Written by award-winning author, Ian Wagstaff, Prodrive: 40 Years of Success is a celebration of Prodrive’s remarkable achievements over four decades of adrenalin-fuelled motorsport action, featuring input from those who have been a part of the story.
Prodrive was founded by David Richards CBE – the man who navigated Ari Vatanen’s Ford Escort to the World Rally Championship title in 1981. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, Prodrive carved its reputation in motorsport, originally with a programme to run a Porsche 959 Group B rally car.
Motorsport runs through the company’s DNA, with Prodrive running Subaru’s FIA World Rally Championship programme, with the iconic blue and yellow Imprezas, from 1993–2005, taking three consecutive WRC Manufacturers’ titles and three Drivers’ titles – for Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg. The company went on to run the MINI WRC rally programme and has today become a force in FIA World Rally Raid Championship events, including the infamous Dakar Rally, with its own Prodrive Hunter – its latest bio-fuel run, all-terrain vehicle.
Prodrive has also achieved success with class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship, along with British Touring Car Championship titles, and success in Formula 1 with the BAR-Honda F1 team.
After 40 years of success, Prodrive continues to thrive, using its wide-ranging expertise, originally honed in the unforgiving and competitive arena of motorsport.
Key points
The origins of Prodrive, founded by former world champion rally navigator David Richards.
Year-by-year chronology of Prodrive’s key achievements over 40 years.
Individual stories of Prodrive’s key motorsport programmes, including: early years in rallying; touring car racing; Formula 1; the Subaru world rally programme; Le Mans challengers and GT racing; rallying in the 21st century; Prodrive Advanced Technology; Prodrive road cars; Brand & sports apparel business; Prodrive Composites; Prodrive Ventures; the future.
Interviews with Prodrive personnel and contracted drivers past and present, including David Richards, David Lapworth, Jimmy McRae, Nicky Grist, Jenson Button MBE, Steve Soper, Frank Sytner, Darren Turner, Sébastien Loeb and Petter Solberg.
The Author
Ian Wagstaff began his career in the offices of Motor Sport and Motoring News before becoming Press and Promotions Manager at Silverstone Circuit. He went on to be an editor in the trade press. He has been working freelance since 1986, writing for the motor-racing press, plus automotive trade and business publications. Ian has won a number of awards for his work and is twice winner of the Guild of Motoring Writers Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy for his books. He is also a past winner of the Motorworld Book Prize (Motorsport category) for his first book in the Porter Press Great Cars series which covered the story of the 1970 Le Mans-winning Porsche 917.