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1967: Hulme, Stewart and Clark: Levin, New Zealand Tasman and beyond…

Posted: November 24, 2014 in F1
Tags: 1967 CanAm Series, 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, 1967 German Grand Prix, 1967 Tasman Series, Brabham BT22 Repco, BRM P261, BRM P83, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Levin Tasman 1967, Lotus 33 Climax, Lotus 49 Ford, McLaren M6A Chev

Denny Hulme and Jackie Stewart, Levin NZ Tasman 1967 (Digby Paape)

Denny Hulme Brabham BT22 Repco and Jackie Stewart BRM P261, the natty tartan attire of the BRM Equipe a contrast with the more casual Australian approach…Hulmes’ engine is Repco ‘640 Series’ 2.5 litre; original ’66 series Olds ‘600 Series’ block with the ’67 F1 Championship winning ’40 Series’, exhaust within the Vee, heads. Definitive Repco 1967 F1 Championship winning variant is the ‘740 Series’, Repco’s own ‘700 Series’ block and aforementioned ’40 Series’ heads. Early and very important 1967 F1 testing days for Repco, engine making its debut the weekend before at Pukekohe (Digby Paape)

Denny Hulme and Jackie Stewart awaiting adjustments to their cars setup, Levin, New Zealand, Tasman Series 13 January 1967…

Digby Paape took these fantastic, evocative shots of Stewart, Hulme and Jim Clark-‘I was 22 at the time, my father had been president of Motor Sport NZ, and though I was unknown on the North Island I felt I could go anywhere with my Contax, i was masquerading as a journo for the ‘Hutt Valley Motoring Club’. I took all the shots @ F8 @ 250th of a second. Each car only had a couple of mechanics, it was hard to know what was being said. Later on I was the Radio NZ and TVNZ commentator for these and other events, Levin was always hot and the action was close. Close enough for good shots without a telephoto lens’.

Stewart beat Clark in the first Tasman round at Pukekohe the previous week, winning the NZ Grand Prix, the two drivers were the class of the field at Levin as well, despite intense pressure Clark won the 50 mile ‘Levin International’ by less than a second from Stewart’s BRM. Richard Attwood was third in another BRM P261 and Frank Gardner finished fourth in the first of the four cylinder cars, a Brabham BT16 Climax. Denny Hulme retired with ignition problems.

It’s interesting to reflect upon the year to come for each of the drivers…

Denny Hulme, Brabham BT22 Repco, 1967 NZ Tasman, Levin

Denny Hulme, Brabham BT22 Repco, Levin NZ, 1967 (Digby Paape)

It was a tough Tasman for Denny and his team leader Jack Brabham…

They had great unreliability from the new, exhaust between the Vee Repco ‘640 Series’ engines, mainly centred around fuel injection and ignition dramas, but the primary object of the exercise was really to get the engines raceworthy for the 1967 GP season in any event. Jack did have a good win at Longford in his BT23A, the power circuit in Tasmania and last round of the series.

Repco sorted the problems, the new Repco (as against the 1966 Oldsmobile blocked ‘620 Series’) blocked ‘740 Series’ engines were reliable early in the GP season.

Denny broke through for his first GP win at Monaco, 620 engined, but there was no joy in the victory as Lorenzo Bandini perished aboard his Ferrari 312 in a gruesome, fiery accident, which finally helped galvanise action to improve safety standards on the world’s circuits.

In a season when five different drivers won a Grand Prix, his consistency paid off, he won the title with two wins, the Nurburgring the other, from Jack with Jim Clark third in the epochal Lotus 49 Ford Cosworth DFV.

Hulme en route to his first Grand Prix victory, Monaco 1967 in his Brabham BT20, still fitted with the ’66 series ‘RB620’ engine. Jacks car was fitted with the new ‘740 Series’ the engine blew early in the race. Hill and Amon second and third in Lotus 33 BRM and Ferrari 312 respectively (unattributed)

Can-Am Road America 1967 parade lap: #4 Bruce McLaren, Hulme alongside in the other McLaren M6A Chev, Dan Gurney Lola T70 Ford behind Bruce, Jim Halls’ winged Chaparral 2G Chev easy to pick…and the rest maybe some of you can help me with the caption? Denny won the race from Mark Donohue and John Surtees , both in Lola T70 Mk3B Chevs (unattributed)

In a full season, Hulme was recruited by his compatriot Bruce McLaren as his teammate in the Can-Am series. Robin Herd’s McLaren M6A Chev was a stunning car, concepted by he and Bruce, and started the teams domination of the series which finally ended when Porsche joined the series, and ruined it! with its 917/10 in 1972.

Denny narrowly lost the series to McLaren but the relationship started a commitment to the team by Denny which endured to the end of his career and saw him race the team’s F1, Can-Am and Indy Cars through to the end of 1974, when he finally returned to NZ.

Jim Clark, Lotus 33 Climax, NZ Tasman, Levin 1967

Jim Clark, Lotus 33 Climax, Levin 1967. ‘R14’ was the last of the trendsetting Lotus 25/33 series built, the first ‘modern-monocoque’ which made its debut in Holland 1962. Clarks 2 litre V8 was giving away some power to most of his serious competition, the 2.1 litre BRM’s and 2.5 litre Repco’s but his driving abilities were more than up to closing the deficit (Digby Paape)

Clarks Lotus 33 ‘R14’ was a chassis which had been kind to him…

He first raced it at Brands Hatch in July, and, fitted with the super trick 2 litre version of the Coventry Climax FWMV V8 had served him well in 1966, he drove the car when the heavy BRM ‘H16’ engined Lotus 43 was unsuited to the circuit or circumstances- his best result against the new 3 Litre F1’s was a strong third in Holland.

