Nota
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Founder | Guy Buckingham |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Sports cars, racing cars |
Nota Sports and Racing Cars is an Australian car manufacturer established in 1952 by aircraft engineer Guy Buckingham. Utilizing his aeronautical background, Buckingham crafted some of Australia's earliest triangulated spaceframe sports cars. The company's most popular vehicle was the Nota Fang, with a production total of 105 units between 1968 and 1975.
History
Beginning in 1958, Nota produced sleek aluminium sports vehicles referred to as "Streamliners" or "Mazengarbs," with eleven examples completed by 1960. During the late 1950s, the firm constructed Formula Junior cars featuring both front- and mid-engine configurations, alongside specialized monoposto racing cars designed for circuit and hill climb competitions. In 1963, Nota launched sports cars powered by Mini engines, followed a year later by the alloy-bodied Nota Sapphire series, which utilized engines from Ford, Fiat, and Coventry Climax.
In 1965, Nota commenced production of Formula Vee cars for use at Warwick Farm race circuit, manufacturing 34 units within the initial year. The decade also saw the debut of the "Sportsman," a Lotus Seven-inspired model that remains in production today, now available with a mid-engine layout to accommodate contemporary transverse engines from leading manufacturers.
The 1968 introduction of the Nota Fang—Chris Buckingham’s first significant design—featured a mid-mounted Cooper S engine and became the company’s best-selling model. Later iterations incorporated powertrains from Lancia and Toyota, culminating in Toyota’s supercharged V6 quad-cam engine producing more than 400 BHP. In 1973, the Marauder series was unveiled, utilizing Fang mechanical components alongside the front-engine twin-cam Nota Levanti coupe.
Due to shortages of Leyland engines in 1975, Nota collaborated with FIAT to fit Marauder and Fang models with 2-litre twin-cam FIAT/Lancia power units. Subsequently, Marauders were equipped with Leyland’s P76 engine paired with a bespoke transaxle gearbox positioned beside the driver.
In the late 1970s, Nota engineered four-wheel-drive Marauders powered by Ford's mid-mounted 351 V8; however, Ford discontinued exporting this engine to Australia during the 1980s. Following this, Chris Buckingham assembled a design team in England to develop Fang variants featuring Formula One-style 3-litre V6 quad-cam engines as well as fully enclosed Chimera models.
By 2003, Nota introduced the Le Mans model offering Suzuki GTi motorcycle engines (1100cc or 1300cc) or optional Toyota powerplants including an 1800cc VVTi six-speed or a 3.5-litre V6 quad-cam for street use. By 2012, faced with limited availability of front-engine rear-wheel-drive four-cylinder engines, Nota redesigned their clubman chassis by advancing the seating position and installing a transverse mid-engine behind the driver—preserving the traditional clubman silhouette while enhancing performance through mid-engine placement.
Older models
- Nota FJ (Formula Junior)
- Nota Major
- Nota Sapphire
- Nota Fang
Current models
- Nota Le Mans
- Nota F1
- Nota Fang
- Nota Sportsman
- Nota Chimera