nota

Nota Sports and Racing Cars is an Australian specialist automobile manufacturer known for lightweight sports cars, space-frame chassis, monoposto racers, and vehicles designed for circuit, hill-climb, and road use. The company was established in 1952 by Guy Buckingham, an aircraft engineer whose knowledge of lightweight structures informed Nota's early triangulated space-frame sportscars. The marque is associated with a distinctly low-volume, engineering-led approach rather than mass production: its cars have generally been built in small series, often using engines and mechanical components sourced from larger manufacturers. During the 1950s, Nota developed a range of compact competition and sports vehicles. It produced Formula Junior cars in both front- and mid-engined configurations and built specialist monoposto cars for track and hill-climb events. In 1958, the company introduced enclosed aluminium-bodied streamlined cars initially known as Streamliners and later as Mazengarbs. Eleven examples were produced through about 1960. These projects established Nota's reputation for combining light construction with unusual layouts and purpose-built racing engineering. The company expanded its model range during the 1960s. It built Mini-powered sports cars from 1963 and introduced the alloy-bodied Nota Sapphire in 1964, offering sports and coupé configurations with Ford, Fiat, or Coventry Climax power. In 1965, Nota began producing Formula Vee cars for Warwick Farm, reportedly building 34 in its first year. It also developed the Sportsman, a lightweight open sports car visually related to the Lotus Seven concept. The Sportsman became one of the marque's enduring lines and continued in updated forms, including a mid-engined configuration intended for modern transverse powertrains. The Nota Fang, introduced in 1968, became the company's best-known and most successful model. Designed by Chris Buckingham, it placed its engine behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle, creating a mid-engined layout in a compact sports car. More than 100 Fangs were built between 1968 and 1975, with reference material identifying 105 examples during that period. The model was adapted to a succession of power units, beginning with the Cooper S engine and later incorporating Lancia, Toyota, and high-performance Toyota V6 applications. Its long production life made it a central platform in Nota's product history. Other 1970s projects included the Marauder range, which shared mechanical ideas with the Fang, and the front-engined Levanti twin-cam coupé. As supplies of the Leyland 1275 GT engine declined, Nota turned to Fiat and Lancia two-litre twin-cam engines for Fang and Marauder applications. The company also explored Marauder variants using the Leyland P76 engine and a Nota-developed transaxle arrangement. In the late 1970s it began work on four-wheel-drive, V8-powered mid-engined Marauders, but Ford's decision to stop exporting the 351 engine to Australia affected that program. In later decades, Nota continued to develop specialist vehicles rather than pursue high-volume production. After a design effort in England, the company worked on a V6-powered Fang and a fully enclosed derivative called the Chimera. In 2003, Nota developed the Le Mans, a compact sports car available with small Suzuki motorcycle-based engines and, for road use, larger Toyota or Toyota-derived powertrains. By 2012, the company was adapting its Clubman chassis to address the limited availability of suitable front-engine, rear-wheel-drive four-cylinder engines. The revised concept moved the seats forward and installed a transverse engine behind the occupants, producing a mid-engined configuration while retaining the visual character of the front-engined Clubman. Nota's present identity is therefore rooted in continuity of specialist design: low-volume production, lightweight construction, adaptable chassis, and competition-oriented layouts. Its catalogue has included the Fang, Sportsman, Le Mans, F1, and Chimera, alongside historic Formula Junior, Formula Vee, Sapphire, Streamliner, Major, Consul, and Marauder models. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separately incorporated parent group, stock-market listing, detailed current executive structure, or precise production capacity.

