1968 Ginetta G16

Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Chassis No: 005
Mot Expiry: N/A

The Ginetta marque, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, has consistently punched above its weight throughout three distinct periods of ownership. Founded in 1958 by the brothers Walklett - Bob, Douglas, Ivor and Trevor - the company morphed from a business fabricating steel-framed agricultural buildings in rural Suffolk into a respected low-volume manufacturer of road and racing cars. After years of graft with Martin Phaff at its helm, during which it was kept afloat not only by burning ambition, but also via reasserting its early reputation as a serious force on the circuits, it is now thriving as part of the Leeds-based LNT Automotive group. With major resources - not to mention a lavishly-equipped factory - behind it for the first time, Ginetta is taking on the world again, on both street and track, which endows its earlier cars with considerable extra cachet.

Following the destruction of the Walkletts' first Wolseley Hornet-derived car, the Woodbridge quartet evolved a shapely tube-framed `kit car,' the G2, which they put into production. But it was the full-bodied G4, introduced in 1961 and powered by a 1-litre Ford 105E Anglia engine, which captured the imagination of the competition set. Widespread success on circuits as far afield as the USA and Canada, often with Lotus twin-cam power, made this illustrious series of cars, in both open and closed guises, the most famous Ginetta model to date - and an Elan beater in skilled hands. Pukka sports racing cars followed, starting with the mid-engined G12 coupe which debuted in 1966. Its spaceframe chassis was clothed in a distinctive body, the central `hull' of which was bonded to the tubular structure.

Suspension was by double wishbones up front (with the ubiquitous Triumph Herald uprights), and reversed lower wishbone and top link at the rear, triangulated by radius rods. A variety of engines, from 1-litre Ford SCA Formula 2 screamer to V8, all drove through Hewland transaxles. But for the arrival of Derek Bennett's Chevron GT prototypes (which begat the opposition-slaying B6 and B8 production versions of '67 and '68 respectively), G12s, indeed allcomers, would have achieved significantly more. Fortunately, the neat little Hillman Imp-powered G15 took the pain away. The marque's best seller merited the Walkletts' fullest attention at the factory (now relocated to Witham, Essex), and brought greater financial stability, but they weren't finished with sportscar racing.

The G16 of 1968-`9, an altogether sleeker evolution of the G12 theme, embraced the new open cockpit Group 6 regulations, albeit with a high windscreen, the frame of which was connected to the roll cage by a distinctive T-piece. Once again, the model was conceived to accept a wide range of power units. Eight are documented as having been built in period. Although the 1790cc Ford-based Cosworth FVC was becoming the `two-litre' of choice in racing circles, BMW's single overhead cam M10 (2002-type) engine often proved a less powerful but more reliable option over longer distances. Derivatives also competed with 1600cc Cosworth FVA and Coventry-Climax engines, as well as BRM and larger-capacity Oldsmobile V8s. With G15 production in full swing, there was no spare capacity at Ginetta to hone the G16 racer, hence much of the work fell on customers' shoulders.

Despite the vintage of its two-litre Climax FPF engine, Jeremy Richardson's car showed well on occasion, but the Worcester Racing Association duo - future star driver John Burton and John Bamford - were soon frustrated by the lack of works support, and the depth of opposition. Not that the concept was wrong. By the time the high screen had been discarded, sharpening its aerodynamics and balancing its aesthetics for `69, the G16 emerged as quite a wieldy machine. Indeed, with a well handling chassis, strong BMW horsepower and less frontal area for 200bhp to push through the air, competitors in Historic racing today have found themselves able to give the contemporary - and similarly powered - Chevron B8s a hard time at most circuits - which at current market values represents outstanding value for money!

The car offered today is chassis G16/005, which marque specialists have traced back to Ian Tee's car of 1969, originally raced with a two-litre `Tasman' BRM V8 engine, as was the works G16A, which single-seater man Bev Bond was contracted to drive. Son of Motoring News proprietor Wesley Tee, Ian was an experienced sportscar racer, and partnered by Willie Green entered the car in Britain's round of the 1969 World Championship, the BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately, it posted an early retirement. The chassis was subsequently converted to BMW power and in the vendor's hands has proved highly competitive in the Historic Sports Car Club's blossoming Guards Trophy series, in which two-litre sports racers built before 1970 are invited to compete alongside the Pre-1966 (FIA Period F) Grand Touring cars. A sister G16-BMW (chassis 003, which Brian Alexander hillclimbed with Oldsmobile V8 power in the early `70s) won a Guards Trophy race, beating the Chevrons, at Pembrey in south Wales last season.

Chassis 005 was professionally prepared and extensively refurbished for the vendor by Simon Hadfield Motorsport in 2007. The Ginetta's low-mileage BMW engine was built-up by Lester Owen (the Telford engineer has been Britain's leading specialist in the type for more than 25 years), while the five-speed Hewland FT200 gearbox to which it is mated was entrusted to PDS. The car is fitted with new lightweight nose and tail sections, and comes with a spare BMW engine in lower-compression endurance specification.
Complete with current Historic Technical Passport, this rare Ginetta is a potential class winner in European Le Mans Series support races, World Sports Car Masters and Orwell SuperSports Cup events throughout Europe not to mention the HSCC Guards Trophy in Britain and a wide range of races held by organisers in the USA. Eyecatching, ready to go and less than half the cost of a Chevron B8, Chassis 005 represents a major opportunity to upset the status quo wherever it races.