Ronart Cars information

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Ronart Cars

Company type	private
Industry	Automotive
Founded	March 21, 1984 (1984-03-21)
Founder	Rona and Arthur Wolstenholme
Headquarters	Peterborough
Products	W152, Lightning V8
Website	http://ronart.co.uk/

Ronart Cars is a British sports car manufacturer and constructor of unique and bespoke sports racing cars. The company was founded in 1984 by Rona and Arthur Wolstenholme, based in Peterborough. The company designs and manufactures sports and racing cars for both road legal and track day use with unique designs from open wheel racing cars to modern day sports cars.

The W152 was the first car to be designed and produced by Ronart Cars. Wolstenholme initially had the idea in 1981 but the design and build of a prototype car began in 1984 and the car launched at the 1985 International Classic Car Show. Production started in early 1987. The Mk2 version of the Ronart W152 started production in 1996 which has continued until the present day.^[1]

A departure into more mainstream cars came in 1999 where the company took on new joint ownership and designed and built the carbon fibre Ronart Lightning V8, which they launched at the 1999 London Motor Show. More than twenty-four direct orders were taken at the show stand on its debut. Only a limited number of cars however were built before production ceased in 2003 after the new owners closed the business following a switch of investment into another car manufacturer.

In 2004, Wolstenholme, licensed the Vanwall brand and over the following ten years created and manufactured three new Vanwall car designs, the Grand Prix Racer, the Vanwall 2S and the replica Vanwall 58.

In 2006 Iain Sanderson joined Arthur Wolstenholme with Vanwall in the production of Vanwall cars and the W152. During which time they also started the Lightning Car Company specifically to create and develop a new car called the Lightning GT. This was an ultra modern technology, electric sports car with a design style based upon the original Lightning V8. The Lightning GT was launched at the 2008 International London Motor Show.

The W152 was manufactured under licence by Vanwall for ten years. Since then manufacturing has continued by Ronart.

The Ronart W152 is currently being produced from Ronart Cars Limited, Peterborough.