MOTORING
Surrey’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine
Rising star
Luxury Cheshire car maker Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) was recently picked as ‘One to Watch’ in the 2015 Sunday Times’ Fast Track 100 list, heralding a rapid rise for the niche car maker. Euan Johns discovers more about the rise and rise of a British company firmly flying the flag overseas.
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No roof, no windscreen, a single seat: BAC constructs the well received and highly acclaimed Mono supercar. The company earned its distinction on the Fast Track list due to its recent expansion, and was lauded for its efforts to increase awareness in international markets.
Brothers Neil and Ian Briggs started the company in 2009 with the aim of creating a pure driving experience. BAC’s team is able to know each of its customers by name. This provides the basis for an almost tribal connection and feeling of pride and involvement in something very special and different. The company boasts of its ‘total ownership experience’ emanating from a superbly made product and unparalleled level of service.
What’s on offer? Well, an intimate and visceral connection to a car that fulfils the inner dream to sit at the controls of a formula car. Climbing into the car’s central seat is an event in itself. There’s more than a whiff of formula here and the thought does flit through my mind: is this seriously road legal?
So what exactly is all the fuss about? Well, the Mono is a lightweight, ultra high performance, road legal supercar designed and made using the latest racing technology. So, it ticks all the boxes for drivers seeking a ‘pure’ driving experience. Forget the children and dog, this is a toy for grownups to enjoy. The design is superb: it’s got a single seat smack bang in the middle of the car’s subtle and sculptured form. Being there means the car is perfectly balanced, enabling the power from the Cosworth 2.3 litre engine (2015 version) to be used to the full, especially when cornering.
Brothers Neil and Ian Briggs started the company in 2009 with the aim of creating a pure driving experience. BAC’s team is able to know each of its customers by name. This provides the basis for an almost tribal connection and feeling of pride and involvement in something very special and different. The company boasts of its ‘total ownership experience’ emanating from a superbly made product and unparalleled level of service.
What’s on offer? Well, an intimate and visceral connection to a car that fulfils the inner dream to sit at the controls of a formula car. Climbing into the car’s central seat is an event in itself. There’s more than a whiff of formula here and the thought does flit through my mind: is this seriously road legal?
So what exactly is all the fuss about? Well, the Mono is a lightweight, ultra high performance, road legal supercar designed and made using the latest racing technology. So, it ticks all the boxes for drivers seeking a ‘pure’ driving experience. Forget the children and dog, this is a toy for grownups to enjoy. The design is superb: it’s got a single seat smack bang in the middle of the car’s subtle and sculptured form. Being there means the car is perfectly balanced, enabling the power from the Cosworth 2.3 litre engine (2015 version) to be used to the full, especially when cornering.
BAC’s motivated staff of just 22 made it the smallest company on the list of 10 rising stars. It enjoyed sales of over £2.4 million in the last year, selling 21 supercars worldwide, and has now attracted investment from international backers to help push this further. Investment has helped the firm open several new showrooms around the world.
The result? BAC has already more than doubled sales for 2016, and is poised to accelerate even further.
The newest showroom was opened in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay last November: the dealership selling eight of its annual allocation of 12 cars on the launch night alone. The presence in Hong Kong is further proof of the company’s strong position in the Far East, following a successful introduction into Japan earlier last year.
The result? BAC has already more than doubled sales for 2016, and is poised to accelerate even further.
The newest showroom was opened in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay last November: the dealership selling eight of its annual allocation of 12 cars on the launch night alone. The presence in Hong Kong is further proof of the company’s strong position in the Far East, following a successful introduction into Japan earlier last year.
BAC’s unique nature appeals strongly to customers in this part of the world, who value the car’s bespoke driver fitment programme offering each customer a custom-made seat, peddle reach and steering wheel positioning, all built around and to suit the client’s frame. There’s also almost limitless variations for personalisation with the choice of differing levels of trim and paint options.
Far East customers will get the 2016 Model Year Mono, which comes equipped with an all-new 305bhp, 2.5-litre Mountune four-cylinder engine capable of a 0-60mph time of just 2.8 seconds. This ultra lightweight supercar weighs in at just 580kg, and so can boast a staggering power-to-weight ratio of 526bhp per tonne.
It may appear a bit pricey at just shy of £80,000, and is of course totally impractical, but this sort of fun is surely priceless?
Far East customers will get the 2016 Model Year Mono, which comes equipped with an all-new 305bhp, 2.5-litre Mountune four-cylinder engine capable of a 0-60mph time of just 2.8 seconds. This ultra lightweight supercar weighs in at just 580kg, and so can boast a staggering power-to-weight ratio of 526bhp per tonne.
It may appear a bit pricey at just shy of £80,000, and is of course totally impractical, but this sort of fun is surely priceless?
essence info
Website: www.bac-mono.comFacebook: facebook.com
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“We are delighted to be recognised by Fast Track and the Sunday Times for our recent success. We hope to continue this going into 2016, and are well placed to do so with our new dealerships in Japan and Hong Kong. With strong sales in America, and our recently gained EU approval, we are well placed to take BAC onto the next stage of its exciting development.”
Neil Briggs, BAC founder