Walkinshaw Performance
- Not to be confused with Tom Walkinshaw Racing, Tom Walkinshaw's previous motorsport organisation.
Walkinshaw Performance, is an automotive company, involved in motor racing and the production of high performance sporting cars for regular road use. The company was founded by former racing driver, Scottish businessman, Tom Walkinshaw and is essentially a successor organisation to his previous automotive concern, Tom Walkinshaw Racing which was driven into bankruptcy by the failure of the Arrows Formula One team, then a part of TWR.[1]Walkinshaw Performance is now operated by Walkinshaw's son, Ryan.
Holden
In 2005 Walkinshaw was making his return to his involvement in Australian automotive industry initially through Holden Special Vehicles. In addition to HSV, Walkinshaw Performance also took over the construction and maintenance of racing cars for Holden Racing Team and the HSV Dealer Team. After purchasing Elfin Sports Cars the low volume, high performance sports car maker was added to Walkinshaw Performance in 2006 and slowly revitalised its Holden based designs. 2007 saw partial ownership of Holden Racing Team return to Walkinshaw Performance. WP's involvement with HSV Dealer Team wound down and eventually stopped altogether when the Kelly family removed themselves and set-up Kelly Racing at the end of 2008, closing HSV Dealer Team as they did so, while at the same time WP acquired the rest of HRT from Skaife Sports and Dillon Racing to set up a new two car team titled Walkinshaw Racing which began operation at the start of 2009.
In addition to the vehicle construction businesses, Walkinshaw Performance also builds add-on performance parts for vehicles based on the Commodore platform in the guises of Holdens, HSVs, Pontiacs and Vauxhalls, as well as performance parts for Hummers. [2]