Just off the A63 in Garforth, a 60-strong team designs, fabricates and tests around 100 high-performance race and road cars every year.
Behind the doors of a 75,000-square-foot facility on the eastern outskirts of Leeds, chassis frames are welded, race engines are tested on the dyno and composite body panels are cured and finished. This is the headquarters of Ginetta – a longstanding British marque and an established force in international motorsport.
While much of the UK’s motorsport industry is clustered in the south of England around Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire, Ginetta builds roughly 100 track and road-going cars annually right here in West Yorkshire.
The whole production process under one roof
Credit: Ginetta
What sets Ginetta’s Garforth operation apart from mainstream car manufacturers is its self-reliance. Rather than relying on sprawling international supply chains and outsourced components, Ginetta manages almost the entire production cycle on site with a team of around 60 engineers, technicians and craftspeople.
“A design team sketches and prints new parts,” explained Matilda Whitaker, from Ginetta’s Sales & Commercial Team. “The fabricators weld chassis and exhausts, the carbon fibre team hand-makes the body panels and the engine shop builds and tests engines.”
“Mechanics assemble each car from a bare chassis and there are wiring specialists, a commercial team and the parts crew who keep it all moving. If it can be made in-house, we make it, from a G40 steering wheel to a complete GT2 body shell.”
Regional supply and proud Yorkshire heritage
Credit: Ginetta
Alongside its international customer base, Ginetta values close ties with regional industry, sourcing raw materials, specialised tooling and engineering services from suppliers across Yorkshire wherever possible.
Founded in 1958, Ginetta became a West Yorkshire enterprise in 2005 when it was bought by local entrepreneur and racing driver Lawrence Tomlinson. Tomlinson, who claimed a GT2 class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2006, relocated the company to Garforth in 2007, establishing the purpose-built factory that operates today.
“Being based in Yorkshire is a huge part of what makes Ginetta what it is,” said Matilda. “Yorkshire has a strong engineering heritage, a fantastic work ethic and a real commitment to quality and engineering excellence.”
The Ginetta driver progression ladder
Credit: Ginetta
The vehicles built at Garforth are designed around a clear racing ladder, from teenagers leaving karting to privateer teams in endurance racing:
- The G40 Junior: For 14- to 17-year-olds moving up from national karting into rear-wheel-drive sports cars..
- The G56 GTA and GT Academy: For track-day drivers and amateurs taking their first step into championship circuit racing.
- The G56 GTP: For drivers who want more performance from the same G56 family.
- The G56 GT4 and GT2: For experienced competitors and privateer teams, with the GT4 racing in British, European and American GT and the GT2 in the GT2 European Series and USA.
The junior platform has served as an early proving ground for several prominent British drivers. Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris competed in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2014, while three-time W Series champion and endurance racer Jamie Chadwick took part in the series across 2013 and 2014, where she won the Ginetta Junior Scholarship before becoming British GT4 champion in 2015.
Those same cars also race in Ginetta Cup France and in Ginetta’s North American championship. Whether it is a rookie teenager on a televised race weekend or a privateer competing in the UK, Europe or the United States, every Ginetta on the grid starts life on the Garforth assembly floor.
Matilda said: “Building high-performance race cars takes precision, expertise and teamwork. Every car that leaves our factory is a reflection of the hard work, knowledge and dedication of the people behind it.
“There is enormous pride in knowing that cars designed, engineered and built right here in Yorkshire go on to compete on circuits across the world. Seeing our cars on the international stage is a fantastic achievement for the whole team and a real testament to the talent we have here in West Yorkshire.”
To find out more about Ginetta’s race series, road cars and Garforth headquarters, visit the official website at ginetta.com.
Cover image credit: Ginetta
