Ginetta has confirmed the sale of three LMP1 chassis, putting the Yorkshire-based company on track for a presence in next year's World Endurance Championship.
Orders and deposits have been taken for two examples of the non-hybrid car, plus one spare, from an as-yet-unknown customer which intends to run a two-car program in the 2018-19 WEC 'super season'.
"This is a big step forward for the programme, and will be great news too for the FIA WEC and the ACO who have placed a lot of faith in their new LMP1 regulations," said Ginetta Cars chairman Lawrence Tomlinson.
"For now you’ll have to wait for our customer to make their own announcement on this programme."
"The signs are that they will soon be joined by more Ginetta customers in the top LMP1 class, and that a car conceived in our Yorkshire factory will soon be contesting overall wins in the World Endurance Championship, including at the world’s biggest race, the Le Mans 24 Hours.”
Ginetta has committed to building 10 chassis, with a view to having three privateer teams on the grid for the WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Each team will run two cars plus one reserve, while the extra chassis will be kept as a development model.
The Ginetta LMP1, soon to be given an official name, is being built at the team's Garforth base with support from parties including Williams Advanced Engineering, former IndyCar manufacturer Adrian Reynard, and Paolo Catone, designer of the Russian BR01 LMP2 racer.
