Giant Killer

No fooling.  When I stood next to this car, the door mirror was at knee level.

1967 Ginetta G12
VIN:  G12-15

• Restored and track ready
• FIA Historic Technical Passport
• 1558 Lotus Twin-Cam Straight Four

"First sold to Arthur E. Allen of Competition Car Imports in Los Angeles, California on April 7th, 1967.  This G12 was ordered with a 1600cc twin-cam engine and Hewland 5-speed gearbox with limited slip differential.  the car would set sail from England on the 6th of May aboard the Amsteldyk bound for Los Angeles.  It is believed to be the first G12 brought to America.

The Ginetta's last owner purchased the G12 in 1989 from noted British engineer and Morgan racer, Chris Lawrence.  Lawrence was a class winner at Le Mans in 1962, and is most remembered for engineering and building the amazing Morgan +4 SLR.

The car was immediately transported to J&L Race Cars in Puyallup, Washington where they did a full restoration on the car.  they would go on to maintain the Ginetta during its historic racing career, which included the Monterey Historics and most every West Coast track.  The G12 was restored a second time by J&L Race Cars in 2013-2014 and has not been raced since.  The Lotus twin-cam engine was build by Dave Vegher, and has less than three hours on it.

About the Ginetta G12

Debuting in 1966, the G12 is widely touted as the first-ever British mid-engined GT car to be produced.  Ginetta's brave new giant killer showed immediate success.  In period it was noted for successfully going head to head with formidable racecars such as Shelby Cobras, Lotus Elans, and Europas, and even Ford GT40s.  Ginetta historian and author Trevor Pyman estimates only 28 Ginettas were build in period.

The G12 featured a tubular steel spaceframe with center body/cockpit section boded to it for extra strength, and removable one-piece sections front and rear.  The front suspension was comprised of proven Triumph-derived uprights, double wishbones, and coil springs.  Out back, the rear end featured the classic arrangement of single upper transverse links with lower reversed wishbones, radius arms, and coil springs.  Anti-roll bars were fitted fore and aft with Triumph-Spitfire-sourced Girling disc brakes being mounted outboard on all four wheels.  Steering was by rack and pinion."

*Text copied from window placard

Photographed at the Canepa Motorsports Museum
Scotts Valley, California