If you've ever
met Ted and the Factory team you will know how enthusiastic they
are about everything Utima !
Here are a few pics
and comments about the Hinckley Heroes !
Ted Marlow. Founder. Bought Ultima from Lee Noble (of Noble car fame) in 1990. Totally redesigned and updated the car and tested early each development on the track, successfully winning many championships. Ted knows how to drive ! Behind the wheel he is totally calm but purposeful, gently explaining the vitues of the air con unit whilst slightly sideways around the side roads of Hinckley. Totally nice guy with no edge and always interested to talk to builders and owners.
Richard Marlow. Son
of Ted and Ultima's record holder / test driver. Richard
was born into the business and has spent his life with the Ultima.
He's a car nut (no surprise there) and never far from a V8.
Another friendly and genuine guy who despite the fact that
he has a business to run is always generous with his time and puts
the customer first.
Andy. Andy is the sort of guy you need at xmas to wrap presents. He's usually seen practicing the art of wrapping car parts in bubblewrap, or answering the helpline, but could no doubt build a GTR with his eyes shut. I once found an M12 nut lying on the floor and phoned to ask where it might be from. Front track control arms, answered Andy. He was right. A quiet and softly spoken chap and never loses his temper despite daft questions 24/7 from builders like me.
Dave. I've seen Dave close to a dozen times and every time he was fiddling with the greasy bits of someone's GTR or CanAm. Dave knows every single part of the cars inside out. He solved my electrical problem and spotted a potential issue with the adaptor plate. He's the ears of a Perigrine Falcon with eyesight to match. If something is not right and you can't put your finger on it, Dave's your man.
Geoff. Dave's partner in crime. Day to day I think Geoff tends to help build the cars for customers. He's usually got two or three on the go at once ! But like the rest of the crew he is available with advice and help and often mans the helpline.