RML GROUP INSIGHT
24 APRIL 2 019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 53
f you only read
headlines, you could
believe UK Automotive
Manufacturing Plc’s
entire business (still
healthy despite the predictions of
doom) was conducted entirely by car
makers and giant parts suppliers
whose names are carried three
metres high on factory walls.
That’s not quite true. Below the
radar sits an extensive network of
discreet technical consultancies the
majors commonly use to solve their
thorniest problems. They survive
and thrive by maintaining a limpet-
grip on leading-edge technology and
delivering results with a need-for-
speed usually honed in motorsport.
A prime example is Northants-
based RML Group, an engineering
and technology company with racing
roots back to the 1950s
and which expanded into
top-level race car design
and engineering in the
1980s. It has since further
expanded its activities
to become a leading
authority in lightweighting,
prototype construction and
electrification, mostly for
time-poor automotive giants
but also for defence and
aerospace clients. Sitting
at op t h i s c ompa c t e mpi r e i n
Wellingborough, Nor t ha nts, is CEO
M ic h a e l Ma l lo c k , g r a nd s on of A r t hu r
Mallock, an architect of Britain’s
post-war motorsport engineering
heritage that spawned inf luential
companies such as Colin Chapman’s
Lotus and Eric Broadley’s Lola.
But while Chapman & Co
embraced commerce, Arthur
Mallock kept making simple,
a f ford a ble c a r s go a m a z i n g l y f a s t.
His Ford and Austin-based specials
regularly beat far more expensive
and complex designs; his finest hour
was probably the creation of the U2
f a m i l y of c lubm a n r a c e c a r s t h at
applied basic physical principles so
br i l l i a nt l y t h at t he y r e m a i n h i g h l y
s uc c e s sf u l i n mo de r n a nd c l a s sic
racing even today.
It fe l l t o A r t hu r ’s s on s , R ic h a rd
a nd R ay, t o de v e lop bu si ne s s e s of f
Arthur’s inspiration. Richard’s
stayed with Mallock’s racing cars
and Ray’s expanded into RML Group
- embracing big-time racing and
engineering. It built and campaigned
BTCC cars and Le Mans racers
(Ray’s special love) before expanding
to become a self-styled ‘high-
performance engineering company’.
This transition corresponded
I
The Avocet is being
r e b o r n at RM L a s a
range-extender EVMichael Mallock
parked his race
career to run RML
Founder Arthur Mall
ock created U 2 racer
racing dream for a while, starting
in single-seaters and moving to
s p or t s c a r s w it h s ome i mpr e s si v e
results. He returned to RML full
time after 2011, first taking a
c om me r c i a l r ole. He i s d i s a r m i n g l ymodest about his achievements
compared with those of his father:
“R ay ’s v e r y muc h a n e n g i ne e r, a nd a
fantastic driver,” he says. “I’m not a
bad driver, but not an engineer at all.”
T h i s c h a n ge of e mph a si s at t he
top has helped RML adapt itself to
the modern market, says Michael.
“When I came back, I studied
the fortunes of our traditional
competitors, people like Triple Eight,MSD, TWR and Prodrive. Some have
gone now and the rest have changed.
I pushed for us to start moving
away from pure motorsport while
keeping the race mentality and the
cutting-edge technology. Today only
about 10% of our business is directly
connected to motorsport. We’re still
in high-performance engineering,
but the work isn’t mainstream. We
don’t do Ford Fiesta door seals...”
Michael Mallock’s first big project
was to manage development and
pr o duc t ion of t he Ni s s a n Ju k e R , a n
ultra-high-performance version of
the quirky compact SUV. Although
pr o duc t ion nu mb e r s w e r e sm a l l , it
brought much attention to RML and
its changing capabilities, and it is
remembered fondly.
The biggest recent change,
says Mallock, has been the rise of
electrification. In just a few years,
through clever hirings and rapid
acquisition of know-how, RML
has become a leader in low-volumeelectrification, to the extent that
it now has a newly established HV
(for ‘high voltage’) Centre about 10
minutes’ drive from the company’s
traditional base.
Most early electric programmes
can’t be discussed, but one that
attracted huge publicity was
Ni s s a n’s Z EOD RC L e Ma n s c a r, a n
experimental petro-electric sports
racer built for the famous 24-hour
race’s ‘Garage 56’, traditionally ◊
closely with Michael Mallock’s
elevation to CEO, following Ray’s
staged retirement. “When I left
s c ho ol I c a me t o R M L on a for m a l
apprenticeship,” he says, “working in
all the departments: stores, electrics,
design. As well as driving the van.”
RML was doing well with Ray at
the top of his game, so there was time
for Michael to chase the professional
Aston’s continuation^ DBs^ await^ attention
`
RML has become a leader in
low-volume electrification
a