Brit success story Prodrive celebrates 30 years

BRITISH race and rally specialist Prodrive is celebrating 30 years of putting drivers on the top step of the podium.

The Banbury-based company first entered motorsport in January 1984 when it competed in the Qatar International Rally with a Porsche 911 SC RS. This car was driven by Saeed Al Hajri and the same car went on to be campaigned by Henri Toivenen in the European Rally Championship.

Since then, Prodrive has gone on to take part in 472 rallies and 651 races in its first 30 years with drivers such as Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg.

The tally of wins for Prodrive includes 130 circuit race wins, victory in 132 rallies, six World Rally Championship titles and winning the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race three times.

Company founder and chairman David Richards commented: ‘We entered a fairly standard Porsche 911 in our first rally in Qatar and survived numerous problems as the car was far more suited to a race track than desert roads. The Porsche came straight from the factory in Germany and it was to be the first of many successes we enjoyed, but winning our first event was particularly memorable.’

By Press Association reporters