COMPANY HISTORY

Prodrive was formed in 1984 and has a long and successful history in motorsport and more recently in developing technology and cars for the road. Below is a year by year summary of the company.

1984

Prodrive is formed by David Richards CBE (chairman) and Ian Parry out of a motorsport marketing and consultancy business.

 

Prodrive forms its first motorsport team, the Rothmans Porsche Rally Team. On its debut at the Qatar Rally Saed Al Hajri wins and goes on to win the Middle East Rally Championship.  With drivers like Henri Toivonen and Juha Kankkunen, Prodrive comes second in the European Rally Championship. In all, the team secures seven rally wins.

 

1985  

Prodrive wins five more rallies with Porsche and takes the Middle East and Irish Rally Championships with the 911 SC RS.

 

1986

Prodrive moves to its present headquarters in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

 

Prodrive competes with its privately prepared MG Metro 6R4 as well as the Porshce 911 SC RS.  The Metro runs in the British and Irish rally championships with drivers like Billy Coleman and Jimmy McRae, while the 911 clinches a third Middle East Rally Championship for Al Hajri.

  

1987

Prodrive begins a long-standing partnership with BMW in both rallying and touring cars and wins its first World Championship Rally - the Rally of Corsica (Tour de Corse) with Bernard Beguin.

 

This year also brings another five rally victories with BMW and Porsche, and second place in both the Middle East and French Rally Championships.

  

With the BMW M3, Prodrive contests five rounds of the RAC British Touring Car Championship and one round of the World Touring Car Championship.  Frank Sytner wins two BTCC rounds both at Donington.

 

1988

The Prodrive-prepared BMW M3 becomes the car to beat on the track and stages. It wins the British Touring Car Championship in its first full year, even beating the more powerful turbo charged cars in the higher class.  Meanwhile the BMW M3 rally car wins the Belgian Rally Championship with second places in the French and Italian Championships.  In all, the BMW M3 secures 13 more rally wins for Prodrive - a record in one year for the company.

  

1989

Prodrive wins the two-litre British Touring Car Championship for the second year with the BMW M3, while its rally-derivative secures both the Belgian and French Rally Championships and another seven rallies for Prodrive.

  

1990

Prodrive makes it a hat trick of wins in the two litre British Touring Car Championship and rounds off its rallying relationship with BMW with another French Rally Championship and four more rally victories. 

 

This is also the year Prodrive begins its rallying relationship with Subaru with a debut for the new group A Legacy RS on the Acropolis Rally in Greece. 

  

1991

Little known driver, Colin McRae, takes the rallying world by storm winning four more rallies for Prodrive in the Subaru Legacy RS on the way to taking the British Rally Championship. In this year, Prodrive reaches the milestone of 50 rally victories.

 

Prodrive creates an engineering division to offer its project design consultancy to other motorsports teams and the mainstream automotive market.

  

Steve Soper finishes fourth in the British Touring Car Championship, but BMW still secures the manufacturers' title thanks to consistent results from the other two drivers.

 

1992

Colin McRae takes his second British Rally Championship in the Subaru Legacy RS and adds another six rally wins to Prodrive's tally.

 

In Prodrive's fifth consecutive year in touring cars with BMW, it comes fifth in the British Championship.

 

1993

The now legendary Subaru Impreza makes its debut for the new 555-sponsored Subaru team in the World Rally Championship taking second place in the 1000 Lakes Rally. This new relationship with BAT is to last six years.

 

This is also the year up and coming driver, Richard Burns, makes his debut for the Subaru team driving the Legacy RS to victory in the UK Rally Championship.

 

Possum Bourne wins the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and helps Prodrive secure the manfacturers' title, helping to add another nine rally victories in 1993.

 

Prodrive does not take part in touring car racing this year.

 

1994

The Subaru Impreza 555 is driven by Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae and Richard Burns on its way to a second place in the Manufacturers' World Rally Championship. Carlos Sainz clinches second place in the Drivers' Championship, and Richard Burns makes his debut in the World Championship.

