Ginetta G4 Polycarbonate Windows

Some cars win races with brute force. Others, like the Ginetta G4, do it with brains, balance, and a whole lot of bravery. This wasn’t some big, fire-breathing V8 muscle car, nor was it an exotic Italian masterpiece. It was a tiny, lightweight, fibreglass sports car built by a small British company that didn’t care about prestige, they just wanted to make something fast, fun, and unbeatable on the track.
Launched in 1961, the G4 was Ginetta’s answer to the wave of nimble, lightweight sports cars that were making names for themselves in club racing. The philosophy was simple: keep it as light as possible, give it just enough power, and make sure it corners like a housefly on espresso. The result? A car that weighed around 500kg, which is less than half of what modern hot hatches weigh today. Power came from small-capacity Ford engines, ranging from a 1.0-litre up to a 1.5-litre, which doesn’t sound like much, but in a car this light, it was plenty. This thing didn’t need brute strength to win races, it just needed the right driver and a bit of open road.
On track, the G4 was an absolute menace, punching well above its weight. It was the kind of car that made owners of Jaguars and Aston Martins furious, because here was this tiny, affordable British special overtaking them in the corners like it had something to prove. The combination of independent suspension, a stiff tubular chassis, and a perfect front-to-rear weight balance made it feel alive, a car that talked to you through the steering wheel, begged to be pushed harder, and never felt like it was trying to kill you (unless you got too cocky).
Despite its size, the G4 had a proper sense of theatre. The fibreglass bodywork kept it feather-light, but also gave it a unique look, long bonnet, low stance, and that unmistakable "I'm here to cause trouble" attitude. It was available as both a road-going sports car and a full competition machine, making it the perfect toy for anyone who wanted a proper driver’s car without selling a kidney to afford it.
And then came the G4R, the full-fat race version. If the standard G4 was quick, this thing was an absolute missile. It had wider tracks, flared arches, a hotter engine, and an even more aggressive stance, making it an absolute terror in GT racing. It wasn’t just keeping up with bigger, more expensive cars, it was beating them.
Even today, the Ginetta G4 is a legend among classic racing enthusiasts. It’s still tearing up historic racing events, still holding its own against cars with twice the power, and still proving that lightness beats brute force every single time. The best part? It still offers that pure, unfiltered, mechanical driving feel that modern cars have all but forgotten.
If you ever get the chance to drive one, do it. It’s not about straight-line speed. It’s not about fancy electronics. It’s about raw, analog driving fun, the kind that makes you grin like an idiot every time you throw it into a corner and come out the other side feeling like a hero. It may not have been the most famous sports car of its time, but for those who knew what it could do, the G4 was nothing short of a racing masterpiece.