Nota was founded in Australia in 1952 by Guy Buckingham, an aircraft engineer who applied aircraft-derived structural thinking to automobile design. The company's early cars used triangulated space frames, a construction method that offered high stiffness with relatively low weight. These vehicles are described in reference material as among Australia's earliest space-framed cars and established the technical direction that would characterize the company for decades. In the second half of the 1950s, Nota built Formula Junior cars in both front- and mid-engined forms, as well as specialist monoposto cars intended for circuit and hill-climb competition. The company also developed enclosed aluminium-bodied streamliners. Introduced in 1958 and later known as Mazengarbs, these aerodynamic sports cars were built in a small run of approximately eleven cars through 1960. Their construction demonstrated Nota's interest in bespoke bodywork and aerodynamic experimentation rather than standardized production. The 1960s brought a broader range of road and competition products. Mini-powered sports cars appeared in 1963, followed by the Nota Sapphire in 1964. The Sapphire used alloy bodywork and was offered in sports and coupé forms with a choice of Ford, Fiat, or Coventry Climax engines. In 1965, Nota entered the Formula Vee market and supplied cars for Warwick Farm, reportedly making 34 examples during the first year. The company also developed the Sportsman, an open lightweight sports car in the tradition of the Lotus Seven. The Sportsman remained an important part of Nota's identity and was later adapted to a mid-engined layout for transverse engines. Chris Buckingham's first major design for the company was the Nota Fang, launched in 1968. Its engine was positioned behind the driver and ahead of the rear wheels, giving it a mid-engined configuration. The model became Nota's most commercially successful car, with 105 units built between 1968 and 1975 according to the cited reference. Initially associated with the Cooper S engine, the Fang was subsequently developed around Lancia and Toyota powertrains, including later Toyota V6 quad-cam supercharged applications. The Fang's long production run and mechanical flexibility made it the company's defining model. In 1973, Nota introduced the Marauder range, which used mechanical concepts shared with the Fang. Around the same period, it produced the front-engined Levanti twin-cam coupé. When the supply of Leyland 1275 GT engines began to diminish in the mid-1970s, Nota adopted Fiat and Lancia two-litre twin-cam engines for both Fang and Marauder applications. The company also approached Leyland for the P76 engine and created a Nota-built gearbox and transaxle arrangement in which the gearbox sat beside the driver and the engine was mounted behind. Nota pursued an ambitious four-wheel-drive, mid-engined Marauder using a 351 V8 in the late 1970s. That program was constrained when Ford stopped exporting the 351 engine to Australia. During the 1980s, after a trip to England, Chris Buckingham assembled a design team to develop a Fang using a three-litre quad-cam V6 and a fully enclosed car with similar specifications, the Chimera. These efforts continued Nota's practice of adapting available production engines to low-volume, bespoke chassis rather than designing a complete proprietary powertrain. In 2003, Nota developed the Le Mans. The model could use a Suzuki GTi 1300 cc or 1100 cc motorcycle-derived engine, while road-oriented versions could be specified with a Toyota 1800 cc VVT-i six-speed drivetrain or a 3.5-litre quad-cam V6. By 2012, the company was responding to the shrinking supply of suitable front-engined, rear-wheel-drive four-cylinder engines. It modified an existing Clubman chassis by moving the seats forward by 150 millimetres and installing a transverse engine behind the driver, creating a modern mid-engined configuration while retaining the appearance of the front-engined Clubman. Nota's documented history is consequently one of continuous specialist development across sports cars, racing cars, and adaptable chassis. The company has remained associated with small-batch Australian production and a catalogue that includes the Fang, Sportsman, Le Mans, F1, and Chimera, as well as earlier Formula Junior, Formula Vee, Sapphire, Streamliner or Mazengarbs, Major, Consul, Marauder, and Levanti models.

• 2012

  Mid-engined Clubman development

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  The company reworked its Clubman chassis to accommodate a transverse engine behind the driver.

• 2003

  Nota Le Mans developed

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Nota developed the Le Mans with motorcycle-based and larger road-car powertrain options.

• 1975

  Fang production period concludes

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  The principal documented Fang production run ended after approximately 105 cars had been built between 1968 and 1975.

• 1973

  Marauder range introduced

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Nota began producing Marauder models using mechanical concepts related to the Fang.

• 1968

  Nota Fang launched

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Chris Buckingham's mid-engined Fang entered production and became Nota's best-selling model.

• 1965

  Formula Vee production starts

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Nota began producing Formula Vee cars for Warwick Farm and reportedly built 34 in its first year.

• 1964

  Nota Sapphire introduced

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Nota began production of alloy-bodied Sapphire sports and coupé designs.

• 1963

  Mini-powered sports cars introduced

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  The company began producing a series of sports cars using Mini-based power.

• 1958

  Streamliner program begins

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Nota introduced enclosed aluminium-bodied streamlined sports cars, later called Mazengarbs.

• 1952

  Company established

  [1]Notaen.wikipedia.org

  Guy Buckingham founded Nota in Australia, drawing on his background as an aircraft engineer.

Low-volume Australian specialist manufacturer focused on lightweight construction, space-frame engineering, unusual powertrain layouts, and road or competition cars tailored to enthusiast and racing applications.