 

For the second year, The 555 Subaru Team wins both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Asia-Pacific Rally Championships, and Prodrive wins another six rallies.

 

After a year-long break, Prodrive returns to touring cars with Alfa Romeo, and the team wins the British Touring Car Championship with Gabriele Tarquini.

  

1995

An historic year for Prodrive as Colin McRae wins the Drivers' and Subaru the Manufacturers' World Rally Championships, adding six more rally victories to its tally.

  

The Subaru Impreza 555 takes second in the Asia-Pacific Rally Manufacturers' Championship, while two-times champion, Possum Bourne, takes third in the Drivers'.

 

After taking the title in 1994, this year proves less successful for the Alfa Romeo touring car team.

  

1996

Prodrive retains the Manufacturers' World Rally Championship title in the Impreza 555 while McRae narrowly misses out on a second Drivers' title.

  

Eriksson wins the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and helps Subaru to second in the Manufacturers' title.

 

Prodrive's tally of rally wins rises to 82 this year thanks to five more victories.

 

Prodrive takes a year out from touring cars, but secures a deal to run the Team Honda Sport Accords in 1997.

  

1997

Prodrive wins its third consecutive Manufacturers' World Rally Championship for Subaru and Colin McRae again just misses out on a Drivers' title. In the last year of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, Prodrive takes its third Manufacturers' and fourth Drivers' titles. On the way to these three titles, Prodrive adds another nine rally victories to its total.

  

After a year's break, Prodrive returns to touring cars with Honda, taking the Accord to a third place in the British Touring Car Championship.

  

Prodrive gains ISO9001 accreditation and the Investors in People award.

 

1998

Despite four World Rally victories, several retirements mean that Prodrive takes third in the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships in the Subaru Impreza 555 WRC98.

  

Prodrive takes the Honda Accord to fourth place in the British Touring Car Championship and announces that in 1999 it would be working with Ford.

 

1999

Burns and Kankkunen drive the Subaru Impreza WRC99 fitted with Prodrive's drive-by-wire transmission. This new technology helps the team to second place in the Manufacturers' Championship, and Richard Burns to second in the Drivers'.

 

A win at the Rally of Great Britain sees Prodrive reach the milestone of 100 rally wins.

  

Prodrive's first year with the Ford touring cars sees the team take a disappointing sixth place in the British Touring Car Championship. However, with an improved Prodrive-built engine for 2000, fortunes were to change.

  

Venture Capitalists, APAX, take a 49 per cent share in Prodrive enabling the company to finance its rapid growth plans.

 

2000

Returning to the British Touring Car Championship with Ford Team Mondeo, Prodrive firmly establishes itself as the team to beat. By mid-season, Prodrive wins its fifth BTCC Manufacturers' title, followed by Alain Menu taking the Drivers' title over team-mate Anthony Reid.

  

In the Word Rally Championship, Prodrive secures a runners-up spot for Richard Burns in the Drivers' Championship whilst taking third in the Manufacturers' Championship. Success isn't limited to Prodrive's factory teams. The Prodrive Allstars helped Spike Team Subaru to victory in the FIA Teams' Cup.

 

Prodrive moves its Automotive Technology business to a 240-acre site near Warwick, UK, which includes a proving ground with 2.5 mile test track.

 

2001

In the final round of World Rally Championship in Great Britain, Richard Burns secures third place in his Subaru Impreza WRC2001 to become the first Englishman to take the drivers' title. The win gives Prodrive its fifth World Rally Championship title.

  

Prodrive extends its circuit racing experience into sports cars. Prodrive designs and builds a full race version of the Ferrari 550 Maranello, winning in only its second race of the FIA GT Championship, at the A1 Ring in Austria.

  

Prodrive continues its growth and expansion with the acquisition of Tickford Engineering, offering vehicle manufacturers access to a global network of facilities and unrivalled expertise.

