| Ascari Cars Ltd. | |
| Type: | Private |
| Key People: | Geoff Finlay ceo |
| Industry: | Automotive |
| Products: | Automobiles |
| Owner: | Klaas Zwart |
| Website: | ascari.net |
| Foundation: | 2 December 1994 |
| Location City: | Banbury, Oxfordshire, England |
| Defunct: | 2010 |
| Fate: | Bankruptcy[1] |
Ascari Cars Ltd. was a British automobile manufacturer based in Banbury, England, and founded by Klaas Zwart.[2] Zwart was the former chairman and majority owner of oil and gas company Petroline, which designed and manufactured its own downhole technology. Petroline was purchased by Weatherford in 1999.[3]
The company was named after Alberto Ascari (1918–1955), the first double winner of the World Championship of Drivers.[4]
The company filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Ascari's official site was also shut down and has not been updated since 2009.
Ascari Cars was established in Dorset in 1994. Its first limited-edition car, the Ascari Ecosse, was launched in 1998.
In 2000 Ascari Cars built a new facility in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Ascari Car's second car, the Ascari KZ1, was developed at Banbury, which also housed Team Ascari's racing assets. The premises are now occupied by Haas F1 Team.[5]
Due to declining sales of the Ascari KZ1 and the high cost of production Ascari suffered heavy financial losses; the company filed for bankruptcy in 2010.[6]
| Year | Model | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Initial concept car created for racing | ||
| 1998 | Production version of the FGT | ||
| 2003 | Production version of A410 Race car | ||
| 2005 | Road-going version of the KZ1-R GT3 race car | ||
| 2006 | Upgraded version of the KZ1 |
| Year | Model | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Racing version of the FGT concept, run in the British GT Championship | ||
| 2000 | Le Mans Prototype | ||
| 2002 | Upgraded version of the A410 | ||
| 2005 | Racing version of the KZ1, running in the FIA GT3 class |