Ginetta G15 History

Unveiled at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show alongside the G12 racer, the G15 was a compact rear-engined coupé built around the lightweight aluminium 875cc Sunbeam Imp four-cylinder and its transaxle — the same unit that powered the Imp road car and was derived from the Coventry Climax FWMA racing engine. Ginetta sourced engines and gearboxes direct from the Rootes Group. The G15 was the first Ginetta to receive full type approval, allowing the factory to sell complete, road-registered cars rather than kits.

Development delays pushed full production into 1968. Early cars suffered radiator overheating (the Imp's cooling system was rear-mounted), so the Mk II of 1969 moved the radiator to the front with an electric fan, and the Mk III of 1970 added larger rear quarter-windows. Eight examples were built with Volkswagen engines and sold as the 'Super S'. The 1973 oil crisis hit demand for small sports cars and production wound down, ending in 1974 after approximately 800 cars — a remarkable output for a small specialist.