  

2002

Prodrive's Automotive Technology division continues to develop its offering to global vehicle manufacturers with the opening of its first office in Germany and new a partnership with Italian transmission manufacturer, Graziano. The joint venture with Ford in Australia is renamed Ford Performance Vehicles, and Prodrive USA is launched in California to capitalise on the performance car component market. Prodrive launches the microproteus range of development ECUs and produces a new ATD demonstrator specifically for a vehicle manufacturer.

  

In rallying Petter Solberg is joined by four times World Champion Tommi Makinen who claims his 24th WRC victory at Monte Carlo, making him the most successful rally driver of all time. Solberg claims his first WRC victory in the 2002 WRC finalé at the Rally of GB, securing second place in the drivers' championship.

 

In sports cars, Prodrive enters the 24 hours of Le Mans for the first time. Running in the GTS class, the Prodrive Ferrari qualifies in pole position and leads its class rivals through the night before being forced to retire.

  

Prodrive runs the Volvo S60 Super 2000 team in a rejuvenated European Touring Car Championship. Drivers Rickard Rydell and James Hanson give the team 3rd place in the manufacturers' championship.

 

2003

Prodrive takes its sixth World Rally Championship title, with Petter Solberg clinching the drivers’ title in the final round of the championship. In the US rally series, the Prodrive run Subaru Rally Team USA secure second place in the manufacturers championship.

 

In Australia, Prodrive goes racing in the Australian V8 Supercar series for the first time with Ford Performance Racing. The three-car team takes victory in one event and finishes the Bathurst 1000 race in second place.

  

At Le Mans, the Prodrive Ferrari team wins the GTS class in the 24-hour endurance race, more than 10 laps ahead of its nearest class rival. In the American Le Mans Series the team secures four race victories, narrowly missing out on the GTS class championship. At the end of the year the team return to Le Mans for the 1000Km event and take first and second place.

 

Prodrive signs a deal with Aston Martin to design, develop and run a GT version of its DB9 car.

  

Prodrive’s customer teams also have a successful year by taking the FIA GT championship and numerous rally wins.

 

Prodrive continues to work closely with vehicle manufacturers around the world on a number of automotive technology projects. In the next stage of its ATD project, Prodrive builds its own demonstration vehicle.

 

2004

After a good start to the season with points scored in all the first seven events, reigning world Rally Champion, Petter Solberg, fails to finish three events allowing Sebastien Loeb to pull away in the title chase.

 

Two Prodrive Ferraris return to Le Mans with former World Rally Champion, Colin McRae, sharing the driving duties in the No. 65 car. This is his first attempt at the gruelling 24 hour race and, after some mechanical problems, he helps the team bring the car home in third.

 

Prodrive begins work on bringing the Dodge Viper SRT10 to Europe. The company ensures the car meets European Type Approval and will begin manufacturing the car in October.

  

Naro is unveiled. This narrow leaning concept vehicle is designed to help ease traffic congestion.

 

The Prodrive-managed BAR F1 Team shows its potential as British driver, Jenson Button claims his first podium at Malaysia and then goes on to establish himself and the BAR team in third position in the championship.

  

2005

Prodrive’s founder and chairman, David Richards, is awarded the CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

 

The Aston Martin DBR9 makes its racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida in March and wins. The two DBR9s in Le Mans specification are taken to the FIA GT round at Silverstone, which is also the centenary of the RAC Tourist Trophy. The team takes its second consecutive win with a one-two on its home debut. In June, the Aston Martin Racing team goes to the Le Mans 24 Hours. After a close fought battle with the GM Corvettes, the team is forced to settle for third place on its Le Mans debut. 
 

The Subaru World Rally Team has a great start to the season, with Petter Solberg winning in Sweden and then on the new WRC 2005 car’s debut in Mexico.

 

Prodrive builds its first front wheel drive ATD demonstrator, based on the Ford Focus RS, which helps control the increasing amounts of power being demanded on ‘hot-hatches’.

 

Prodrive successfully transfers the turbo anti-lag technology used on its Subaru World Rally Cars onto a road car engine.

