Autocult Ginetta G15

Price: £90.99
Ref: ATC 05020
Scale: 1/43

Most people who know me, know my passion for all things Hillman Imp. So I make no apology for including this lovely little model of the Ginetta G15.

But what is a Ginetta G15? In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were a lot more small independent car makers - some of whom made kit cars and some made fully assembled cars.  Ginetta did both. The G15 was designed by the Walklett brothers around a pretty fibreglass body, with a steel chassis and using the engine, transaxle and rear suspension from the Imp. Up front was the front suspension system from a Triumph Herald/Spitfire. The big advantage here was the use of front disc brakes.

Another big upgrade over the Imp was the front mounted radiator. This made the cooling system much more reliable.

The twin carburettor Imp Sport engine was utilised in the G15 - this gave around 52bhp. There was also the option of a wet-liner 998cc unit, giving around 70bhp. Both these units gave the little sports car really spritely performance.

Inside were just two seats, with a well-stocked dashboard and full carpets. However, there wasn't much space for luggage - it had to be squeezed behind the seats, as the front was full of fuel tank and radiator, whilst the back was full of engine.

It debuted at the 1967 Earls Court Motor show. Thanks to good relationships with the Rootes Group, Ginetta were able to supply their new car with brand new engines. They also type approved it, this bore fruit later when changes to legislation made kit cars unprofitable. meaning they could supply it as a complete car.

Although the car was never designed with racing in mind, many privateers were finding they were superb Sprint and Hillclimb cars, whilst Alison Davis and Barry Wood had significant success in the Modsports championship. The Davis car was privately entered during 1971 and 1972. Wood's car had works sponsorship until an accident at Castle Combe destroyed it in 1975. Davis returned to racing in 1979 and won the Production Sports Car Championship outright.

Ginetta went onto sell nearly 800 G15s between 1968 and 1974.

It's quite amazing that no models have previously been made of this car. Autocult's resincast captures the lines perfectly and the tiny details are very good - such as the screen surrounds, badges and lights. Even the Cosmic alloy wheels have been well replicated. Sadly the registration number isn't a real G15 one, though.

This is a superb little model and one that I must have in my collection of Imp based vehicles. Come on Autocult, how about a nice 1/43 scale Clan Crusader or even a Daviran model to complete my Imp-based collection?

www.ayrey.co.uk