The Ginetta story is one of a British car builder doing things its own way - with often spectacular results. Founded and run by the four Walklett brothers in 1958, the company's output has always focused on lightweight glassfibre sports cars powered by proprietary engines, allowing the best of technology to be used.
One of the most attractive designs was the G4, designed by Ivor Walklett as a dual-purpose road / race car and introduced at the January 1961 Racing Car Show. Production ceased in 1969 and briefly restarted in the 1980s but from 1991 Ivor and Trevers Walklett, plus Trevers' son Mark, took production back firmly in hand, trading as Dare - Design and Research Engineering - and the G4 is still with us today. The G4, originally designed to use the Coventry Climax 750cc engine, has undergone continual development, now being powered by Ford's 'twin-cam' Zetec engine, with independent rear suspension arriving in 1995. It was available as both an open car or a closed coupe, as here, and, with up to 240bhp the makers claimed up to 130mph, with 0-60mph coming up in as little as 5.8 seconds.

This Dare-produced G4 is powered by a fuel-injected 1796cc Ford 'twin-cam' Zetec engine which reportedly develops 180bhp, and further boasts four-pot caliper brakes. It has the extended passenger footwell, and there is a roll bar with brace bar to the transmission tunnel. Describing the G4 as being in "excellent" condition with regard to its engine, gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim, bodywork and paintwork, the vendor adds: "With just 5,176 miles the car is a delight to drive, and a work of art to view".

Image and description kindly supplied by H&H Classic Auctions