 

2006

At the very beginning of the year, Prodrive unveils its P2 concept car at the Autosport exhibition in Birmingham.

The Aston Martin Racing team competes in a full American Le Mans Series, winning four races but just missing out on the team's championship to the factory Corvette team.  At Le Mans the team goes one better than 2005 coming in second in the GT1 class.  Aston Martin Racing customers Larbre win the Le Mans Endurance Series. 

The Subaru World Rally Team, by its standards, has a poor season, and for the first time in more than a decade does not win a round of the World Rally Championship.

 

Meanwhile in Australia, Prodrive's Ford Performance Racing team has its best year to date winning several races and taking second and fifth in the drivers' championship.

 

In automotive technology, Prodrive's own four wheel, self-leaning concept, Naro, makes its first run and proves the unique concept.  It also runs the Go-engine variable compression ratio engine for the first time on the dynamometer and launches a new range of performance parts for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.  The Mazda RX8 PZ is launched in the UK, a car developed in conjunction with Prodrive.

Prodrive launches the Aston Martin Rally GT, the first new Aston Martin rally car for more than 50 years.  The car is based on the V8 Vantage and competes in three rounds of the French tarmac rally championship as well as the Race of Champions.  The company also builds and sells a record 50 Subaru Impreza Group N rally cars, while its customers win a record 16 international and national rally championships in Prodrive-built cars, including the Production World Rally Championship.

 

In Asia-Pacific, Prodrive opens its first office in China in October and in Australia signs a major contract with Toyota Racing Developments to manufacture its cars for the Australian market.


2007
For the first time since 1959, Aston Martin triumphs at Le Mans. The winning Aston Martin Racing DBR9  (009) is driven to GT1 class victory and a remarkable fifth overall by David Brabham, Rickard Rydell and Darren Turner.  A bio-fuelled Aston Martin DBRS9 makes British motorsport history as it wins its first race.

The Subaru World Rally Team competes in the World Rally Championship finishing third in the manufacturers' championship and 5th and 7th in the drivers' championship.


In automotive technology, Prodrive leads a consortium of British companies to develop a new DC-DC converter for use in automotive hybrid and electric vehicles.  The company also begins work on developing a highly efficient micro CHP system for use in households.  The system uses waste heat energy to drive a stirling engine to produce electricity for the home.

 

Prodrive's specialist manufacturing teams build satellite components for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, which blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in March 2007.

 

2008
Aston Martin Racing competes in the iconic livery of Gulf Oil and for the second consecutive year, wins the GT1 class at Le Mans with the 009-numbered Aston Martin DBR9, driven by David Brabham, Antonio Garcia and Darren Turner.  The team also reveals the new Aston Martin Vantage GT2 and in November in Dubai the new Vantage GT4.


In automotive technology, Prodrive works with Alfa Romeo on engineering the Alfa Romeo Brera S, a special edition of 500 vehicles. 


In Australia, FPR has its best year to date and finishes second in the V8 Supercars Championship with FPR driver, Mark Winterbottom runner up in the Championship.

In December, Subaru announces that it is withdrawing from the World Rally Championship with immediate effect, bringing to an end a relationship that had spanned 20 years.

 

2009

It is the 25th anniversary of Prodrive, formed in 1984, but also 50 years since Aston Martin took outright victory at Le Mans in 1959.  As a result, Aston Martin Racing announces that it will return to Le Mans in June, this time to compete for an outright title with a new LMP1 car sponsored by Gulf Oil.  At the race, Aston Martin Racing is the highest placed petrol-powered car, finishing fourth overall, behind the diesel Audis and Peugeots.  The team also wins both the drivers' and manufacturers' titles in the Le Mans Series – the modern equivalent of the world sports car series.


Prodrive returns to the World Rally Championship, with Marcus Gronholm competing in the latest specification of Impreza World Rally Car.  After running comfortably at the front of the field on day one, he is forced to retire after the first stage on day two after hitting a tree and damaging the engine.  It would be the last time a Prodrive 'works' Impreza would compete. 

