Profile
Richard Marlow – British-born businessman and former supercar producer.
Richard Marlow was the joint founder of renowned British sports car manufacturer Ultima Sports Ltd. Established in 1992, Ultima Sports became best known for its series of Le Mans-inspired supercars, namely the Ultima GTR, Ultima EVO and Ultima RS - undoubtedly some of the most thrilling and high-performing road-going vehicles to be produced and sold in recent decades.
Between 2004 and 2009, Marlow made his mark on the global automotive stage, focusing his business’s marketing efforts around the pursuit of multiple world speed records for production road cars. With each record broken, Marlow also took on the role of driver, piloting the Ultima GTR involved in the record attempt.
Marlow’s original company goal was a clear one: to produce a bespoke British road-going supercar that could be sold internationally, capable of outperforming any other road car available while retaining a relatively straightforward form of construction. This approach enabled customers with no previous automotive experience to build their very own supercar if they wished.
During his tenure as CEO, Ultima Sports Ltd sold its Le Mans-inspired vehicles in more than 70 countries and served thousands of customers worldwide. Marlow frequently observed that many clients went on to purchase more than one Ultima vehicle, becoming proud brand ambassadors in the process and providing a strong indication of the loyalty and enthusiasm the marque had generated.
The final Ultima models developed under Marlow’s ownership - the EVO and the RS - became a significant global success, propelling the brand forwards and cementing Ultima Sports Ltd’s reputation as one of Britain’s most successful independent hand-built sports car manufacturers.
In August 2026, after more than two decades at the helm of Ultima, Richard Marlow announced the sale of the entire Ultima brand, including its intellectual property, tooling and manufacturing rights, to Peregryn Motors in the USA. The transaction marked the conclusion of Marlow’s ownership of the Ultima marque and the beginning of a new chapter for the iconic British supercar brand under Peregryn Motors.
