This week saw the first pre-season test before the 2012 Formula 1 season. Although testing times are known to be unreliable and in fact give little indication to in-season form, it does give the teams a chance to iron out problems and tweak the cars before the season kicks off.

Specialised Covers flew out to Jerez to tailor FIA approved Parc Ferme covers for most of the cars on the grid. These specially designed mesh covers must adorn the cars for FIA inspection within three and a half hours of a qualifying session. Unlike a standard cover, the mesh fabric allows big name sponsors to remain visible!

Although Specialised tailored covers for many of the big names last year, more teams began requesting covers for the 2012 season! The winter test seemed like the ideal opportunity to work on multiple cars…oh, and go to Spain!

Specialised Covers have tailored one of our Elite car covers for a replica Ford GT40.

Why is Jay Kay stood next to this car? Well because some bloke asked him. Why is this replica of interest to Jay Kay and to us?  Quite simply the Ford GT40 was an epic car.

Between 1960 and 1965 Ferrari had won the Le Mans 24 Hour every year. For those six years Ferrari looked unbeatable but in 1966 the Ford GT40 took first place at Le Mans. It then won for the next three years until 1969. It was the first car at Le Mans to win more than once with the same chassis and since then only one other car has done the same.

Specialised Covers Elite outdoor car covers offer the perfect balance of functionality and form. The Elite fabric is tailored to fit like an indoor car cover but functions like an outdoor, shielding your car from the elements.

We offer a range of Ford car covers. If your car isn’t available online, call us and it can be ordered over the phone or added to our database for you to buy online.

We would like to thank Shmoo Automaotive for allowing us to use their imagery form the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Visit their website by clicking the link to see more information about the GT40.

Click here to configure your car cover

Specialised Covers are used to tailoring car covers for prestigious manufacturers but now Specialised’s bespoke tailoring services are in demand from major Formula 1 teams.

Specialised Covers’ latest project brought about the development of FIA approved, Parc Ferme covers. At the end of a qualifying practice session, all cars used during that session must be covered for FIA inspection within three and a half hours. Specialised have tailored mesh covers to adorn Formula 1 cars in Parc Ferme.

Adam Irwin, marketing manager at Specialised Covers explains why demand for the covers has been so high.

“As you can appreciate, an F1 team sponsor such as Petronas, who shelled out 30million Euros to secure their deal with Mercedes GP, don’t appreciate their brand liveries being covered up in Parc Ferme.”

“We developed the Parc Ferme covers with a mesh fabric so the team sponsors remain visible. The quality of our tailoring is also of an excellent standard and in F1 good design is appreciated.”

Adam added: “Naturally, we are delighted to be working with teams like Mercedes and Williams. The quality of our work is defined by the brands that trust Specialised Covers to supply them.”

“It speaks volumes to our private customers who know that their covers are made in the same facility, by the same staff that tailor car covers for Formula 1, not to mention our other clients.

Specialised Covers are due to work on new F1 projects next season, but currently no specific details have been announced.

Congratulations to the Nippers Nursery Bed Race team who came a respectable 31st of 90 contenders in the Great Knaresborough Bed Race. The team completed the race in 18min 14seconds.

There have always been blokes in sheds tinkering with tin pots, four wheels and four cylinder engines, turning their bathtubs into road legal racing pods. Recently however there has been a new breed of road legal racing car. From Radicals, to Atoms, to the KTM X-bow, even the supercar fraternity have been launching what appear on the outside to be a traditional sports car, only to find that the interior comprises of plastic bucket seats and tin foil.

Specialised Covers have been given the privilege of tailoring car covers for the new BAC-Mono, the latest road legal, “ultra high performance” track car.

The Mono seems to have cultivated its own space in the market. At just under £75,000, it’s not cheap. It’s more expensive than both the Radical and the Ariel Atom. The difference with the Mono is it looks like McLaren and NASA built it. It looks fantastic. If Apple built a Batmobile, this is what it would look like.

Incidentally the gesture towards an F1 racing team isn’t so misplaced because the Mono uses technology found in racing cars. The aerodynamics, carbon fibre and FIA compliant steel rollover and safety structure, not to mention a steering wheel with buttons on that certainly don’t control the stereo. Not only are our compliments aimed at the specification of the car, but also the way the car is put together. Top Gear had the car on test and claimed that BAC…

“…could teach Audi a thing or two about fit and finish, there wasn’t a stitch out of place and the detailing was stunning.”

Equally impressive are the figures. The Mono is powered by a 2.3 litre engine that has been put together by the chaps at Cosworth. An engine that generates 280bhp in a car that weighs less than your toothbrush means that the Mono has a top speed of 170mph and will go from 0-60 in just 2.8 seconds, which will take your face off.