What are the top 10 British motorsport companies?
Discussion
as in british based companies that produce motorsport cars.
1.prodrive, 2.mclaren, 3.m-sport, 4.RTN, 5.ultima, 6.williams, 7.lola, 8.lotus-f1, 9.renault-f1, 10.BAR
...an here's a bonus query to think about -
what UK motorsport companies should make road cars?
i mean as in those that should build them, given their reputation or whatever,
for eg, i know Lola dont, but i say they should try, whereas radical an ultima do - via road legal cars,
also quaife make a real beauty of a car - an road legal i believe.
vlc said:
as in british based companies that produce motorsport cars.
1.prodrive, 2.mclaren, 3.m-sport, 4.RTN, 5.ultima, 6.williams, 7.lola, 8.lotus-f1, 9.renault-f1, 10.BAR
...an here's a bonus query to think about -
what UK motorsport companies should make road cars?
i mean as in those that should build them, given their reputation or whatever,
for eg, i know Lola dont, but i say they should try, whereas radical an ultima do - via road legal cars,
also quaife make a real beauty of a car - an road legal i believe.
Bit out of date aren't you? Lotus-F1 don't exist any more, Renault-F1 may have a factory in the UK but are French owned and BAR also have their factory here but are American owned.
Of the others, Brabham, Tyrrell and Arrows no longer exist (didn't Arrows rise from the ashes of Tyrrell?) and Jordan is now Russian owned.
Arrows was set up by racing driver Jackie Oliver and designer Tony Southgate back in 1978 after they left the Shadow F1 team. They continued under various owners until their final demise about three years ago.
Brabham was set up in the early 1960s by Aussies, Jack Brabham and Run Turanac. They sold out to Bernie Ecclestone in the early 1970s. Brabham finally went under in 1992.
Tyrrell was set up by Ken Tyrrell in the late 1950s. Originally he ran a team of F2 Coopers and was lucky to sign the young Jackie Stewart for his F2 races. When Jackie left BRM after 1967, Ken did a deal with the new French Matra team to run a car for Jackie in F1. In 1970, Matra decided they would only supply a car to Tyrrell provided that it came with their V12 engine. Tyrreel wanted to stick with the Cosworth V8 so decided to build his own car. That's how Tyrrell became a constructor.
After Stewart retired in 1973, Tyrrell nevr achieved similar success but continued until Ken sold the team to Jaguar Racing in 1997.
Lotus was formed in 1948 by Colin Chapman. After initial success in sports car racing, Chapman took Lotus into F1 in 1958. They won their first World Championship in 1963 and then did it again in 1965,68,70,72 and 78. Chapman had always kept the different wings of his business activities separate - for tax as much as any other reasons. Therefore, the F1 team (Team Lotus) was always kept separately from Lotus Cars. Team Lotus closed down at the end of the 1994 season. Modern Lotus have been reluctant to go back into motor sport full time as, in a way, the road car construction company has no real racing history. Chapman died in 1982.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Saturday 18th June 14:05
Brabham was set up in the early 1960s by Aussies, Jack Brabham and Run Turanac. They sold out to Bernie Ecclestone in the early 1970s. Brabham finally went under in 1992.
Tyrrell was set up by Ken Tyrrell in the late 1950s. Originally he ran a team of F2 Coopers and was lucky to sign the young Jackie Stewart for his F2 races. When Jackie left BRM after 1967, Ken did a deal with the new French Matra team to run a car for Jackie in F1. In 1970, Matra decided they would only supply a car to Tyrrell provided that it came with their V12 engine. Tyrreel wanted to stick with the Cosworth V8 so decided to build his own car. That's how Tyrrell became a constructor.
After Stewart retired in 1973, Tyrrell nevr achieved similar success but continued until Ken sold the team to Jaguar Racing in 1997.
Lotus was formed in 1948 by Colin Chapman. After initial success in sports car racing, Chapman took Lotus into F1 in 1958. They won their first World Championship in 1963 and then did it again in 1965,68,70,72 and 78. Chapman had always kept the different wings of his business activities separate - for tax as much as any other reasons. Therefore, the F1 team (Team Lotus) was always kept separately from Lotus Cars. Team Lotus closed down at the end of the 1994 season. Modern Lotus have been reluctant to go back into motor sport full time as, in a way, the road car construction company has no real racing history. Chapman died in 1982.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Saturday 18th June 14:05
WHAT ABOUT NOBLE?! 
gilbertd said:
Bit out of date aren't you? Lotus-F1 don't exist any more, Renault-F1 may have a factory in the UK but are French owned and BAR also have their factory here but are American owned.
British American Tobacco are a British registered multinational company. Hence BAR are a primarily British owned team.
Honda might buy them out in the near future but even then the team would likely stay in the UK as that is where the knowledge is.
RR-Eng said:
Bit out of date aren't you? Lotus-F1 don't exist any more, Renault-F1 may have a factory in the UK but are French owned and BAR also have their factory here but are American owned.
British American Tobacco are a British registered multinational company. Hence BAR are a primarily British owned team.
Honda might buy them out in the near future but even then the team would likely stay in the UK as that is where the knowledge is.
