Brabham Automotive Shuts Down After Just Six Years in Business
In a significant setback for the automotive industry, Brabham Automotive has officially ceased operations after just six years, marking the end of its high-profile venture into low-production supercars. The announcement came last week from co-founder David Brabham, the youngest son of legendary racer Jack Brabham, who revealed the dissolution of the company in an Instagram post.
Founded in 2018, Brabham Automotive aimed to carve out a niche in the competitive supercar market with its flagship model, the BT62. Designed with cutting-edge aerodynamics capable of producing 2,646 pounds of downforce—far surpassing its own weight of 2,143 pounds—the BT62 boasted a powerful 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine, delivering 700 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque. The brand initially aimed to produce 70 units of the BT62, with prices starting at approximately $1.35 million each.
In 2020, the company expanded its offerings with the BT62R, a street-legal version of its track-focused counterpart. While visually similar, the BT62R featured a quieter exhaust, air conditioning, adaptable suspension, and a heated windshield, aiming to provide a more comfortable experience for drivers.
Despite the ambitious vision, it remains unclear how many vehicles Brabham Automotive managed to produce for customer deliveries before its closure.
David Brabham stated that the decision to dissolve the brand followed the end of their relationship with Fusion Capital, the investment group that backed the company. However, he hinted at a potential future for the brand, saying, “With the brand license for Automotive ended, it opens the doors for future business ventures in motorsport, automotive, and heritage sectors.”
While the shutdown of Brabham Automotive represents a significant loss in the realm of bespoke supercars, Brabham’s optimistic outlook suggests that there may still be hope for the legacy of the Brabham name in motorsport and automotive ventures.
