Vemac Car Company
Vemac was a low-volume British-Japanese sports-car manufacturer best known for its race cars in Japan's GT competition.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Vemac Car Company was a low-volume British-Japanese automotive manufacturer established in 1998 to develop road-going sports cars derived from lightweight racing-car concepts. The company emerged from a collaboration involving Tokyo R&D in Japan, the British Light Car Company, and Composite Group. Its founding figures were Tokyo R&D employees Osamu Hatakawa and Masao Ono, together with British racing driver and engineer Chris Craft. The name Vemac was formed from the names of Vernon Fotheringham, Masao Ono, and Chris Craft, three people associated with the vehicle's development. The company's logo was also intended to reflect the national backgrounds of the principal contributors. The original ambition was to turn the Cadwell lightweight racing car concept into a usable road car. With assistance from businessman Vernon Fotheringham and under the design direction of Richard Ward, the group developed the Vemac RD180. Presented in 2000 as a neo-historic sports racing car, the RD180 combined a lightweight, competition-influenced chassis concept with a Honda-sourced powertrain. Production was deliberately limited and was undertaken for customers in both the United Kingdom and Japan. A British sister company, also called Vemac Car Company Ltd., was established in Chelmsford, Essex, and was led by Luke Craft, Chris Craft's son, to support production and sales in the United Kingdom. The later RD200, introduced in 2004, was built by the Light Car Company. Vemac became more prominent through motorsport than through road-car sales. In 2002, Tokyo R&D's racing organization, R&D Sport, entered the Japanese GT scene with the RD320R, a racing version of the RD180. The car used a Toda Racing-tuned Honda C32B V6 and achieved three victories in its first season, helping R&D Sport finish second in the teams' championship. The result established Vemac as a notable specialist constructor despite its small production scale. The company and its racing partner subsequently experimented with more powerful and technically different variants. The RD350R used a Zytek V8 and was entered in the GT500 class in 2003, but the campaign was unsuccessful, producing a twentieth-place championship result and two points. The RD408R, powered by a Mugen V8, appeared in the GT500 class at Suzuka in 2004 and later became the basis of further Super GT competition. R&D Sport won at Fuji in 2006 with an RD408R and at Autopolis in 2007, while an RD320R achieved a third-place championship finish in 2006. The 2007 Autopolis victory was the last race win recorded by a Vemac in the series. Vemac cars were also acquired by teams including Team Mach, Team LeyJun, Direxiv Motorsports, and R'Qs Motor Sports. A hybrid derivative, the RD408H, was developed for public sale in 2005, but it attracted no buyers. Regulatory changes in Super GT in 2012 phased out the JAF-GT Category C and D cars to which Vemac's competition cars belonged, effectively ending their eligibility. After its road-car and racing activities had diminished, the company was dissolved in October 2019. Vemac is therefore primarily remembered as a niche British-Japanese sports-car project and as a constructor whose cars achieved several significant results in Japanese GT racing.
History
Vemac was founded in 1998 by Osamu Hatakawa and Masao Ono of Tokyo R&D, working with British racing driver and engineer Chris Craft. The project was supported by the Tokyo R&D, Light Car Company, and Composite Group businesses and sought to commercialize a road-going interpretation of the Cadwell lightweight racing car. Vernon Fotheringham assisted the development, and Richard Ward served as design director. The Vemac name combined the names of Vernon Fotheringham, Masao Ono, and Chris Craft. The RD180 was presented in 2000 as a neo-historic sports racing car. It used a Honda-sourced engine and entered limited production in the United Kingdom and Japan. A British sister company was later organized in Chelmsford, Essex, under the leadership of Luke Craft to produce and sell the car in Britain. The RD200 followed in 2004 and was manufactured by the Light Car Company. Vemac's stronger public profile came from Japanese motorsport. R&D Sport, the racing team associated with Tokyo R&D, entered the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship in 2002 with the RD320R, a racing version of the RD180 using a Toda Racing-tuned Honda C32B V6. The car won three races in its debut season and helped the team finish second in the teams' championship. The RD350R followed in 2003 with a Zytek V8 for a GT500 campaign, but the effort produced only two points and did not continue as a full-season GT500 program. The RD408R, fitted with a Mugen MF408S V8, appeared in a GT500 race at Suzuka in 2004. Later versions achieved notable results in the series: an RD408R won at Fuji in 2006, and another won at Autopolis in 2007. R&D Sport also recorded a third-place championship finish in 2006 with an RD320R despite not winning a race that season. Other teams, including Team Mach, Team LeyJun, Direxiv Motorsports, and R'Qs Motor Sports, used Vemac cars. The RD408H hybrid was offered for public sale in 2005 but found no purchasers. The 2012 restructuring of Super GT regulations removed the JAF-GT Category C and D vehicles from eligibility, preventing Vemac's cars from continuing in the championship. The company was ultimately dissolved in October 2019.
- 2019
Company dissolution
[1]Vemac is dissolved in October.
- 2012
Regulatory exclusion from Super GT
[1]Super GT regulations phase out the categories used by Vemac's cars, ending their eligibility.
- 2007
RD408R wins at Autopolis
[1]The RD408R takes a victory at Autopolis, Vemac's final documented win in the series.
- 2006
RD408R wins at Fuji
[1]An RD408R wins the Fuji GT race, while an RD320R secures third in the championship standings.
- 2005
RD408H hybrid is offered
[1]Vemac develops a hybrid RD408H for public sale, but the model receives no customer orders.
