Guy Buckingham

Who is Guy Buckingham?

Guy Buckingham is an English aircraft engineer who established the Australian automobile manufacturer ‘Nota’ in 1952. Buckingham employed his expertise in English racing car and aircraft design in the manufacturing of new Australian racing cars. He used aircraft technology to help build triangulated, multi-tubular, space framed racing cars, which had in the past been seen in Australia only as imported automobiles.

Buckingham returned to England in 1971 and has since then retired from the motorcar industry. He recently retired from playing trumpet in the Bucks, Berks & Oxon Big Band and his son, Lee Buckingham's "Big Band Swing".

While in Australia in 1959 Guy built 5 Formula Junior class racing cars. The first 2 are the only Australia built front engine cars. These still exist and are known as the "89" and "90" cars. The 1959 car won the first FJ race held in Australia at Warwick Farm with Guy as the driver. Their history was short racing through to 1963/4. The 89 car has a continuous history to the present day. The 90 car was never raced from 1964 onwards until it was rebuilt in 2004. They are raced under the historic register HSRCA in Australia as 1959 and 1960 Nota FJ.The third car was rear engined Nota FJ Renault. History unknown. The fourth car is a rear engine FJ with a Ford 105e engine. This is in Europe at the present time. The fifth car was a chassis only and this was cut down the middle of the space frame and made into to Nota Tace with a Hillman engine and ran in the Clubman series This being similar in style as the Lotus 7 and super 7 of the era.