Tom Walkinshaw name set to return

A name synonymous with the racing world – and one that’s familiar to many Australian motorsport fans – is set to return to the road.

Established in 2020 by the late Tom Walkinshaw’s son, Fergus Walkinshaw, alongside his business partner John Kane, TWR is a separate entity from the original Tom Walkinshaw Racing outfit, which competed across the world’s top categories, including Le Mans and Formula 1.

Its touring car team was also responsible for legendary cars like the Volvo 840 Super Tourer Estate and the Jaguar XJS, which won the Bathurst 1000 in 1985.

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It also worked on projects for brands such as Jaguar, Holden, Renault and Aston Martin, where it was instrumental in the gestation of the DB7.

TWR also partnered with Holden in 1987 to create HRT, arguably the best-known V8 Supercar team of the era. The partnership netted seven Bathurst 1000 titles and six driver’s championships.

The Walkinshaw name is still involved in Supercars, with Fergus’s younger half-brother Ryan a driving force in the Walkinshaw Andretti United racing squad.

According to the company, the reborn TWR will focus its energies on road cars that focus on the “analogue” driving experience.

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“This new generation of TWR is first and foremost an engineering company that will make cars, rather than a car maker doing engineering,” said Walkinshaw.

“And that’s an important distinction. We will make use of cutting-edge technology, combining new expertise with traditional craft to build world-class products that make a statement of what this new TWR is all about.

"We aim to build some truly impressive and innovative automobiles, unconstrained by the rulebooks and styling demands of OEMs.”

The company has built an engineering team at a new base in Berkshire, south-east of London, with some members of the original TWR outfit joining the new team.

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“We have scoured the performance and motorsport engineering worlds to assemble an incredibly talented technical team, including some members who were part of the original TWR, which just adds to our depth of knowledge and expertise,” Walkinshaw said.

“It’s from this base that TWR can push forward for a bright new future.”

TWR has not announced any plans for a new vehicle build, with a single teaser shot of a swoopy rear end the only clue as to the company’s direction.