- 2004
RD200 launches and RD408R debuts
[1]The RD200 succeeds the RD180, while the Mugen-powered RD408R appears in GT500 competition at Suzuka.
- 2003
RD350R contests GT500
[1]The RD350R, powered by a Zytek V8, is entered in the GT500 class but achieves a poor championship result.
- 2002
RD320R enters Japanese GT racing
[1]R&D Sport enters the Japanese GT championship with the RD320R, which wins three races and contributes to a second-place teams' championship finish.
- 2000
RD180 is presented
[1]Vemac presents the RD180, a limited-production sports racing car using a Honda-sourced powertrain.
- 1998
Vemac is founded
[1]Osamu Hatakawa, Masao Ono, and Chris Craft establish Vemac to develop a road-going sports car based on a lightweight racing concept.
Products and positioning
A specialist, low-volume manufacturer combining British lightweight sports-car design and engineering with Japanese development, powertrain, and motorsport expertise.
Road sports car · 2000
Vemac RD180
The RD180 was Vemac's first principal road-going model. Derived from a lightweight racing-car concept, it was presented in 2000 as a neo-historic sports racing car and used a Honda-sourced powertrain. Production was limited and divided between the United Kingdom and Japan. The RD320R competition car was developed from the RD180 platform.
Road sports car · 2004
Vemac RD200
Introduced in 2004, the RD200 was the successor to the RD180. It continued Vemac's low-volume sports-car approach and was built by the Light Car Company. Available information identifies it as a road-car model rather than a mass-market production vehicle.
GT racing car · 2002
Vemac RD320R
The RD320R was the racing version of the RD180 used by R&D Sport from 2002. It was powered by a Toda Racing-tuned Honda C32B V6 and delivered Vemac's strongest early Japanese GT results, including three victories in its first season and a third-place championship finish in 2006. At least one road-going example was produced for homologation purposes.
GT500 racing car · 2003
Vemac RD350R
The RD350R was introduced for R&D Sport's GT500 campaign in 2003. It used a Zytek ZV348 V8 rather than the Honda-based engine associated with the RD320R. The campaign was unsuccessful, ending with twentieth place and two championship points, and Vemac did not return to GT500 for another complete season with this car.
GT racing car · 2004
Vemac RD408R
The RD408R was a Vemac GT racing car introduced in 2004 and powered by a Mugen MF408S V8. It appeared in GT500 competition at Suzuka and later achieved victories for R&D Sport at Fuji in 2006 and Autopolis in 2007. Other teams also acquired Vemac competition cars, making the RD408R one of the marque's best-known racing derivatives.
Hybrid sports-racing car · 2005
Vemac RD408H
The RD408H was a hybrid derivative of the RD408R developed for public sale in 2005. It represented an attempt to extend Vemac's competition technology into a road-oriented product, but no buyers were found and it did not become a commercial model.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006RD408R Fuji GT campaign
Japan
R&D Sport continued to compete with Vemac machinery, including the RD408R and RD320R.
Outcome. The RD408R won at Fuji, and the RD320R finished third in the championship standings.
- 2004RD408R GT500 entry
Japan
The Mugen-powered RD408R was entered in a GT500 race at Suzuka.
Outcome. The car finished thirteenth at Suzuka and later became the basis for further Vemac successes.
- 2003RD350R GT500 campaign
Japan
R&D Sport entered the RD350R, equipped with a Zytek V8, in the GT500 class.
Outcome. The campaign finished twentieth with two points and was not repeated as a full-season GT500 effort.
- 2002R&D Sport RD320R Japanese GT campaign
Japan
R&D Sport campaigned a single RD320R in the Japanese All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, using the car's Honda-based V6 and developing it through Tokyo R&D.
Outcome. The car won three races and helped R&D Sport finish second in the teams' championship.
Brand decisions
2012
Exit from eligible Super GT categoriesStrategyBackground
Super GT revised its regulations and phased out JAF-GT Category C and D vehicles, the categories covering Vemac's prototype-style competition cars.
Action taken
Vemac cars were excluded from further participation under the revised rules.
Aftermath
The regulatory change ended Vemac's effective presence in the championship.
2005
Offer the RD408H hybrid for public saleProduct launchBackground
Vemac developed a hybrid derivative of its RD408R competition car in an effort to create a publicly purchasable version of its racing technology.
Action taken
The RD408H was produced and offered for sale.
Aftermath
The model attracted no buyers and did not enter successful commercial production.
Recent events
- 2019
Vemac Car Company is dissolved[1]
Bankruptcy
The company was dissolved in October 2019 after its limited road-car and motorsport activities had ended.
- 2012
Super GT rule changes exclude Vemac cars[1]
Regulation
A regulatory overhaul phased out the JAF-GT Category C and D cars used by Vemac, ending their eligibility for the competition.
- 2007
Last Vemac victory in the Japanese GT series[1]
Other
An RD408R won at Autopolis, the final race victory recorded by a Vemac in the series.
- 2006
Vemac wins the Fuji GT race[1]
Other
R&D Sport won the Fuji GT race with an RD408R, while its RD320R finished third in the championship standings.
- 2005
Vemac's RD408H hybrid finds no buyers[1]
Product launch · Other
Vemac produced the RD408H hybrid derivative for public sale, but the model did not attract customers.
- 2004
Vemac introduces the RD200[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The RD200 succeeded the RD180 as Vemac's second principal road-car model and was built by the Light Car Company.
Sources1 sources
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