 in 1961.
The G4 used the new Ford 105E engine and had a glass fibre GT style body and the suspension was updated to coil springing at the front with Ford live axle at the rear. Whereas the G2 and G3 had been designed for competition the G4 was usable as an everyday car but still was very competitive in motor sport with numerous successes. Over 500 were made up to 1969 with a variety of Ford engines. In 1963 a coupé was introduced alongside the open car and a BMC axle replaced the Ford one at the rear. On test the car reached 120 mi/h with a 1500 cc engine. The series III version of 1966 added the then popular pop up headlights. Production stopped in 1968 but was revived in 1981 with the Series IV which was two inches wider and three inches (76 mm) longer than the III.
The G10 and G11 from 1964 were higher powered versions with 4.7 litre Ford V8 and MGB
engines respectively. The G12 was a mid-engined competition car.
In 1967 the G15 was launched with Hillman Imp
engine. This two seater coupé had a glass fibre body bolted to a tube chassis and used Imp rear and Triumph front suspension. Over 800 were made up to 1974 and the car was fully type approved allowing for the first time complete Ginetta cars to be sold. Eight G15s were engineered for Volkswagen engines and called the Super S.
In 1970 it was joined by the larger G21 initially available with the 1599 cc Ford Kent engine
or 3 litre Ford V6 engines. The 1725 cc Sunbeam Rapier
subsequently became the standard four cylinder engine for the car. The model was later updated to become the closed G24 or open top G23. The G19 was a Formula 3 single seater but only one was ever made.
Not quite in the tradition of the sports cars was the GRS, a large estate car based on Hillman Hunter
mechanicals.
Following reorganisation the company moved to Scunthorpe
and started making cars in kit form again in the 1980s starting with the G27, an update on the old G4, and the G26 G 28 G30 G31 using Ford parts. It was also decided to re-enter the complete car business with the mid engined G32 with a choice of 1.6 and 1.9 litre 4 cylinder engines available as a coupé or convertible and the G33 convertible with 3.9 litre Rover V8 capable of 145 mi/h and a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds. In 1990 the G32 coupé cost £13700, the convertible £14600 and the G33 £17800.
racing car with a monocoque glass-fibre chassis. An earlier spaceframe car was built but never raced. The car, fitted with a Ford engine, was entered by Ginetta Cars Ltd., for Chris Meek to drive at the Crystal Palace
circuit on 5 September 1964.
The Championship is a one make series updated for 2008 with sealed Ford Zetec 1.8 litre engines, sealed gearboxes and differentials. Combined with controlled tyres and suspension parts, this ensures that it is the most popular, cost effective but competitive racing series in Britain. The 2011 series is composed of 20 rounds over 10 dates as part of the support package for the British GT/Formula 3 and two stand alone BARC Truck Festivals.
The G55 will be a versatile race car able to race not only in its own one make championship but also in the British and European GT4 and GT3 categories. It will also be eligible for numerous British & European GT categories of the like of Britcar, Spanish GT etc.
A G50/G55 single-make race Championship will run in 2011 with the focus on keeping running costs to a minimum by using control tyres, control fuel and low maintenance costs through clever design.
This car and its Championship is designed to bridge the gap between single-make sports car racing such as the current Ginetta Challenge championship – and GT cars such as the new GT4 Championship, GT3 and GT2 racing.
Garforth
Garforth is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward - 80.57% of which are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has 15,394 of those people...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
based British specialist builder of racing and sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s.
20th century
Ginetta was founded in 1958 by the four Walklett brothers (Bob, Ivor, Trevers and Douglas) in WoodbridgeWoodbridge, Suffolk
Woodbridge is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. It is in the East of England, not far from the coast. It lies along the River Deben, with a population of about 7,480. The town is served by Woodbridge railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. Woodbridge is twinned with...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. The first car, not destined for production, which subsequently became known as the G1 was based on a pre war Wolseley Hornet
Wolseley Hornet (1930)
thumb|right|275px|1932 Wolseley Hornet EW SpecialThe Wolseley Hornet was a lightweight saloon car produced by the Wolseley Motor Company from 1930 to 1936...
