FIRMAN JR REVAMPING VAN DIEMEN MARQUE
The famous constructor is moving back to Firman family control and it starts its expansion with a new Stateside SCCA sportscar project
Ralph Firman Jr is bringing his father’s famous Van Diemen brand back under family control and is revamping the marque starting with an American sportscar project.
Sports Car Club of America Prototype 1 has been selected for ex-Formula 1 driver Firman Jr’s initial product. Two orders have been placed so far and the cars are due to compete next year.
Ralph Firman Sr co-founded Van Diemen in 1973 and the company became known for high-volume race car production, particularly with its frontrunning
Formula Fords. The outfit was sold to Don Panoz in
2002 to become part of the Elan Motorsport Technologies group. Panoz passed away in 2018.
Van Diemen continues to produce Formula Ford cars at Snetterton and Josh Smith won 2018’s Formula Ford Festival in one.
Ex-Pacific Racing boss Keith Wiggins, now based in the US, is helping the new project.
Wiggins told Motorsport News: “They’ve decided to revamp the company, have the name back and launch it with Andrew Thorby start designing cars. He [Firman Jr] has big ambitions for getting back into the car manufacturing business.
“The project started off to build a track day car, based on a Formula 3-style full crash structure and FIA regulation monocoque. Then we talked to various series.
“The P1 series came up because you could use the same monocoque for that as the track day car, that car seemed like a market. So there’ll be a track day and the P1 chassis. That’s where it’ll start and look to grow from there.”