Back in the early 80’s in the world of Endurance Racing, Tickford supplied 3 teams with Aston Martin engines, EMKA, Cheetah, and the most well-known Nimrod. All had varying degrees of success. 

The EMKA team was owned by Pink Floyd manager Steve O’Rourke, who had Tiff Needell as one of his drivers and was not averse to doing some of the driving himself. Two cars were produced and both still survive. The Cheetah was designed by the team manager Chuck Graemiger and is believed to be the first all-carbon fiber body race car.  

It is the Nimrod that is remembered most for the Aston Works team ran one car and the other was run by a privateer’s team led by Richard Williams. While on a shoestring budget, this team had more success, without the resources of the factory and countless engines.  Richard Williams managed to nurse their own car home into second in  group using just one engine all season! Sadly, the Nimrod dream came to an end at Le Mans on the famous Mulsanne Straight in 1985 when one of the cars traveling at over 200 mph had a front tyre blow out causing it to spin into the barrier and burst into flames. The debris flew all over the track and sadly a Marshall was killed. The driver survived with hefty burns and a couple of broken bones, and if that was not enough, the other Nimrod was just behind, battling with Derek Bell in a Porsche. Bell swerved to avoid the debris forcing the Nimrod to avoid a collision and ending up in the barriers also writing that one off as well! The team never recovered from the loss. The cars were eventually rebuilt from spare parts but never raced again.

Tickford also has connections with one other Endurance team, Ecurie Ecosse, when the company set up an ignition system to go with the Ford-powered C2 racer, and in 1987 they came second the group.