History
The company was founded in Coventry in 1971 by Tony Rolt. [2] to exploit the 4WD technology begun originally at Dixon-Rolt Developments in partnership with Freddie Dixon and, from 1950 at Harry Ferguson Research.
FFD developed a number of prototype cars with the aim of selling the technology to car makers, much as Harry Ferguson Research had done after Ferguson's death. This included one of two Triumph Stags. One of their first successful conversions was for the Opel Admiral and Opel Senator cars used by BRIXMIS in Berlin, followed by Vauxhall-Bedford approved conversions of the Bedford CF van. The company also engineered the prototype AMC Eagle, the first mass-produced car in the world to feature full-time 4WD.
In 1981 Rolt's son, Stuart, joined the company as marketing director, becoming Chief Executive in 1986.
In 1983, FFD teamed up with the management of the British branch Schuler Presses to develop an aftermarket conversion for the Range Rover. The result was the Schuler Super Ranger, which could outperform the standard Range Rover on and off-road. The car subsidiary was bought out of the parent company subsequently renamed Overfinch
The arrival of the Audi Quattro opened the word's eyes to the advantages of 4WD. This prompted Ford's Bob Lutz to commission a 4WD Ford Sierra, which led to subsequent 4WD Ford models and to licensing of the Ferguson Formula world-wide through patents holder GKN and mass production of the components by GKN German subsidiary Viscodrive
Ferguson Formula 4WD was a key element in four Group B rally cars, the Peugeot 205 T16, the Lancia Delta S4, the Ford RS200 and the MG Metro 6R4. It was also used in the Lancia Delta Integrale.
In 1990 the company opened an engineering centre in Detroit. [3]
Following its sale to the automotive consultancy group Ricardo in 1994, the company was renamed Ricardo-FFD. Stuart Rolt remained the CEO until 1996. [3]
Lotus Group is a British multinational automotive manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles.
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A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case providing an additional output drive shaft and, in many instances, additional gear ranges.
Harry Ferguson Research Limited was a British company founded by Harry Ferguson who was mostly known as "the father of the modern farm tractor". He was also a pioneer aviator, becoming one of the first to build and fly his own aeroplane in Ireland, and also went on to develop four-wheel drive systems for cars including pioneering their use in Formula One racing cars. The company was based in Siskin Drive, in Coventry, England.
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Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportscar Championship alongside the more popular racing prototypes of Group C, Group B are commonly associated with the international rallying scene during 1982 to 1986 in popular culture, when they were the highest class used across rallying, including the World Rally Championship, regional and national championships.
Major Anthony Peter Roylance Rolt, MC & Bar, was a British racing driver, soldier and engineer. A war hero, Rolt maintained a long connection with the sport, albeit behind the scenes. The Ferguson 4WD project he was involved in paid off with spectacular results, and he was involved in other engineering projects.
Henry George Ferguson was a British mechanic and inventor who is noted for his role in the development of the modern agricultural tractor and its three point linkage system, for being the first person in Ireland to build and fly his own aeroplane, and for developing the first four-wheel drive Formula One car, the Ferguson P99.
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The Ferguson P99 was a four-wheel drive Grand Prix car built by Ferguson Research Ltd. It was raced on behalf of the company by the Rob Walker Racing Team. Officially named as Ferguson Climax, it derived its P99 name from its Harry Ferguson Research project number. It used either a 1.5-litre or a 2.5-litre Climax engine. It remains the most famous example of its type as a result of its twin claims to fame: the first AWD car to win a Formula 1 event, and the last front-engined car to win a Formula 1 event.
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The Bedford CF is a range of full-size panel vans produced by Bedford - the commercial vehicles division of Vauxhall. The van was introduced in 1969 to replace the CA model, and was sized to compete directly with the Ford Transit, which had entered production four years earlier. Its design was similar to its American counterpart, the Chevrolet Van (1971–1995).
Jolly Club was an Italian motor racing team, which competed in the World Rally Championship, the Sportscar World Championship, the European Touring Car Championship, the BPR Global GT Series, and briefly in the Formula One World Championship, along with several domestic championships, it was mainly connected to brands like Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Ferrari. It was created in 1957 in Milan by idea of Mario Angiolini, the team won several championships. The team's main sponsor was Italian gaming totalizer Totip so the cars used orange and green colors on their livery until the World Rally Championship 1996. They also had a lengthy association with alcoholic beverage company Martini & Rossi.
The Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship is an auto racing Rallycross series, running in the United Kingdom. From 2020, the championship became known as the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy presented by Cooper Tire.
