It’s generally assumed that the UK no longer has a car industry; that it’s been eaten up by everyone from the Germans to the Japanese. Not true.
While mass-producers such as Vauxhall and Jaguar have fallen into foreign hands, there are dozens of thoroughly British firms that form what might be described as an automotive cottage industry.
If you can build a car such as the Ginetta G60 in a cottage. Which you probably can’t without a sizable and expensive refurbishment.
As with the likes of other British motor manufacturers Morgan, Caterham and Noble, Ginetta uses the knowledge passed down through Britain’s proud sports car lineage and combines it with more recent engineering innovation to produce cars that are as exciting to drive as they look.
If you’re not overly familiar with Ginetta — which was founded in Suffolk in 1958, and now operates out of west Yorkshire — it’s because in recent years it has focused its efforts on producing racing cars (it has three racing series of its own).
Now, though, it is taking road cars seriously — very seriously, if the G60 is anything to go by. Aimed at people considering a Porsche 911, its 3.7-litre Ford V6 engine provides a 310bhp, 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, 165mph alternative to the big boys. And, most importantly, a very good reason to buy British.