Tag Archives: Zetec

Escort to Scort – Dutton Sierra

After serving a tool making apprenticeship in a Jaguar Mk X bodyshell and ADO16 bodyshell manufacturing plant with Pressed Steel Ltd in Swindon, UK Tim Dutton-Wolley built his first MG Midget based kit cars in 1969.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

By 1989 Tim had survived and won a court battle with Ford over the rights to use the Sierra model name which he had been using since 1979, 5 years before Ford wanted to use the name for it’s eponymous 1980’s family car, to become the world’s most successful kit car manufacturer in terms of numbers sold.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

There were three Dutton Sierra variants, three series of Ford Escort based 2 wheel drive off road SUV’s built from 1980 to 1989, and a pickup variant and drophead variants built from 1983 to 1989 when sold his designs off and and took a six year sabbatical from the kit car making business.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

I understand the GPX48H registration plate once belonged to a 1970 Mk 1 Ford Escort that was used as a donor car for a Dutton Sierra Kit.

Dutton Sierra, Motorsport At The Palace, Crystal Palace

In 2007 a Scotty G in Folkstone helped the owner complete a 9 month conversion of the Dutton Sierra kit car into a blue step side pick up as seen in this link.

More recently GPX48H has been transformed into the flat side pick up Ford Zetec powered “Scort” seen in these photographs taken at Crystal Palace a couple of years ago.

Thanks for joining me on this “Escort to Scort” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow when an Edwardian aero engined Peugeot. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Versatile Winner – Ginetta Zetec G12 by DARE

A contemporary of the similarly mid engined Lotus Europa, the Ginetta G12 launched in 1966 was designed for the club racer which could be bought for £1,200 in component form.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

The car was built round a tubular space frame with the fibre glass panels bonded to the frame to make up the cockpit.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

Numerous motors were fitted to G12’s including the 1 litre / 61 cui Ford (Cosworth) SCA from formula junior, 1.5 litre 91.5 cui Coventry Climax pre 1966 Formula One Motor, 1.6 litre Lotus Twin cam as used in the Elan and Lotus Cortina models, 2 litre Martin V8 and in at least one instance a 3.5 litre / 214 cui all aluminium Buick V8.

Stephens, Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

In it’s first year of track competition was the most successful G12 driver winning 11 national races and setting 5 fastest laps in 1966. By the following year the new Chevron B6 provided stiff competition for the G12 and by 1968 it had been succeeded by the open G16. G12’s were raced internationally at Spa and the Nurburgring but without any notable results.

Stephens, Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

The G12’s were however good hillclimbers and sprinters with successes by Walter Flückiger won the Swiss Hillclimb championship in his SCA powered example in 1968 and repeated the experience in 1969 after chopping the roof off. Similarly David Render drove his Buick powered example, chassis 05, to the British Sprint Championship title in 1971.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

It is thought around 27 of these cars may have been built between 1966 and 1968, it appears several may have ended up in Japan. As with the Ginetta G4 production of the G12 was restarted by DARE.

Ginetta Zetec G12, Prescott

Today’s featured 2 litre / 122 cui Zetec powered example, built by DARE, is seen at Prescott where it was driven by Nick Stephens, it should be good for rest to 60 mph times in the region of 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. Last time I saw it in November it was for sale, if you would like to speak to the owner do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thanks for joining me on this “Versatile Winner” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Race On Sunday Work On Monday – Ginetta G4 Coupé by DARE

In 1958 brothers Bob, Ivor, Trevers and Douglas Walkett built their first car the Ginetta G1 based on a pre 1939 Wolsey Hornet in 1958, the car never went into production but a range of successive road/race vehicles, both turn key and self builds, gained a reputation for sporting prowess that has continued to this day despite the original company failing after the Walketts retired in 1989.

Ginetta G4 By DARE, Castle Combe

One of the companies most successful models was the race on Sunday work on Monday Ginetta G4 which was launched 1961 powered by a 1 litre / 61 cui motor sourced from the Ford 105E Anglia, of the type recently made famous by the Harry Potter films.

Coote, Ginetta Zetec G4 By DARE, Wiscombe Park

G4 production continued in both Roadster and, from 1963, Coupé forms until 1968. The Series III variant introduced in 1966 featured pop-up headlights, powered by a 1500cc / 90.5 cui motor a G4 was capable of 120 mph.

Ginetta Zetec G4 By DARE, Castle Combe

In 1981 a slightly longer and wider Series VI Ginetta G4 was launched. After the company had been sold in 1989 to Martin Phaff and moved to Scunthorpe it appears that continued demand for the G4 persuaded DARE UK a company based in Colchester Essex to take up production of the G4 in the mid 1990’s.

Ginetta Zetec G4 By DARE, Castle Combe

Today’s featured G4 was built by DARE UK in 2000 and is powered by a 1796cc / 109 cui Ford Zetec engine which will produce a minimum of 165 hp. The car is seen in the paddock at Castle Combe and returning to the paddock at Wiscombe Park with Exeter’s Roger Coote at the wheel.

Thanks for joining me on this “Race On Sunday Work On Monday” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Bristol. Don’t forget to come back now !

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