Friday 1st April 2022

'The History of Ultima' documentary now live

Working from home today? Have an hour spare? Want to know everything about Ultima? Right this way...

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We like Ultima at PH, right? Like so many legendary British sports cars, Ultimas have always punched above their weight, combining incredible performance with a price that has consistently undercut better-known (and less powerful) exotica. They're light, they're powerful, they look like nothing else and those that way inclined can even build one themselves. Yes, we like an Ultima.

So this is right up our street. The History of Ultima documentary has been created by Ultima Sports, with input throughout from CEO Richard Marlow. And this is no mere skip through 40 or so years of Ultima history - oh no. Over 60 minutes of interviews, great period footage and in-depth narration, The History of Ultima covers every era of the brand, from the early days with Lee Noble at the helm - Richard Marlow's father, Ted, was the first customer of an Ultima from Noble - right up to the present day and the current state of the company.

Now, of course, we're not going to spoil the fun of watching this by telling you every detail, but even the most ardent Ultima fan will have something to learn from this video. It might just be the story of racing Granada V6 tow cars back in the day, but there'll be something. The YouTube description splits up an hour or so into chapters, too, so if there's a particular era of the company's history that most appeals - perhaps when your car was built - then that's possible if the full hour isn't watchable yet.

Even those with just a casual interest in the brand will find plenty to like here, though, because nothing quite kicks off a Friday like lightweight British sports cars with honking great V8s. Especially wheel-spinning, brake-locking V8 sports cars. And if the video does get you in the mood for an Ultima (it won't take long, trust us), then look what's lurking in the classifieds...

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• Road-legal 700hp Ultima Evolution for sale

[Gecko1978]

Love these and keep thinking they might be best choice for a toy. Fast with a roof an the factory will build it for you....just need to find circa 65k or more

[Turbobanana]

I'd love to watch the whole video, I really would, but as the voiceover in the first few seconds says "Le Mans" in a way that rhymes with "tin cans", I'm out.

[HCMH]

Love the Ultima and have done for a couple of decades. Was so looking forward to this documentary and while they excel at DIY supercars, DIY documentaries/ production/ editing/ storyline etc are best left to the pros. Such an amazing history and story behind the cars and brand - needs an editing wizz to condense it into 30 mins to give it pace and excitement, mirroring the brand.

[donkmeister]

Turbobanana said:

I'd love to watch the whole video, I really would, but as the voiceover in the first few seconds says "Le Mans" in a way that rhymes with "tin cans", I'm out.

(Takes a peek at TB's garage)

Just wait until you hear a German butcher the pronunciation of the Spanish name "Mercedes"...

[Turbobanana]

donkmeister said:

Turbobanana said:

I'd love to watch the whole video, I really would, but as the voiceover in the first few seconds says "Le Mans" in a way that rhymes with "tin cans", I'm out.

(Takes a peek at TB's garage)

Just wait until you hear a German butcher the pronunciation of the Spanish name "Mercedes"...

Do you know many German butchers?

[Deranged Rover]

I read the thread title and thought it was going to be a video about the top trim level available on the Ford Scorpio.

I'm very disappointed now.

[GTRene]

nice and well done Ultima.

the RS has my name initials...tempting ;-)

but I would be happy with 'just' the evolution model.

sadly in NL the use the BPM/Co2 per gram tax on top of the BTW (VAT) tax, a example per 100gr so such V8 which is great, makes it very expensive to import in NL.

Emissions by 100 gr/km Co2, you pay 1.450,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 200 gr/km Co2, you pay 26.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 300 gr/km Co2, you pay 70.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 400 gr/km Co2, you pay 115.420,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL

[Theraveda]

HCMH said:

Love the Ultima and have done for a couple of decades. Was so looking forward to this documentary and while they excel at DIY supercars, DIY documentaries/ production/ editing/ storyline etc are best left to the pros. Such an amazing history and story behind the cars and brand - needs an editing wizz to condense it into 30 mins to give it pace and excitement, mirroring the brand.

^^^ This ^^^

[big_rob_sydney]

GTRene said:

nice and well done Ultima.

the RS has my name initials...tempting ;-)

but I would be happy with 'just' the evolution model.

sadly in NL the use the BPM/Co2 per gram tax on top of the BTW (VAT) tax, a example per 100gr so such V8 which is great, makes it very expensive to import in NL.

Emissions by 100 gr/km Co2, you pay 1.450,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 200 gr/km Co2, you pay 26.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 300 gr/km Co2, you pay 70.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 400 gr/km Co2, you pay 115.420,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL

Is it not possible to own a car there which is registered somewhere else??

[redroadster]

These cars even with a V8 apparently weigh little more than a tonne and that makes all the carbon supercar weights look too heavy even if they may have a few creature comforts, I think these look great and prob cheap for performance on offer specially the 1000bhp factory built model at 100k.

[Monsen]

Around maybe 2000-2002 or so I wanted to buy an Ultima. A friend had built one of the open cars and I had read up on them. Being old, I remember well the Noble series that was the genesis of the Ultima. Still think Noble's Ferrari P4 replica is one of the most exciting cars out there. Anyway, I wanted to build a replica of the Mazda 767b only with a 3 rotor NA motor. Unfortunately, at the time anyway, Richard would not allow anything but the Chevy V8's. That may have changed.

