Tiger Racing

Tiger Racing is an English kit-car manufacturer established in 1989 by Jim Dudley. The company develops and supplies lightweight sports-car kits intended for assembly by customers, as well as components, parts and associated engineering services. Its product range has included models such as the ERA, Aviator, Avon, B6, R6, RS6, Z100 and the Cat family, alongside earlier designs including the Super Six, Hawke, Cub, D Type, Storm and 250LM. The business is positioned within the specialist and enthusiast end of the automotive sector rather than the mass-production car market. Tiger Racing moved to new premises in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in 1998. Its facilities have included engineering workshops, a paint department, a sales and display area, an MOT station, a trimming shop and a parts department. This combination of manufacturing, preparation and after-sales capability supports customers through the construction, completion and maintenance of their cars. The company has also used overseas agents to arrange international shipment of its sports-car products, giving the marque a presence beyond the United Kingdom. The brand is associated with low weight, simple mechanical layouts and performance-oriented driving. One of its best-known historical products was the Z100, which was reported as achieving a 0–60 mph time of 2.8 seconds. The Z100 is no longer in production, but it remains an important part of Tiger Racing's performance identity. Other models have served different interpretations of the kit-car formula, from compact road-going sports cars to designs suited to competition and track use. Motorsport is an important part of Tiger Racing's community and commercial activity. The company has operated its own race series for Tiger owners and drivers, with events held at British circuits including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Cadwell Park, Donington Park, Rockingham, Snetterton, Castle Combe and Lydden Hill. It has also offered a hire-drive service using works cars, allowing customers and prospective drivers to experience the cars in a competitive setting. Tiger competitors have raced alongside or against owners of Caterham and Westfield cars and have sometimes entered Intermarque events run through the South Eastern Centre of the British Automobile Racing Club. In 2022, Tiger Racing was sold to the Italian automotive group DR Automobiles. The transaction placed the specialist British kit-car operation within a larger automotive group while preserving Tiger Racing as a distinct marque. Publicly available reference material does not provide detailed terms of the transaction or a comprehensive account of post-acquisition strategy. Tiger Racing's core identity remains that of a specialist manufacturer serving kit-car builders, sports-car enthusiasts and amateur motorsport participants.

Tiger Racing was formed in England in 1989 by Jim Dudley as a specialist kit-car manufacturer. Its business model centered on lightweight sports cars supplied in kit form, allowing customers to build or complete vehicles using Tiger-designed structures, bodywork and components. This approach placed the company in the British enthusiast-car tradition associated with low-volume production, owner assembly and club motorsport rather than conventional factory-built automobile manufacturing. During its development, Tiger created a succession of sports-car designs and related variants. The documented range has included the ERA, ERA 30, ERA HS, Aviator, Avon, B6, R6, RS6, Z100 and the Cat E1, Supercat and XL. Earlier products included the Super Six, Hawke, Cub, D Type, Storm and 250LM. The range reflects the company’s emphasis on compact, lightweight and performance-focused vehicles. Some models were aimed principally at road use, while others were particularly suited to track driving, competition preparation or the broader kit-car community. A significant operational change occurred in 1998, when Tiger Racing moved to new premises in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. The site brought together several functions that are useful to a low-volume specialist manufacturer: engineering workshops, a paint department, a sales and show area, an MOT station, a trimming shop and a parts department. The company also developed relationships with agents able to support the shipment of its sports cars to customers in other countries. These facilities and distribution arrangements allowed Tiger to combine kit manufacture with vehicle preparation, parts supply and customer support. The Z100 became one of the marque’s most notable performance products. Reference material describes it as having achieved a 0–60 mph time of 2.8 seconds, although the model is no longer in production. Its reported acceleration figure helped establish Tiger Racing’s reputation for very high performance from lightweight vehicles. The Z100’s historical significance within the range is therefore greater than its current commercial availability. Motorsport has been closely connected with the brand. Tiger Racing has organized a dedicated series in which owners and drivers compete in Tiger cars. Events have taken place at numerous British circuits, including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Cadwell Park, Donington Park, Rockingham, Snetterton, Castle Combe and Lydden Hill. The company has also operated a hire-drive service using works cars, providing an accessible route for people wishing to try circuit racing. Tiger drivers have encountered other specialist marques, especially Caterham and Westfield, and have at times competed in Intermarque events associated with the South Eastern Centre of the British Automobile Racing Club. In 2022, ownership of Tiger Racing changed when the company was sold to DR Automobiles, an Italian automotive group. Available reference material confirms the transaction but does not give its financial terms or describe in detail how the acquisition changed Tiger Racing’s operations, product plans or distribution strategy. The marque nevertheless remains identified with the specialist British kit-car sector and with a community built around self-built sports cars, lightweight performance and amateur or club-level racing.

