Nichols announces partnership with Diagonal Communications
Nichols Cars announces partnership with Diagonal Communications
London, UK – 23 April 2026
Nichols Cars, the British automotive marque dedicated to producing lightweight, driver-centric sports cars defined by analogue authenticity, has announced a new partnership with Diagonal Communications.
Under the agreement, Diagonal Communications will oversee all communications and public relations activity for Nichols Cars as it builds global awareness of its debut production model – set for launch in mid-2026 – the acclaimed Nichols N1A Can-Am-inspired supercar.
Founded by automotive industry veteran, John Minett and legendary race car designer Steve Nichols, Nichols Cars combines deep motorsport heritage with a singular focus on craftsmanship and driving purity. The company’s ethos is rooted in delivering an unfiltered driving experience, eschewing unnecessary digital systems in favour of mechanical honesty, responsiveness, and emotional connection.
That philosophy is brought vividly to life in the Nichols N1A – a beautiful, superfast, modern-day, state-of-the-art reimagining of the classic 1960s McLaren M1A Can-Am car, as raced in period by the company’s founder Bruce McLaren, legendary two-time Formula 1 world champion Graham Hill, and American racing driver, constructor, and team owner, Dan Gurney. Designed with an uncompromising focus on lightweight engineering, impeccable handling, and prodigious roadholding, the N1A features an aluminium chassis and meticulously sculpted bodywork. Its performance credentials underline its intent while remaining true to its analogue roots:
Power: 700bhp
0–60mph: Less than 3.0 seconds
Top speed: Circa 240mph
Weight: 900kg
The result is a car that delivers exceptional agility, total immediacy, and fantastic driver feedback, capturing the essence of a truly engaging analogue sports car.
John Minett, Founder of Nichols Cars, added:
"Designing the N1A has been about a lot more than aesthetics – it’s been about expressing a philosophy through creating form that respects history yet follows function. We’ve drawn inspiration from one of the most beautiful and purposeful racing cars in history, the McLaren M1A, but always with a modern sensibility and an obsessive attention to detail. The car’s analogue nature is something we are incredibly proud of; it’s tactile, it’s intuitive, and it rewards the driver in a way that feels increasingly rare today. Working with Diagonal Communications gives us confidence that our company’s and our car's stories – of craftsmanship, quality, innovation, passion, and authenticity – will be told with the nuance and clarity they deserve."
Steve Nichols, Technical Director of Nichols Cars, said:
"When establishing Nichols Cars, we were driven by a shared belief that something vital had been lost in modern performance cars – the sense of connection, simplicity, and trust between driver and machine. The N1A is our answer to that: a car that strips away distraction and puts the focus back on feel, balance, and precision. Every decision we’ve made has been guided by that principle. Partnering with Diagonal Communications is an important step for us, because they understand not just what we’ve created, but why we’ve created it. Their ability to communicate that deeper story will be invaluable as we introduce Nichols Cars to a wider global audience."
Matt Bishop, Managing Director of Diagonal Communications, commented:
"Nichols Cars stands out as a genuinely distinctive arrival in the modern automotive landscape. In an era increasingly dominated by digital technology, the Nichols N1A is a compelling reminder of the power of simplicity, lightness, and analogue engineering purity, wrapped up in a stunningly beautiful, small, and light car that is as capable on a long road trip as it is on a track day blast. What Steve Nichols and John Minett have created is not just a high-performance sports car, although it is of course exactly that, but a philosophy made tangible. At Diagonal Communications we are petrolheads who are knowledgeable and passionate about working with automotive and motorsport brands that have clear identities and meaningful stories to tell, and Nichols Cars exemplifies both. We are extremely excited to help shape and share that narrative with media, enthusiasts, and supercar collectors around the world, as the company enters the next important phase of its journey."
The partnership marks a significant milestone for Nichols Cars as it builds momentum ahead of mid-2026 customer car deliveries and future developments, while Diagonal Communications provides strategic communications counsel, media relations, and brand storytelling expertise.
ENDS
About Nichols Cars
Nichols Cars creates lightweight, high-performance cars that recapture the thrill of driving – combining a deeply analogue experience with modern engineering and decades of top-level race craft. Founded by CEO John Minett and legendary designer Steve Nichols, the company’s first model, the N1A, is inspired by the original McLaren M1A and reinterprets its clean, purposeful lines with contemporary materials and modern engineering. The result is a pure, rewarding driving experience – without aesthetic compromise – produced in exclusively limited numbers.
About Diagonal Communications
Founded in June 2023 on its principals’ unrivalled experience in general sport, motorsport and automotive, Diagonal Comms delivers strategic, sophisticated, authentic, effective, media-savvy, no-nonsense communications based on peerless expertise and a passionate commitment to understand, and deliver against, our clients’ challenges and objectives.
With a rich and varied 30-year career in top-tier motorsport, including extensive journalism experience, followed by senior leadership communications roles within McLaren’s and Aston Martin’s Formula One operations, Diagonal MD Matt Bishop has carved out a reputation as an immensely capable strategist and communications expert, with considerable hands-on experience of crisis communications management.