The Ginetta G20 was a light racing car that appeared in 2001, similar to the earlier G27 which it gradually replaced. It competed in the Ginetta Championship single-make series, and about 200 examples were built. The G20 was cheaper and easier to build than the G27, lacking doors and various other items required in a street-legal car.
Ginetta G20 at a glance
| Maker | Ginetta Cars |
|---|---|
| Appeared | 2001 |
| Type | racing car for a one-make series |
| Based on | Ginetta G27 |
| Equipment | no doors or road-legal items |
| Series | Ginetta Championship |
| Built | about 200 |
| Replaced in the series | by the Ginetta G40 junior car, 2010 |
| Name also used | for a projected Formula 1 car with a BRM V12 |
Based on sections of the English Wikipedia articles on Ginetta Cars and the Ginetta G27.
History of the Ginetta G20
A cheaper racing Ginetta
Appearing in 2001, the G20 was a light racing car similar to the earlier G27, which it gradually replaced. It competed in the Ginetta Championship single-make racing series and about 200 examples were built. The G20 was cheaper and easier to build than the G27, lacking doors and various other items required in a street-legal car.
The name before the car
The G20 name had been used before. It was given to a projected single-seat Formula 1 racer with a BRM V12 engine, and it was also considered for a V6-engined road car discussed in the 1970s.
Replaced by the G40
In 2010 Ginetta introduced a newer, safer car into the existing Ginetta Junior series, replacing the old G20 race car with the G40J. The G40 Challenge car, with the same engine as its sister car and 165 bhp, competed against the existing G20 models.
Design and features
- Racing simplicity: no doors or road-legal equipment kept the car light and cheap to build.
- One-make series: the G20 was designed for the Ginetta Championship, where all cars were alike.
- G27 heritage: it was a simplified development of the G27 sports car.
- Numbers built: about 200 cars, enough to fill grids for years.
Ginetta G20 versions
- G20 race car (2001): the standard car for the Ginetta Championship.
- Ginetta Junior G20: the car used in the junior series before 2010.
- G40J (2010): the newer, safer car that replaced the G20 in the junior series.
The G20 was the simplified racer derived from the G27, and its place was taken by the G32 era of road cars in Ginetta’s history and by the G40 on the track. More cars are in the Ginetta collection.
Video: 2001 Ginetta G20 review with Richard Hammond
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Ginetta Cars, English Wikipedia: G20 origins, series, production, F1 project
- Ginetta G27, English Wikipedia: G20 as a simplified G27; G40 replacement
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