.
From their original base, the company moved to Witham, Essex in 1962, and between 1972 and 1974 operated from larger premises in Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
, Suffolk before returning to Witham where they remained until 1989. Under the Walkletts, Trevers was mainly responsible for styling, Ivor for engineering, Douglas, management and Bob sales.
Following the retirement of the Walkletts in 1989 the company was sold but failed, and was then bought by an international group of enthusiasts, based in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, and run by managing director Martin Phaff producing the G20 and G33.
21st century
In late 2005 Ginetta was acquired by LNT Automotive, a company run by Yorkshire businessman and racing car driver Lawrence TomlinsonLawrence Tomlinson
Lawrence Tomlinson is an English businessman, who with an estimated fortune of £500 million, ranks 178th on the 2011 Sunday Times Rich List.-Early life:...
. In mid 2007 Ginetta moved to a state-of-the-art factory near Leeds, with a target to sell 300 cars a year. Trained engineer Tomlinson himself penned the base specification for the Ginetta G50
Ginetta G50
Ginetta G50 is a specialist GT4 class-developed racing car, designed by Ginetta Cars.-Development:In late 2007, in what he later described as his Victor Kiam moment, Leeds-based businessman Lawrence Tomlinson bough Ginetta Cars from the group of enthusiasts, who themselves had bought it out of...
, which was produced to celebrate 50 years of Ginetta production, and became a successful GT4
GT4
GT4 can refer to:*Gran Turismo 4, a video game* Ferrari GT4, a car* Toyota Celica GT-Four, a car* GT4 * GT4 European Cup, a European racing series...
and award winning car.
In March 2010, Ginetta acquired the Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
-based sports car manufacturer Farbio, and re-badged their car the Ginetta F400. In March 2011, Ginetta launched the G55, running in the GT4 Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup and contender for GT3. In October 2011 Ginetta launched the G60, a two-door mid-engined sports car powered by a Ford-sourced 3.7 litre V6 engine.
Road cars
The first car, the G2, was produced as a kitKit car
A kit car, also known as a "component car", is an automobile that is available as a set of parts that a manufacturer sells and the buyer then either assembles into a car themselves, or retains a third party to do part or all of the work on their behalf...
for enthusiasts and consisted of a tubular frame chassis to take Ford components and aluminium body. About 100 were made. The G3 was introduced with glass fibre body in 1959 to be followed by the G4 in 1961.
The G4 used the new Ford 105E engine and had a glass fibre GT style body and the suspension was updated to coil springing at the front with Ford live axle at the rear. Whereas the G2 and G3 had been designed for competition the G4 was usable as an everyday car but still was very competitive in motor sport with numerous successes. Over 500 were made up to 1969 with a variety of Ford engines. In 1963 a coupé was introduced alongside the open car and a BMC axle replaced the Ford one at the rear. On test the car reached 120 mi/h with a 1500 cc engine. The series III version of 1966 added the then popular pop up headlights. Production stopped in 1968 but was revived in 1981 with the Series IV which was two inches wider and three inches (76 mm) longer than the III.
The G10 and G11 from 1964 were higher powered versions with 4.7 litre Ford V8 and MGB
MG MGB
The MGB is a sports car launched by MG Cars in May 1962 to replace the MGA. Introduced as a four-cylinder roadster, a coupé with 2+2 seating was added in 1965...
engines respectively. The G12 was a mid-engined competition car.
In 1967 the G15 was launched with Hillman Imp
Hillman Imp
The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...
engine. This two seater coupé had a glass fibre body bolted to a tube chassis and used Imp rear and Triumph front suspension. Over 800 were made up to 1974 and the car was fully type approved allowing for the first time complete Ginetta cars to be sold. Eight G15s were engineered for Volkswagen engines and called the Super S.
