Speke-made racing car is a runway success

IT'S the ultimate big boy's toy. But unless you’ve got deep pockets and a lot of patience you can forget the idea of finding one - with a big bow tied around it - outside your front door on Christmas morning. 

Made in Liverpool the BAC Mono is the world’s only legal on-road racing car, able to go from zero to 60mph in just 2.8 seconds and boasting an ear-splitting top speed of 170mph

The hand-built car which takes the good part of a month to assemble, costs a cool £125,000. Even then with a waiting list of 200 orders it could be years before you get behind the wheel.

In the meantime you can nip up to Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport where the single seater can be spotted tearing up and down the runways during “quiet times.”

According to its makers, The  Briggs Automobile Company,  Mayor Joe Anderson fixed it with airport bosses so the Mono could be put through its considerable paces on the salt-free Tarmac.

Founders Ian and Neill Briggs say they were concerned that testing on salty winter roads could damage the vehicles, and a passing remark to Mayor Joe led to the airport opportunity.

Neill Briggs said: "It shows the relationship we have with Mayor Anderson because he brokered the deal we have here to use the runway.

"Each car has to go through a set of tests to make sure it's finished as it should be, for example the ceramic brakes have to be bedded in. From November to March the roads are full of salt and airports use a non-corrosive de-icer so I made a passing comment to Joe Anderson, saying it'd be nice to use the airport.”

Each Mono is built around the purchaser's body shape, even down to the size of the seat.

Orders have poured into Liverpool from super-rich customers in China, The Middle East, North America and mainland Europe. The Mono has also attracted a significant stake from an as yet unnamed Chinese investor from Hong Kong, BAC announced this week.

And its maker’s progress almost matches the speed of their product.

In just over a year, BAC  has established a production based at Compass Point Industrial Estate in Speke, aiming to hand-build just two cars a month.  It says it will soon mount a recruitment drive – doubling its workforce to 40 by the end of 2016 - to meet demand for the car.

Andrew Whitney, director of strategy and corporate development at BAC, said: "The market we cater to is high net worth individuals and very discerning drivers. They don't want to buy this car instead of a Ferrari, they buy it in addition because it gives them something a Ferrari can't give, and there's no shortage of these people. The luxury goods market is expected to double in value over the next 10 years.”

As well as the investor from Hong Kong the company has also attracted investment from one of its satisfied customers, Alexandre Gama, one of the world's top advertising executives. Mr Gama is the Sao Paulo-based chief creative officer of BBH and sits on the board of its parent company Publicis, one of the world's big four advertising agencies.