RML Motorsport

19/08/2008

The Mallock history

The remarkable story of the Mallock family in motor sport can be traced all the way back to 1936 when Major Arthur Mallock first started building competition specials based on Austin 7s. As soon as the Second World War finished, Arthur was one of the first people to start competing in trials, sprints and races.

Having continued using Austin 7 specials into the 1950s, in 1958 he designed and built his first chassis, the Mallock U2 Mk1. Soon, fellow competitors asked him to build chassis for them and so the Mallock dynasty was created.

In 1960, the Mk2 became the first proper production car, with 10 examples built for Formula Junior, the 1172 Formula and sports-car racing. Everything was done from the garages at Arthur's home in Roade and through the 1960s the fame of Mallocks grew. Arthur's cars were always simple, light and very fast, yet some of his engineering thinking broke new ground and the affordability of cars meant that ordinary people could afford to go racing. No longer was motor racing the sole preserve of the wealthy.

The creation of the Clubman formula in 1965 was perfect for Arthur and his cars, for his rapid front-engined cars were well suited to the new category and countless race wins and championship victories followed. Into the 1970s, Arthur's sons Ray and Richard joined him on the track and they continued winning.

The 1970s also marked Mallock's expansion into single-seaters, with cars for Formula Ford 1600, Formula 3 and Formula Atlantic. Meanwhile, Ray's racing career went from strength to strength as he raced single-seaters and then sports cars at the highest level, including at Le Mans.

In the early 1980s Ray formed Ray Mallock Ltd and the company took over the development of the Aston Martin Le Mans project as well as the manufacture of the Ecosse C2 cars that brought the famous Ecurie Ecosse name back into international racing.

In 1986 the team won the C2 title in the World Sportscar Championship for Ecurie  Ecosse and before long RML moved into purpose-built premises in Milton Keynes, as part of Proteus Technology the new company set up to build and run the works  Aston Martin AMR1 Le Mans project. When the Aston Martin programme finished in 1990, RML began its successful partnership with Nissan when at Le Mans that year, the RML prepared Nissan R90c traded the overall lead with the TWR jaguar until Sunday morning when a split fuel tank put paid to probable victory.

In 1992 the team branched out into touring cars as a private entrant under the Ecurie Ecosse banner and scored some tremendous results with David Leslie at the wheel of their Vauxhall Cavalier. That success led to the contract to run the works Vauxhalls and a move to bigger premises at Wellingborough in July 1995.

Over the last decade, the company has continued to flourish with multiple championship and event wins on behalf of major motor manufacturers and clients who entrust their global competition programmes to RML at the highest level of the sport in Sports, GT and Touring car racing.

RML are now a one stop shop for manufactures who see motorsport as an important part of their marketing and brand building strategy.

RML currently manages Chevrolet's WTCC programme, competes at Le Mans and in the Le Mans Series with MG-Lola and in 2008 launched the Mercedes SLR 722 GT Trophy, a seven event series at closed events, for gentlemen and professional drivers using cars built, developed and operated by RML. Arthur Mallocks grandson Michael is responsible for much of the development driving of these cars and is one of the lead professional drivers in the series.

The painting used in this article is called "Mallocks through Copse" and is by Andrew Kitson. It shows Arthur Mallock in a Mallock U2 Mk 3 in car number 23, Richard Mallock n Mallock U2 number 9, Michael Maloock in RML Mallock P20 number 11 and Ray Mallock in Aston Nimrod number 31. All four have won UK National championships in Mallock cars.

Notes to editors:

RML was founded by Ray Mallock in 1984.

RML Group comprises six divisions; Motorsport, Automotive, Engines, Historic, Events and X-Pro.

Based in Northamptonshire, England, the company's 4,300 square metre facility includes full design, development, manufacturing and operational support for automotive engineering projects.

RML has achieved success throughout motorsport categories including GT/sportscars, touring cars, rally cars, single seaters and oval speedway cars. In 2008 RML is again competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the Le Mans 24 Hours, and will defend their LMP2 Le Mans Series title. Last year RML produced the spectacular Mercedes-Benz Mclaren SLR 722 GT. 

RML work together with a number of specialist official suppliers and technical partners including Autoglym - www.autoglym.co.uk, Beissbarth UK - www.beissbarth.co.uk, DuPont Refinish - www.dupontrefinish.com and Chicago Pneumatic - www.cp.com.

More information on RML is available at www.rmlmallock.co.uk

For further information please contact RML:

Chris Burke-Martin – Sales and Marketing Manager

Tel:  +44 (0) 1933 402440 

Email: chrisbm@rmlmallock.co.uk

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