| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Wareham, Massachusetts, USA |
Key people | David Smith, Owner/President |
| Products | Kit cars |
| Revenue |  $7.5 Million USD (2007) [1] |
Number of employees | 350 |
| Website | www.factoryfive.com |
Factory Five Racing, Inc. (F.F.R.) is an American automobile company that designs and manufactures assembly kits, chassis, bodies and related components for replicars and sports cars.
The "kit cars" are designed and manufactured by Factory Five and are usually sold as components to private customers. They are not pre-assembled by Factory Five, as they are intended to be assembled by the purchaser or by a professional third party.
The original FFR Roadster was based on the concept of using running gear from a single modern donor vehicle, the high-performance Mustang. The Mustang running gear was chosen for a number of reasons, but mostly because of high performance relative to cost and ready availability of parts through dealers. The earlier Mustang 302 V-8 and the 427 V-8 is exactly the same block that powered the original vintage AC Cobra and Ford GT-40 to World Championships in the 60’s. Over a million Mustangs were built between 1987 and 2004 and the performance after-market for these parts is well established.
The donor car path is not the only way to build an FFR Roadster. The remaining mechanical parts can be purchased new or used from a variety of sources. The kit has been modified to accommodate a variety of engine, drive-train, and suspension choices. Over half of the Factory Five customers today build their kit using engine/drivetrain parts from a donor Mustang, whereas the remainder elect to buy all new parts or a combination thereof. [2] Jim Youngs, the founder and editor of Kit Car Builder, says the Factory Five Cobra is the country's bestselling kit car.
During 2010 the Mark IV version of the Roadster was released, 15 years after the Mark I was born.
The design for the Challenge Racer started with a stock Factory Five Roadster. Changes were made to make it an effective “Open-Track” vehicle designed with road racing in mind. The welded-in SCCA-derived cage and frame design means it is safer than bolt-on equipment and the Mustang running gear means it is affordable.
The car is commonly referred to as the Spec Racer and qualifies for National FFR-NASA Spec Series. Also held each year is a 2-day National race to determine the overall series champion. The Nationals are held each year in conjunction with the FFR National Owners Group Meet. Regardless of whether or not the car is raced in any regional series, anyone who owns a Challenge car is eligible to attend the annual championship race and vie for the national title. [3]
The FFR Type 65 Coupe is the culmination of four years of engineering and design work. The first prototype was completed in the spring of 2000 and production of chassis kits began September 2000. In its design, all the FFR racing components are included in a package suitable for street use. The Coupe is a rendition of the famous world championship coupes of the 60’s, but with modern technologies. [4]
The GTM is a V-8 powered, mid-engined rear wheel drive car with a composite body shell and an aluminum and a unique proprietary steel tube frame chassis. The car uses GM high-performance parts such as engine, drivetrain, suspension components with four-corner coil-over shocks, performance brakes, and a transaxle. The GTM is light and aerodynamic, with excellent weight distribution and precise race-car handling/braking derived from the Chevrolet Corvette C5. In the September 2007 issue, Car and Driver reviewed a prototype GTM LS7 and their testing achieved 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds and 1/4 mile in 11 seconds at 134 mph, beating the tested speeds of European Supersportscars like the Ferrari 599 GTO, Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Murcielago SV, Ferrari Enzo and several other considerably more expensive exotic production vehicles. [5] The car, i.e. chassis, and all components are engineered in-house and can be assembled to the finished completed car by the customer. Items such as A/C, power windows, and a complete interior are available and make the vehicle suitable for general use as a daily driver on public roads in the United States, where the vehicle can be regularly registered. [6]
The GTM chassis is also used as a prototype and testbed for the Capstone CMT-380 vehicle, a hybrid gas turbine/electric sportscar with potentially 500-mile range. [7]
The '33 Hot Rod is a vehicle styled to look like a '33 Ford street rod but has a modern chassis. [8]
The Project 818 vehicle kit is available to order, is lightweight (the 818 stands for the 818 kg (1800 lb) curb weight), affordable (under 15,000 US dollars for the completed kit), and based on proven Subaru boxer engine architecture. In 2016 a face lifted version of the 818 became available. There are 3 models available, an open top street model (818s) with available soft top, a track oriented version with integrated roll-bar (818r), and a hard-top coupe (818c). [9] "Grassroots Motorsports" awarded the 818 an Editors’ Choice award for 2013. [10] This car's power to weight ratio makes it a phenomenal contender with many supercars on the market.
The XTF Pre-Runner Truck is a body kit for the Ford F-150.
Production of the Spyder GT kit was suspended on October 15, 2006, for reasons of production capacity for the GTM and its slow sales. There were 39 cars sold, including the preproduction and showroom cars.
The chassis is based on the FFR Type 65 Coupe.
A Locost is a home-built car inspired by the Lotus Seven. The car features a space frame chassis usually welded together from mild steel 1 in × 1 in square tubing. Front suspension is usually double wishbone with coil spring struts. The rear is traditionally live axle, but has many variants including independent rear suspension or De Dion tube. Body panels are usually fibreglass nose and wings and aluminium side panels. Each car is highly individualized according to the resources, needs and desires of each respective builder.