• Mid-engined sports car · 1968

  Nota Fang

  Introduced in 1968, the Fang was designed by Chris Buckingham and used a compact mid-engined layout, with the engine positioned behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle. It began with Cooper S power and later accommodated Lancia and Toyota engines, including high-output Toyota V6 applications. With 105 cars reportedly built between 1968 and 1975, it became Nota's best-selling model and its most recognizable historical product.

• Open lightweight sports car

  Nota Sportsman

  The Sportsman is Nota's lightweight open sports car in the Lotus Seven-style clubman tradition. It was developed as a simple, compact enthusiast car and remained in the company's range over an extended period. Later development included a mid-engined version intended to use transverse engines of the type commonly found in modern front-wheel-drive production cars.

• Sports car · 2003

  Nota Le Mans

  Developed in 2003, the Le Mans was designed around a range of compact and higher-performance powertrains. Reference material identifies Suzuki GTi motorcycle-based engines in 1300 cc and 1100 cc forms, as well as road-use options based on a Toyota 1800 cc VVT-i six-speed drivetrain and a 3.5-litre quad-cam V6. It represents Nota's continuing practice of combining a lightweight specialist chassis with externally sourced engines.

• Racing car

  Nota F1

  The Nota F1 is listed among the company's current models. Public reference material identifies it as part of Nota's racing-oriented range but does not provide sufficient specifications, production totals, or a detailed launch history.

• Enclosed sports car

  Nota Chimera

  The Chimera was developed as a fully enclosed sports car with specifications related to a later V6-powered Fang concept. It reflects Nota's effort to extend its mid-engined specialist architecture into a more enclosed and road-oriented form. Detailed production information is not established in the cited material.

• Sports car and coupé · 1964

  Nota Sapphire

  Introduced in 1964, the Sapphire used alloy bodywork and was offered in sports and coupé designs. The model could be fitted with Ford, Fiat, or Coventry Climax engines, illustrating Nota's period practice of adapting multiple readily available powertrains to its lightweight chassis.

• Formula racing car · 1965

  Nota Formula Vee

  Nota began producing Formula Vee cars in 1965 for use at Warwick Farm. The company reportedly built 34 examples in its first year. These cars formed part of Nota's broader involvement in accessible single-seat competition categories.

• Formula racing car

  Nota Formula Junior

  Nota produced Formula Junior cars during the late 1950s, with both front-engined and mid-engined layouts. The model line illustrates the company's early engagement with purpose-built single-seat racing design.

• Streamlined sports car · 1958

  Nota Streamliner / Mazengarb

  These enclosed aluminium-bodied sports cars were introduced in 1958 under the Streamliner name and later became known as Mazengarbs. Approximately eleven were built through 1960, making them one of Nota's rarest early production series.

• Specialist sports car · 1973

  Nota Marauder

  The Marauder range began in 1973 and shared mechanical principles with the Fang. Later concepts included applications of the Leyland P76 engine, a Nota-built gearbox and transaxle, and an ambitious four-wheel-drive 351 V8 mid-engined configuration.

• Front-engined coupé

  Nota Levanti

  The Levanti was a front-engined twin-cam coupé produced during the same broad period as the Marauder. It expanded Nota's range beyond open sports and racing cars, although detailed production and specification information is limited.

• 2012

  Conversion of the Clubman architecture to a mid-engined layoutGeneration change

  Background

  Nota identified a shortage of suitable modern front-engined, rear-wheel-drive four-cylinder engines for its traditional configuration.

  Action taken

  It moved the seats forward by 150 millimetres and installed a transverse engine behind the driver while retaining the Clubman's general appearance.

  Aftermath

  The revised architecture offered a mid-engined solution compatible with contemporary transverse powertrains.

  Source

• 2003

  Development of the Nota Le MansProduct launch

  Background

  Nota continued its low-volume sports-car strategy by combining a lightweight specialist chassis with a choice of compact and larger engines.

  Action taken

  The company developed the Le Mans with Suzuki motorcycle-based engines and road-use Toyota or V6 alternatives.

  Aftermath

  The Le Mans became part of Nota's later model portfolio and extended the company's product range into the 21st century.

  Source

• 1975

  Shift from Leyland 1275 GT engines to Fiat and Lancia powerStrategy

  Background

  The supply of Leyland 1275 GT engines became limited, creating a need for alternative powertrains for the Fang and Marauder.

  Action taken

  Nota adopted two-litre twin-cam Fiat and Lancia engines for the affected models.

  Aftermath

  The change allowed production and development of the Fang and Marauder to continue with different engine suppliers.

  Source

1. 1Notaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Nota Sports and Racing Cars official websitenotasportscars.com