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RML CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF SPORTING ENDEAVOUR AT BICESTER SCRAMBLE

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Wellingborough/Bicester – Book-ending 40 years of engineering development in the motorsport and performance car world, RML – the company founded by Ray Mallock and now run by his son, Michael – is bringing together its very first and latest projects at next month’s ever-popular Bicester Scramble on Sunday, June 19th.

Representing 2022, is RML Group’s all-new Short Wheelbase model, which will effectively be making its official debut at Bicester, accompanied by CEO Michael Mallock, whose team has brought the car to market after three years of intensive development.

But this Bicester Scramble also marks exactly 40 years to the day since Michael’s dad, Ray Mallock, was strapping himself into an Aston Martin Nimrod at Le Mans in 1982. The privateer car, which Ray Mallock Atlantic Racing – precursor to RML – had refined and developed, went on to take seventh place in the race, after both factory Nimrods failed to finish. Two years later, in 1984, Ray was back with a two-car Nimrod team, this time under the new RML banner.

“RML has come a long way since dad was campaigning Nimrods at Le Mans,” reflected Michael Mallock. “I’m extremely proud of what he started, and what the company has grown into today – which is why it’s great that we’re able to bring our new Short Wheelbase to Bicester. It’s poles apart from the Nimrod, but it showcases just the same level of high-end engineering, attention to detail and innovation that dad applied to the Nimrod four decades ago.”

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With the first production Short Wheelbases already in build, Car Zero, the pre-production prototype car, will be on display at Bicester. Powered by a 5.5-litre Ferrari V12 engine, the Short Wheelbase is a two-seat, high-performance GT, the design of its lightweight, carbon-composite body paying homage to the driving purity of supercars from the past. Trading on RML’s considerable experience in vehicle dynamics, its chassis set-up provides first-class control for fast road driving, combined with a level of pliancy seldom found in today’s supercars.

The Short Wheelbase blends all of this with real 21st century convenience. Its cabin accommodates occupants up to six feet, six inches (two metres) in height on exquisitely-trimmed and electrically adjustable seats. And while the Short Wheelbase’s interior design captures a classic style, modern technology – such as satnav, air conditioning, cupholders and smartphone connectivity – has been artfully and discreetly integrated throughout.

None of which you’ll see in the Nimrod, of course. The car which Ray Mallock first drove at Le Mans in ’82 with Simon Phillips and Mike Salmon was refined by a crack team that he assembled the previous year. Ray realised that the Nimrod had never seen a wind tunnel, despite the high speeds it was capable of achieving, and persuaded Aston’s then-chief, Victor Gauntlett and the car’s owner, Viscount Downe, to fund aerodynamic work on a quarter-scale model at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association). Ray’s team’s development work paid off, his car finishing seventh in the race, with neither of the two works Nimrods surviving the 24 hours.


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“The Nimrod programme was a turning point for me,” said Ray. “It marked the start of my transformation from racing driver into development engineer and was very much the foundation programme for the company that Michael runs today. So having a Nimrod displayed at Bicester, 40 years to the day since we were breaking 200mph on the Mulsanne Straight in our first car, is immensely gratifying – and even more so that RML is still at the leading edge of high-performance engineering today.”

While the RML Short Wheelbase and Aston Martin Nimrod will be displayed in sight of one another, the Short Wheelbase will have a bespoke area manned by some of Michael’s engineering team responsible for the car. The Nimrod will be part of a 20-car display marking the 90th running of Le Mans on the day of the Scramble. All eras of LM racer will be present, from the 1920s to 2021.

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More information about the RML Short Wheelbase can be found here: https://rmlgroup.com/rml-swb/short-wheelbase

Details of Bicester’s Sunday Scramble on June 19th can be found here:

https://bicesterheritage.co.uk/events/june-2022-scramble

ENDS

Press contact:

Classic PRose Consultancy +44 7860 151953 ClassicPRose@outlook.com

Notes to Editors

RML Group Ltd

RML is one of the world’s leading high performance automotive engineering companies. We undertake whole-vehicle design, build and development projects for motorsport and road car applications.

We push the boundaries with exceptional and cost-effective solutions for automotive OEM’s. Defence and Aerospace clients, whether this is for a one off powertrain or a complete continuation programme, RML Group has the capabilities and experience to make your programme a success.

One of our fastest-growing specialisations is EV technology for road and race applications, made possible by our state of the art energy storage design and manufacturing facility, design engineering, software and simulation services.

In Motorsport RML’s experience extends to Touring Car, GT, Sports Prototype and off-road programmes in major motorsport series for global automotive brands worldwide, RML has won multiple World-Championships for its partners and has a winning pedigree in every series in which it has competed. RML applies this nimble, innovative and winning mind set to developing high performance road car derivatives and advanced automotive engineering solutions for OEMs.

RML Group:

http://www.rmlgroup.com

For further information, please contact:

Simon Holloway
RML Group Ltd

E:simonh@rmlgroup.com

T: (0) 1933 402440

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