A kit car is an automobile available as a set of parts that a manufacturer sells and the buyer then assembles into a functioning car. Usually, many of the major mechanical systems such as the engine and transmission are sourced from donor vehicles or purchased new from other vendors. Kits vary in completeness, consisting of as little as a book of plans, or as much as a complete set with all components to assemble into a fully operational vehicle such as those from Caterham.
Lotus Group is a British multinational automotive manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles.
Carroll Hall Shelby was an American automotive designer, racing driver, and entrepreneur.
Westfield Sportscars is a manufacturer of both factory built and kit versions of several two-seater, open top sportscars. Their main product is a Lotus Seven inspired car – vehicles originally designed by Colin Chapman with only the bare essentials for motoring in order to give the rawest and most exhilarating driving experience.
The Shelby Mustang is a high-performance variant of the Ford Mustang built by Shelby American from 1965 to 1967 and by the Ford Motor Company from 1968 to 1970.
Ginetta Cars Limited is a British specialist builder of racing and sports cars based in Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Intermeccanica is an automobile manufacturer, founded in Torino, Italy, in 1959 by Frank Reisner and Paula Reisner. It subsequently moved first to the United States, then to Canada, and is currently headed by Frank's son, Henry Reisner.
The Avenger GT was a kit car produced by Fiberfab. It was designed in California and manufactured in the United States and Canada for 12 years, from late 1966 until 1978.
Shelby American, Inc. is an American high performance automobile company founded by driver Carroll Shelby. The Shelby American name has been used by several legally distinct corporations founded by Shelby since his original shop in Venice, California began operation in 1962. The current iteration is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International, Inc., a holding company formed in 2003. Carroll Shelby International's other wholly owned subsidiary is Carroll Shelby Licensing, which licenses the name and trademarks associated with Shelby to other companies. Shelby American was the first automobile manufacturer in the state of Nevada. Shelby American manufactures component automobiles, including replicas of the small-block and large-block AC Cobras, the Shelby GT350 and the GT500 Super Snake. Since 2005, Shelby American has released new models each year.
Banham Conversions was a coachbuilder and manufacturer of kit cars from the late 1970s until 2004. The company, based in Rochester, Kent, was founded by Paul Banham and started off as a coachbuilder, converting vehicles into convertibles. The company built convertible versions of high-end vehicles such as the Ferrari 400, Aston Martin DBS and V8, and the Rolls-Royce Corniche during this time.
Ford Mustang variants are the various versions of the Ford Mustang car, modified either by its manufacturer Ford Motor Company or by third-party companies. Ford and several third-party companies have offered many modified versions of the highly popular Mustang since its creation in 1964 in order to cater to specific portions of the marketplace outside of the mainstream. High-performance enthusiasts seek more powerful, sharper handling, sports cars such as the Shelby Mustang, the Ford Mustang Mach 1, and variants made by Roush Performance and Saleen, while collectors and purists seek limited production and alternate or nostalgic styling, such as is commonly found on many commemorative editions. Still, others were made purely for experimental concepts such as the McLaren M81 and the Ford Mustang SVO, which later influenced production model design. Most variants include both performance upgrades, and unique cosmetic treatments that are typically minimal to maintain the familiar appearance of a stock Mustang. Although most of these Mustang variants were aimed at enthusiasts, an exception was the Special Service Package which was designed specifically for law enforcement. Race variants include the FR500, Boss 302 and Boss 429.
Superformance LLC is an American automobile company that builds, designs, develops, engineers and markets sports cars, related performance components and full replicars. The company was founded as "Superformance International Inc." by Hi-Tech Automotive Ltd. in 1996. Today, Superformance has 15 authorized dealers in the United States and 6 international dealers. SPF cars are sold as "turnkey-minus replacers". In December, 2005 Hi-Tech Automotive transferred the ownership of its subsidiary, Superformance, to American Hillbank Automotive Group, which is a privately owned business of American entrepreneur Lance Stander. Hi-Tech Automotive continue to build Superformance cars at its plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Fiberfab was an American automotive manufacturer established in 1964. Starting with accessories and body parts, they progressed to making kit cars and fully assembled automobiles. They became one of the longest lasting kit car manufacturers.
Haynes Roadster is a replica of a Lotus Seven home-built car, according to the book Build Your Own Sports Car: On a Budget by Chris Gibbs (ISBN 1-84425-391-0). A Ford Sierra is used in the car as a donor for drivetrain and suspension components.
Mills Extreme Vehicles (MEV) is a kit car design and manufacturing company based in Gloucestershire, England, founded in 2003 by Stuart Mills and Julie Wilson.
The sixth-generation Ford Mustang (S550) is a pony car, manufactured and marketed by Ford from 2014 until 2023. In departure from prior Mustang models, the sixth-generation Mustang included fully independent rear suspension on all models, as well as an optional 2.3L EcoBoost turbocharged and direct injected four-cylinder engine. The sixth generation was introduced for model year 2015, marking the fiftieth anniversary since the Mustang's April 1964 introduction.
New Zealand had a long history of small garages and vehicle enthusiasts modifying and creating sports and sports racing cars. Out of these interests grew the New Zealand kit and replica car industry with the introduction of fibre-glass car bodies in the 1950s.
The Maxton Rollerskate is an American sports roadster built in the early 1990s. It is powered by a Mazda rotary engine. Just over 50 examples were produced at the factory in Colorado.