 

Already Prodrive is working behind the scenes to develop a rally car based on the new 2011 Super 2000 regulations, and by the end of the year is focussed on developing the MINI Countryman into a World Rally Car.

 

On May 29 Prodrive submits an application to the 2010 F1 World Championship, but does not gain an entry, with all three places going to teams choosing to run Cosworth engines.

 

Prodrive’s ATD dynamics system is applied to a six-wheeler 50 tonne quarry truck, the most recent of more than a dozen applications ranging from high performance sports cars to SUVs.  The company also opens a new office in India.

 

In Australia, the Ford Performance Racing team finishes fourth in the teams’ title race and fifth in the drivers’.

 

2010

Work continues on the development of the new MINI Countryman-based World Rally Car and in July it is officially announced that Prodrive will return to the World Rally Championship with MINI in 2011.  At the Frankfurt Motorshow in September, the new MINI John Cooper Works WRC is revealed to the world’s press and the first test car shakes down at Prodrive’s test track in Warwickshire.  It is soon announced that British driver, Kris Meeke, will drive for the team, following in the footsteps of fellow Northern Irishman, Paddy Hopkirk, who won the Monte Carlo Rally for Mini in 1964.

 

The Aston Martin DBR1-2 returns to Le Mans, but with no performance balancing with the diesels, the team aims to be the fastest petrol car. In the end the 007 car finishes sixth.

 

In September, at the Silverstone round of the Le Mans Series, Prodrive announces that it is developing the AMR-One, an all-new petrol powered LMP1 car for the new ACO Le Mans regulations in 2011.

In the UK, Prodrive launches its first one make series, the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of Great Britain, a six round series for owners of the Vantage GT4.

 

In Australia, Prodrive completes the development of an all-new engine for the Ford Performance Vehicle range of vehicles.  The new supercharged engine produces more power and torque than its predecessor and is instantly acclaimed by the press.  Meanwhile the Ford Performance Racing team and Mark Winterbottom finish third in the drivers’ title and fourth in the teams’ championship.

 

Prodrive’s composite operation secures more than £10 million worth of business with three leading UK-based vehicle manufacturers.

 

2011

The MINI returns to the World Rally Championship.  Portuguese driver, Armindo Araujo debuts the Super production version of the car at his home event at Rally Portugal and his performance shows promising signs for the World Rally car to follow.  Meanwhile, experienced Spanish rally driver, Dani Sordo, is signed alongside Kris Meeke to drive the works’ MINI.  The team is then unveiled to the world’s media at the home of MINI, at the Cowley manufacturing plant in Oxford on April 11.

 

The MINI WRC Team debuts at Rally Sardinia in May.  Dani Sordo drives the car to a comfortable sixth place. The team competes at Rally Finland and Rally Germany and in the vineyards around Trier, Dani Sordo brings the number 37 MINI John Cooper Works WRC home in third taking the first podium for the new car, an outstanding achievement.  He then follows this up by nearly winning the French rally, finishing just six seconds behind first place.

 

Technical issues beset the new AMR-One and its testing is curtailed and the team uses races to continue its development.  Prodrive takes the brave decision to compete at Le Mans, but the same engine issue befalls each car and both are forced to retire early in the race.  For the remainder of the year, the Aston Martin Racing team competes with the DBR1-2.  Meanwhile, it is announced that a new Vantage-based GT3 will replace the successful DBRS9 in  2011

 

Prodrive invests significantly in its composites division expanding the Milton Keyne’s based facility to 32,000 sq ft and installing new autoclaves and milling machines. 

 

Prodrive starts the build of a limited edition luxury car at its facility in Warwickshire and sees a significant upturn in its automotive technology business as the motor industry begins to come out of the economic downturn.

2012

Dani Sordo take another podium in the MINI WRC at the Monte Carlo Rally, but it is a limited programme for the Prodrive WRC Team in the World Rally Championship in 2012.  Sordo drives the S2000 spec MINI in Corsica and wins the tarmac event, the first major international event win for the MINI.