Radical

In the summer of 1995, Phil Abbott had a proposition to Mick Hyde: to build a sports car with a motorcycle engine. The idea seemed mad at the time, but Abbott eventually conquered Hyde over. They were able materialize Abbott’s vision in only two years and their first car, the Radical 1100 Clubsport, was released in 1997.

The Radical Sportscars was founded in January 1997, shortly before the launching of the first model. When Phil Abbott and Mick Hyde decided to put a “mad” idea into practice, the engineer and the racer knew they needed extra help. They hired Ted Hurrell to be in charge on the engine assembly and Nick Walford as Chief Designer.

The 1100 Clubsport was powered by Kawasaki motorcycle motor. Although it ended at 11th in its first race at the 750 Motorclub Sports 2000, it finished in the first place at the Pembrey, South Wales. An 1100 Clubsport won at the Silverstone’s National Circuit, Sports 2000 series in 1998.

In 1999, a new model was unveiled: the Prosport 1300, which was more powerful than the precious. With Prosport, Radical became a constant presence in race events. After the Prosport success, Radical moved into a new factory.

New models kept being launched, all of them with motorcycle engines and international racing oriented. In 2006, Radical took it a step further by creating a concept for Le Mans. The SR9 did well on the tracks.

Currently, Radical has six models in production. Designed to race, the models can be converted for the road, except for the SR9 that was though for Le Mans.

The Radical name came from a curious product: a brand of tanning lotion produced by one of Abbott’s companies. The logo, an “R” in yellow over a red background with the word “radical” written below, was designed by Hyde’s advertising agency.

Radical is very a very race oriented brand. Its cars have crossed the finishing line in different races, but it’s the Radical one-model series that are the companies pride and joy. In Europe, the Radical Masters endurance series are growing in popularity as they allow novices gain more experience. Radical races are also present in the Middle East, United States and even Hong Kong. Future plans include Australia and Mexico.