In 1970 it was joined by the larger G21 initially available with the 1599 cc Ford Kent engine
Ford Kent engine
The Ford Kent is an internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Originally developed in 1959 for the Ford Anglia, it is an in-line four-cylinder engine with a cast-iron cylinder head and block.-Pre-Crossflow:...
or 3 litre Ford V6 engines. The 1725 cc Sunbeam Rapier
Sunbeam Rapier
The Series I Rapier was a pretty car which in general, was well received by the motoring press. Available in a range of attractive two-tone colour schemes typical of the period, it boasted steering column gear change, leather trim and an overdrive as standard fittings. Vinyl trim was an option in...
subsequently became the standard four cylinder engine for the car. The model was later updated to become the closed G24 or open top G23. The G19 was a Formula 3 single seater but only one was ever made.
Not quite in the tradition of the sports cars was the GRS, a large estate car based on Hillman Hunter
Hillman Hunter
Rootes Arrow was the manufacturer's name for a range of cars produced under several badge-engineered marques by the Rootes Group from 1966 to 1979. It is amongst the last Rootes designs, developed with no influence from future owner Chrysler...
mechanicals.
Following reorganisation the company moved to Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
and started making cars in kit form again in the 1980s starting with the G27, an update on the old G4, and the G26 G 28 G30 G31 using Ford parts. It was also decided to re-enter the complete car business with the mid engined G32 with a choice of 1.6 and 1.9 litre 4 cylinder engines available as a coupé or convertible and the G33 convertible with 3.9 litre Rover V8 capable of 145 mi/h and a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds. In 1990 the G32 coupé cost £13700, the convertible £14600 and the G33 £17800.
Racing
In 1964 Ginetta produced a Formula ThreeFormula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
racing car with a monocoque glass-fibre chassis. An earlier spaceframe car was built but never raced. The car, fitted with a Ford engine, was entered by Ginetta Cars Ltd., for Chris Meek to drive at the Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace (circuit)
Crystal Palace circuit was a motor racing circuit in Crystal Palace, London, England. The circuit was located within Crystal Palace park. The route of the track can still be seen on maps providing access to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre that is also located in the park.- History :The...
circuit on 5 September 1964.
Ginetta Challenge Championship
The Ginetta Challenge Championship represents a low cost opportunity to become involved in competitive motor racing in the Ginetta G40 race car.The Championship is a one make series updated for 2008 with sealed Ford Zetec 1.8 litre engines, sealed gearboxes and differentials. Combined with controlled tyres and suspension parts, this ensures that it is the most popular, cost effective but competitive racing series in Britain. The 2011 series is composed of 20 rounds over 10 dates as part of the support package for the British GT/Formula 3 and two stand alone BARC Truck Festivals.
Ginetta Junior Championship
Junior Ginetta Championship was introduced in 2003 for racers aged 14 – 16 years old as a natural progression route from kart racing. The affordable one make series with sealed Ford Zetec 1.4 litre engines ensures safe, controlled racing due to the tubular steel chassis, full integral FIA approved roll cage and fibre- glass shell. The 2011 series consists of 24 rounds over 12 dates in support of the British Touring Car package and two stand alone Ginetta Festivals.Ginetta GT Supercup
Ginetta has launched a new British sports car for 2011. Nominated the Ginetta G55, the car has been designed in-house at Ginetta’s new purpose-built factory in Leeds and is powered by a front-mid mounted Ford 3.7 litre V6 delivering 300 bhp.The G55 will be a versatile race car able to race not only in its own one make championship but also in the British and European GT4 and GT3 categories. It will also be eligible for numerous British & European GT categories of the like of Britcar, Spanish GT etc.
A G50/G55 single-make race Championship will run in 2011 with the focus on keeping running costs to a minimum by using control tyres, control fuel and low maintenance costs through clever design.
This car and its Championship is designed to bridge the gap between single-make sports car racing such as the current Ginetta Challenge championship – and GT cars such as the new GT4 Championship, GT3 and GT2 racing.