Model - G18
Appearance - FF1600 single-seater
Power plant - 1.6 litre Ford Kent (one car built with BRM V8)
Further details - In tandem with the building of the G17 (see G17) Ivor Walklett also envisaged a Formula Ford car which would be known as the G18. Developed alongside the G17 the two models were the same up to the rear bulkhead but subtly different around the engine and gearbox area to accommodate a Ford 1600cc engine and Hewland transaxle. The first car was ready to race by Easter 1969 where Chris Meek put in a strong performance at the Rufforth circuit. During 1969 three cars competed in Formula Ford events including one driven by Richard Robarts who went on to briefly race in Formula 1 for the Brabham team in 1974. By 1972 there were as many as six G18’s competing at circuits around the country.
Such was the demands on the Ginetta factory in the period when the G17 and G18 were designed and built that it was impossible to give them the development attention they deserved due to rapidly expanding G15 production and the need to further develop the G16. As a result these cars always took a ‘back seat’, but the significant results they did achieve give a flavour of what they may have been capable of with more development.
Cost - n/a
Production - 7
Mod
Model - G15
Appearance - 2-seater sports
Power plant - Rear-engined 875cc Imp Sport
Further Details - By the summer of 1970 it was clear that the G15 was a huge success for the company and production, despite the tiny Witham factory, was moving towards two cars a week with a waiting list of twelve weeks and rising. The moulds were becoming worn out and needed replacement and so the opportunity was taken to make a few improvements and launch a third series of the G15 at the October Motor Show.
The most obvious changes were the enlarging of the side windows which improved the appearance still further, incorporating the radiator housing into the main mould with a revised radiator air intake, the splitting of the front bumper with a moulding between the halves and a revised dashboard with space for a radio. There were other small details all of which helped keep the product up to date and improve the owner experience. Apart from some technical changes to the front brake specification at the beginning of 1972 the series 3 would continue relatively unchanged until July 1972.
Cost - £899 at launch in 1970
Production - 245 approx.
Model - G15
Appearance - 2-seater sports
Power plant - Rear-engined 875cc Imp Sport
Further Details - The march of legislation in the car industry was gaining a lot of momentum in the early 1970s and Ginetta were not immune from this. As a result it was necessary to bring the G15 in line with new requirement for motor vehicles. In July 1972 Ginetta introduced its final major changes to the G15 with bodies produced from a further new set of moulds. In addition the G15 was also subject to type approval including the 30 mph crash test, which it passed.
The upgrades included, flush external and internal door handles, forward looking front indicator lights, an increase in height of the front under body by one inch giving the appearance of a different front ride height and creating more room in the pedal area and a steel fuel tank in place of the fibre glass tanks previously fitted. Production was at an all-time high and between July 1972 and the end of March 1973 they built 159 cars at their new factory in Sudbury, Suffolk.
Cost - £949 in component form
Production - 159
Model - G15
Appearance - 2-seater sports
Power plant - Rear-engined 875cc Imp Sport
Further Details - The introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on the 1st April 1973 was a blow to all car makers offering their cars in component form. The significant tax advantage component form had given purchasers was lost and so from then on all cars were sold in factory assembled drive away form. For the G15 this and roaring inflation in period meant a huge price increase for customers, making the G15 and its small 875cc engine less attractive to buyers.
In order to make the model better value Ginetta updated the package into Series 5 form which included alloy wheels as standard, initially wider Cosmic Mk2 alloys and later Exacton alloys as fitted to the G21. Inside the cars featured new ABS moulded dashboards and door trims to increase the mainstream feel on the cars. Despite this, the price and tough economic landscape of the time caused a big drop in sales and reluctantly towards the end of 1973 Ginetta decided to stop production. The last G15 sold left the factory in May 1974.
Cost - £1395 Factory built , tax paid
Production - 50
Model - G15 Super S
Appearance - 2-seater sports
Power plant - Rear-engined VW Beetle 1600cc engine
Further details - The G15 had been out of production more than three years when the company were approached by their importer from the west coast of America with an idea for fitting a VW Beetle engine and gearbox into the G15 for the US market. Ginetta were unsure about this, but as the chassis and body alterations necessary would be financed by the importer for engines to be fitted on arrival in the USA they agreed to build two cars for initial export.
Essentially these cars were a standard G15 with the rear chassis modified to accept the VW driveline, although coil spring damper units and an additional damper were fitted to the rear trailing arms. The bodywork was fitted with wider arches to allow the fitment of wider wheels and at the rear the engine cover was split horizontally so the top section hinged independently to the lower section. A new front air dam and plastic rear bumper replaced the chrome items normally found on a G15.
Cost - £2,500 (less engine and gearbox)
Production - 2
