Saturday the 26th February brought grey skies, a slight chill in the air and drizzle…but always the optimists we headed off towards the M1, (initially going in the wrong direction towards London…!) with a flask of coffee, scarves, hats, a blanket from myself and of course…the roof down.!
Large rain drops bounced off the windscreen as we hit the Fosse Way and this was followed by lots of “it’ll clear up soon” “at least it’s not TOO cold” “isn’t this fun?” “oh no.. lights are going to change...we’ll get wet” and other such snippets of chit chat that we tend to indulge in when we’re trying to convince ourselves, and everyone else that stares at us in utter amazement...that driving with the roof down whilst dressed like we’re about to head off on a Shackleton expedition is perfectly normal...! Why on earth doesn’t everyone travel like this?
Open-topped motoring was conjured up to avoid motorways but withlimited time on our hands we made our way up the M1 and less than 3 chilly, grey hours later we arrived in the sleepy Yorkshire town of Garforth, the home of Ginetta. After a brief stop in a local supermarket where I jumped out to ask directions (yes...always a good idea chaps!)
I then proceeded off to find the Mog – which meant the next 5 mins were spent walking up and down the car park looking for the smallest car among the world of Saturday morning shoppers, and quickly realised, we're onto a bit of a loosing situation when it comes to getting reunited…we're both impossible to spot over other cars!Ginetta's open day was a great way to have a sneak peak behind the scenes of a racing car manufacturer and this teamed with a donation on arrival, ensured it was a worthwhile fund raising idea. The day was set up as a way of offering some financial support to an extremely brave young man who has a degenerative spinal problem and needs specialist surgery. His friends, employees of Ginetta had the wonderful idea of opening Ginetta up to the public for a charitable donation. Have to admit that even though am from Yorkshire, am something of a 'car beginner' and in reality knew very little about the company.
During the visit my eyes were opened as these cute little racy numbers are fascinating - amazingly strong, and having one of the highest safety records in the business, which always helps when you've got 14 – 17 years old taking the wheel. They're also feather light, with a body weight equivalent to a Ford Fiesta – and I know which I'd rather drive! What really turns your head though is the sound of the engine which completely knocks you off balance, not a purr but a pouncing growl, a bit like discovering a Bengal Tiger is hiding inside your pet cat!
They're big believers in recycling, which means each separate model has parts that are interchangeable and contrary to what most people think, they are living proof that using local suppliers saves money. They've no expensive shipping costs and having your suppliers just around the corner means they can quickly chase up any delays. It keeps a locally based work force in employment and we got real a sense of pride amongst the workers.
During the visit my eyes were opened as these cute little racy numbers are fascinating - amazingly strong, and having one of the highest safety records in the business, which always helps when you've got 14 – 17 years old taking the wheel. They're also feather light, with a body weight equivalent to a Ford Fiesta – and I know which I'd rather drive! What really turns your head though is the sound of the engine which completely knocks you off balance, not a purr but a pouncing growl, a bit like discovering a Bengal Tiger is hiding inside your pet cat!
These tiny tigers offer fantastic cornering due to their flat 'bottoms', aerodynamic undertrays which are very effective at helping to hug the tarmac. When it comes down to the nitty, gritty, they are also, as far as racing cars go, very affordable... if you've a spare £65,000 + VAT to spend! Their low on the road costs are mainly due to the fact that the company and it's fascinating owner are icons in the field of green car production
They're big believers in recycling, which means each separate model has parts that are interchangeable and contrary to what most people think, they are living proof that using local suppliers saves money. They've no expensive shipping costs and having your suppliers just around the corner means they can quickly chase up any delays. It keeps a locally based work force in employment and we got real a sense of pride amongst the workers.The new G40 is a wonderful bundle of fibreglass fun, and a close up look at the world of Ginetta was a great way to see that the days of British Motoring and it's Industry are still alive and very much kicking. The topping on the day's cake was a raffle were six lucky tickets were drawn, the prizes being a spin in either a G50 or a F400. What was heart warming to witnes were the kind hearted adults who gave their winning tickets to the kiddies amongst the visitors. Beaming smiles lit up the tarmac and car interiors as the youngsters clambered in and sped off...hardly seeing above the dashboards..!
The wonder of facebook is a great way to spread the word and this meant that amongst the 200 people visiting Ginetta's open day we met Helen Goff, a Porsche enthusiastic who we initially 'met' on facebook.
Overall...the whole Ginetta experience was a great event and a fantastic fund raising idea!
The wonder of facebook is a great way to spread the word and this meant that amongst the 200 people visiting Ginetta's open day we met Helen Goff, a Porsche enthusiastic who we initially 'met' on facebook. Overall...the whole Ginetta experience was a great event and a fantastic fund raising idea!