• 2022

  Acquisition by DR Automobiles

  [1]Tiger Racingen.wikipedia.org

  The company was sold to the Italian automotive group DR Automobiles.

• 1998

  Move to Peterborough premises

  [1]Tiger Racingen.wikipedia.org

  Tiger Racing moved to new facilities in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, bringing engineering, paint, sales, inspection, trimming and parts functions together.

• 1989

  Tiger Racing founded

  [1]Tiger Racingen.wikipedia.org

  Jim Dudley established Tiger Racing in England as a manufacturer of lightweight sports-car kits.

A specialist British kit-car marque focused on lightweight sports cars, enthusiast self-build projects and club-level motorsport.

• Sports-car kit

  ERA

  The ERA family is part of Tiger Racing’s later documented range of lightweight sports-car kits. It includes the ERA 30 and ERA HS variants. As with the wider Tiger range, the ERA models are associated with low-volume enthusiast construction and performance-oriented driving rather than mass-market vehicle production.

• Sports-car kit

  Tiger Aviator

  The Aviator is a Tiger Racing sports-car design listed among the company’s principal models. Public reference material identifies the model but does not provide detailed specifications, launch timing or current availability. It belongs to Tiger’s lightweight kit-car portfolio for road and enthusiast use.

• Sports-car kit

  Tiger Avon

  The Avon is one of Tiger Racing’s established sports-car kit models. It represents the company’s core formula of a lightweight enthusiast vehicle supplied through the specialist kit-car market. Detailed mechanical specifications and production dates are not provided in the available reference material.

• Sports-car kits

  Tiger B6, R6 and RS6

  The B6, R6 and RS6 are related models listed in Tiger Racing’s range. They broaden the marque’s selection of lightweight sports-car designs and reflect its practice of offering multiple configurations for enthusiasts. The available sources do not establish the precise distinctions, specifications or production status of each model.

• High-performance sports-car kit

  Tiger Z100

  The Z100 is Tiger Racing’s best-known performance model in the available reference material. It was reported to achieve 0–60 mph in 2.8 seconds, an exceptional figure for a lightweight kit car. The model is no longer in production, but its acceleration claim remains central to Tiger Racing’s performance reputation.

• Sports-car kits

  Tiger Cat E1, Supercat and XL

  The Cat family, including the E1, Supercat and XL, is a group of Tiger Racing kit-car variants. These models form part of the brand’s enthusiast-oriented sports-car offering and are connected to the company’s broader road and club-motorsport ecosystem. Detailed model-by-model specifications are not stated in the supplied sources.

• Discontinued sports-car kits

  Earlier Tiger models

  Tiger Racing’s earlier documented models include the Super Six, Hawke, Cub, D Type, Storm and 250LM. These vehicles illustrate the historical breadth of the company’s kit-car catalogue before later models became more prominent. The reference material does not provide individual production dates or technical descriptions.

• Tiger Racing owner motorsport series

  United Kingdom

  Tiger Racing has operated a dedicated motorsport series for owners and drivers of its cars, with races held at major British circuits including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Cadwell Park, Donington Park, Rockingham, Snetterton, Castle Combe and Lydden Hill.

  Outcome. The series helped connect product ownership with organized competition and reinforced Tiger Racing’s club-motorsport identity.

  Source
• Works-car hire-drive service

  United Kingdom

  Tiger Racing has offered customers and prospective drivers the opportunity to drive company works cars in a racing environment through a hire-drive service.

  Outcome. The service provided an experiential entry point into the brand’s cars and motorsport activities.

  Source

• 2022

  Sale to DR AutomobilesM&A

  Background

  Tiger Racing was operating as an English specialist kit-car manufacturer when ownership changed in 2022.

  Action taken

  The company was sold to the Italian automotive group DR Automobiles.

  Aftermath

  Tiger Racing became part of the DR Automobiles group. The available sources do not disclose transaction terms or detailed post-acquisition changes.

  Source

• 1998

  Consolidation of operations in PeterboroughStrategy

  Background

  Tiger Racing required premises capable of supporting low-volume vehicle manufacture and customer services.

  Action taken

  The company moved to new Peterborough facilities containing engineering, paint, sales, inspection, trimming and parts functions.

  Aftermath

  The move provided an integrated base for production, vehicle preparation and after-sales support.

  Source

1. 1Tiger Racingen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tiger Racing official websitetigerracing.com