Didn't BAR go into administration last year ? Purely a technicality I believe so that a "new" BAR company could be formed with Honda as the major shareholder, hence the correct team name is now BAR Honda anyway.
gilbertd said:
1.prodrive, 2.mclaren, 3.m-sport, 4.RTN, 5.ultima, 6.williams, 7.lola, 8.lotus-f1, 9.renault-f1, 10.BAR
Bit out of date aren't you? Lotus-F1 don't exist any more, Renault-F1 may have a factory in the UK but are French owned and BAR also have their factory here but are American owned. Of the others, Brabham, Tyrrell and Arrows no longer and Jordan is now Russian owned.
ahem, yes but...
1. i dont ignore the fact lotus won 7 F1 constructors championships, which to me counts as a great achievment, an maybe others here.
2. re renault-f1, its not french engineered or france based, so its hardly french, for its actully an english company called toleman, who use renault to finance their racing efforts, as F1 cant rely on cigerette sponsorship anymore - for otherwise this would mean mclaren in the past was a not british company but a 'Malborough-ish' company, even tho malborough isnt even a nation!
3. re BAR-f1, its ownership is irrelevant as it doesnt effect their core which is always british, otherwise why not move the company to usa or japan an employ native workers there to man it, an call it american or jap etc? - well they dont coz the hearts in britain, as its british engineering thats key, otherwise why not then move it abroad?
4. re Brabham, they do still exist as a joint partner as a sucessful motorsport engine maker, an in england, an who also won 2 F1 constructors championships!
5. re Tyrrell, technically speaking they are BAR-f1 + they achieved Constructors Champion 1971, unlike most rivals.
6. re Arrows, their best car asset went to ascari in england, so their cars do still exist.
7. re Jordan, 'is now Russian owned' - then why isn't it based in russia an manned by russian engineers - like i said earlier, they just use rich folk to finance themsleves, the way mg-rover 'tried to' with saic.
vlc said:
2. re renault-f1, its not french engineered or france based, so its hardly french, for its actully an english company called toleman, who use renault to finance their racing efforts, as F1 cant rely on cigerette sponsorship anymore - for otherwise this would mean mclaren in the past was a not british company but a 'Malborough-ish' company, even tho malborough isn't a country.
They started off as Toleman (Who IIRC had a haulage company and started of in lower formula) , which was then sold to the Benneton family (Italians) - with whom it remained for some years before finally being bought out by Renault a couple of years back.
So the company is no longer Toleman or Benneton but Renault - who, although there F1 facility is in England are a French company (engine plant also in France). So technically speaking they could be classed as an Anglo-French company.......
Reynard went out of business a few years ago.
Ted Toleman sold out to Benetton back in 1985. Renault bought out Benetton three years ago. Renault, of course, ran their own F1 team from 1977 to 1985 during which they introduced the concept of turbocharging into F1. Having failed to win the World Championship as a complete car manufacturer, they, pulled out of F1 in 1985 but re-entered as an engine supplier in 1989 where they had success with Williams and Benetton.
You only have to look at the personnel involved in F1 to see what a multi-national affair it is these days. Granted, quite a few of the teams have their assembly and testing facilities in the UK but many aspects of the cars and people are sourced overseas. Even in the heyday of McLaren in the early 1980s they were sourcing their carbon fibre tubs from Hercules in the US.
Ted Toleman sold out to Benetton back in 1985. Renault bought out Benetton three years ago. Renault, of course, ran their own F1 team from 1977 to 1985 during which they introduced the concept of turbocharging into F1. Having failed to win the World Championship as a complete car manufacturer, they, pulled out of F1 in 1985 but re-entered as an engine supplier in 1989 where they had success with Williams and Benetton.
You only have to look at the personnel involved in F1 to see what a multi-national affair it is these days. Granted, quite a few of the teams have their assembly and testing facilities in the UK but many aspects of the cars and people are sourced overseas. Even in the heyday of McLaren in the early 1980s they were sourcing their carbon fibre tubs from Hercules in the US.
How would you rank them?
Sporting success? Financial success? Number of cars made?...or an index based system of all factors?
If the latter, and taking in all branches of the sport, I'd say that Ford UK Ltd would be at the top of the list.
Between the late 60s and early 90s, the motorsport division based at Boreham and Avely in Essex churned out some of the most successful race cars ever. They were even the pioneers of the one-make championship with Formula Ford and the DFV (developed by Cosworth - then wholly owned by Ford) remains the most successful F1 engine of all time (feel free to suggest otherwise EricMC!)
I know they are not British in the spiritual sense but British they were!
As for who should make road cars, Tom Walkinshaw had his fingers in many automotive pies including the manufacure of one of the Volvo model variants a few years back as well a history with Jaguar.
Sporting success? Financial success? Number of cars made?...or an index based system of all factors?
If the latter, and taking in all branches of the sport, I'd say that Ford UK Ltd would be at the top of the list.
Between the late 60s and early 90s, the motorsport division based at Boreham and Avely in Essex churned out some of the most successful race cars ever. They were even the pioneers of the one-make championship with Formula Ford and the DFV (developed by Cosworth - then wholly owned by Ford) remains the most successful F1 engine of all time (feel free to suggest otherwise EricMC!)
I know they are not British in the spiritual sense but British they were!
As for who should make road cars, Tom Walkinshaw had his fingers in many automotive pies including the manufacure of one of the Volvo model variants a few years back as well a history with Jaguar.
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