[GTRene]

big_rob_sydney said:

GTRene said:

nice and well done Ultima.

the RS has my name initials...tempting ;-)

but I would be happy with 'just' the evolution model.

sadly in NL the use the BPM/Co2 per gram tax on top of the BTW (VAT) tax, a example per 100gr so such V8 which is great, makes it very expensive to import in NL.

Emissions by 100 gr/km Co2, you pay 1.450,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 200 gr/km Co2, you pay 26.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 300 gr/km Co2, you pay 70.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 400 gr/km Co2, you pay 115.420,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL

Is it not possible to own a car there which is registered somewhere else??

Sadly that makes no difference, only if they get older, every month a little bit goes of, but it takes 16.5 years to get rid of such BPM/C02 tax, after that its free from BPM/Co2 so we can buy 'classic' or youngtimers that are that age or older for 'the same' price, but otherwise you have to pay all the months till its older then those 16.5 years.

And I guess such Ultima has at least around 300gr/km a fast 2L caterham with 235hp has around 197 or so.

I believe they will also start soon in Germany with tax on Co2 and WHO knows WHO else soon... since they are pushing it to 2030

[deadscoob]

redroadster said:

These cars even with a V8 apparently weigh little more than a tonne and that makes all the carbon supercar weights look too heavy even if they may have a few creature comforts, I think these look great and prob cheap for performance on offer specially the 1000bhp factory built model at 100k.

A factory built 1000hp version is well over £100k nowadays.

[andreamarco]

why are there no recent tests of these cars?

[sege]

andreamarco said:

why are there no recent tests of these cars?

I think because they are not "new". The Evo name is perfect for the Ultima, because that's exactly what's happened with it over the years, it's gradually evolved and improved. I think I last read a review in Evo magazine of the then new Can Am, back in the early 2000s or whenever it was. But It would definitely be of interest to read a review on the latest version of the Ultima because A: They're awesome, and B: to find out what it is like these days in comparison to other modern cars performance wise, and to compare against the older versions in terms of quality and design improvements.

[British Beef]

GTRene said:

nice and well done Ultima.

the RS has my name initials...tempting ;-)

but I would be happy with 'just' the evolution model.

sadly in NL the use the BPM/Co2 per gram tax on top of the BTW (VAT) tax, a example per 100gr so such V8 which is great, makes it very expensive to import in NL.

Emissions by 100 gr/km Co2, you pay 1.450,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 200 gr/km Co2, you pay 26.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 300 gr/km Co2, you pay 70.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 400 gr/km Co2, you pay 115.420,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL

Could you build it and register it with a 1 litre engine from say a ford fiesta, then "lightly modify" it with the V8 engine and running gear?

[LordFlathead]

Fond memories of buying my first Ultima with a visit to the factory 20 years ago to meet Ted and Richard. The the "then" young lad on the left of the guy holding his chin is actually Richard Marlow who is now the MD.

When Ultima said that it is a family run business it is exactly that and they have constantly improved their products over the years. Having a fuel injected LSx makes the world of change from the old carb set up.



I just bought another one and am starting to get physically fit enough to drive it






The latest is not so low key however

[GTRene]

British Beef said:

GTRene said:

nice and well done Ultima.

the RS has my name initials...tempting ;-)

but I would be happy with 'just' the evolution model.

sadly in NL the use the BPM/Co2 per gram tax on top of the BTW (VAT) tax, a example per 100gr so such V8 which is great, makes it very expensive to import in NL.

Emissions by 100 gr/km Co2, you pay 1.450,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 200 gr/km Co2, you pay 26.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 300 gr/km Co2, you pay 70.000,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL
Emissions by 400 gr/km Co2, you pay 115.420,- euro BPM/Co2 tax besides the 21% Vat in NL

Could you build it and register it with a 1 litre engine from say a ford fiesta, then "lightly modify" it with the V8 engine and running gear?

ha, good one, I also thought about such with that new Wells Vertigo, or order it without engine and bring such car or Ultima to NL and put in the engine here, but then you still have to pay the Co2 Tax, the 10% import tax car without engine would be a bit cheaper, but the big sum Co2 stays, thats why kit kar builders in NL are not happy with that Co2 tax.

And yes you could put in a say 1.000cc clean engine, then its cheap and afterwards you make a upgrade to the V8, that is possible, but for cars younger then 1997 and such big number change, from 4 cyll to V8 and the power hike, you have to get a special vehicle approval but thats not crazy expensive, I do not know if that is also a possibility with young cars... our Tax people like to close all loopholes.

They have even a rule, that a car younger then 1 year with less then 6.000km on it, they count as 'new' in NL so say you buy a cheaper car in Germany and bring it here, they have those rules and then you pay full tax on them... so crazy... one EU but many different rules per country, crazy.

They won't let their milk cow go.

@Simondo, cool car, Lemans here I come ;-)

[PAUL.S.]

Talk about blowing your own trumpet right from the off on that video!

I was hoping for an interesting watch, not a back slapping exercise.

[Electra]

I still remember the drive with the silver GTR demonstrator (500 HP) ca 15 y ago with Ted Marlow. I had a huge grin from start to finish while Ted was driving. Thoroughly impressed by the speed, grip and actually the comfort, for such a quick car. Unforgettable experience.