He won the Tasman series in ‘R14’, assisted greatly by the unreliability of the Brabham Repcos and the BRM P261’s, the latter so dominant the year before. The two 2 litre FWMV V8’s were shipped to the Antipodes, the Mk8 1976cc engine was created by using the big 72.39mm bore of the 1964/5 Mk4-7 engines with the 1961/2 Mk1-2 60mm longest stroke to create a circa 245bhp motor. With the ‘R14’/2 litre FWMV combination Clark won five of the eight Tasman Series 100 mile races, three- at Wigram, Lakeside and Sandown were Tasman Cup championship events, the other two at Levin and Teretonga were non-championship races.

Clark raced a Lotus 43 BRM in South Africa, the first GP of 1967, then ‘R14’ for the last time at Monaco, finally getting his hands on the Lotus 49 at Zandvoort. By that time he was a British tax exile so the first time the Scot saw the car was when he drove it in Holland, he hadn’t even tested the thing, those duties had been faithfully carried out by Graham Hill.

Jim Clark, Lotus 49 Ford, Dutch GP June 1967

Jim Clark on his way to a debut win with the Lotus 49 Ford, Dutch GP, Zandvoort June 4 1967…both engine and chassis changed the face of GP racing in an instant (unattributed)

The car was ‘right’ from the start, he won on its debut and then a further four 1967 races, but Dennys’ consistency got him over the line that year in the equally new Brabham BT24, lets not forget that it, too, was cleansheet in terms of chassis and engine that year. Click here for a piece on the Brabham BT24; https://primotipo.com/2017/12/28/give-us-a-cuddle-sweetie/

The Lotus 49 package was dominant in 1968, but sadly Clark’s 1968 South African GP triumph, off the back of his third Tasman Cup win, was his last, he died tragically in a Lotus 48 Ford FVA as a consequence of probable tyre failure in the during the ‘Deutschland Trophae’ Hockenheim F2 race on 7 April.

The king of the 1.5 litre formula proved he was also king of the 3 litre formula in 1967, and anything else he drove!

Graham Hill heroically galvanised the Team Lotus after Clark’s death, winning the title in 1968 and provided leadership Chapman initially did not, grieving for Clark as he understandably was.

Jackie Stewart took two Tasman Cup wins…

Mechanical woes, particularly weaknesses in the BRM P261’s transmission crown wheel and pinion cost him victories, but his speed was apparent and close to Clark’s- the two races he won were biggies too- the NZ GP at Pukekohe and AGP at Warwick Farm. Unlike Jim, who had the F1 Lotus 49 to look forward to, BRM persevered with the heavy, complex and slow ‘H16’ engined BRM P83/115 in 1967.

It was to be a long, character building year, a second and third in Belgium and France respectively but retirement in all eight of the other championship rounds awaited the young Scot.

He had won his first Grand Prix in the lithe, nimble P261 in Italy in 1965 but it was then a ‘long time between drinks’ in F1, his undoubted speed was finally reflected in wins when he departed to Team Tyrrell which started running Ford DFV engined Matras in 1968, his first title came in 1969 aboard the glorious MS80. Click here for an article on that Matra; https://primotipo.com/2016/07/01/matra-ms80-ford/

Jackie Stewart, BRM P83, Nurburgring 1967

Jackie Stewwart wrestling his big BRM P115 ‘H16’ BRM, Nurburgring 1967. He was running fourth when the transmission failed, ‘yumping’ hard on the ‘tranny at the ‘Ring! Hulme won the race in his light, nimble Brabham BT24 Repco (unattributed)

Team Tyrrell ran Matra F2 cars in 1967, Jacky Ickx taking the Euoropean F2 title, and Jackie Stewart, pictured here in an MS7 FVA at ‘Oulton Park’ took one championship win…and critically the team took the view the cars would be successful in F1 (Eddie Whitham)

What duels there may have been as Stewart matured as a driver and took on his friend and countryman Clark- mind you we saw it in the 1967 Tasman as they were in essentially cars of equal performance, albeit JYS’ BRM often did not run for long enough for the duels to run their course…

As Digby Paape says ‘how lucky we were to see the international drivers in current F1 cars as we did in those wonderful 2.5 Tasman years, the equivalent of seeing Schumacher in that years winning Ferrari’. Indeed it was.

Photo Credits…

Digby Paape, Eddie Whitham, Doug Shaw Collection

Tailpiece: Pukekohe 1967…

Love the hats on the gals at the motor racing!

Clearly they have a penchant for ‘Rice Trailers’- it seems said equipment made the trip across the Tasman as well as the two cars, not the happiest of Tasmans for the Repco-Brabham crew despite an ‘all out’ effort to take the Tasman Cup.

Finito…

McLaren MP4/8B Lamborghini…

Posted: November 21, 2014 in F1, Obscurities
Tags: Ayrton Senna, Lamborghini Type 3512 V12 engine, Mauro Forghieri, McLaren Lamborghini, McLaren MP4/8, McLaren MP4/8 Lamborghini

Ayrton Senna testing the McLaren MP4/8B Lamborghini at Estoril, 27-29 September 1993…

By Senna’s standards 1993 had not been a successful year. He won five races in his McLaren Ford as a customer Cosworth user, Schumacher’s Benetton with the more powerful factory Ford Cosworth engines only won a single event. Even worse, arch rival Alain Prost won the title for Williams Renault.

Scrambling to find an engine deal to keep its star driver happy and with the team for 1994, Ron Dennis signed a test contract with Chrysler who then owned Lamborghini.

McLaren modified one of its MP4/8 Ford chassis to take the jewel like little 3.5-litre V12.

The Mauro Forghieri designed Type 3512 Lambo V12 was first used in F1 in 1989. Larrousse, Lotus and Minardi used the engines in the following years. A new engine for 1993 was the smallest, lightest V12 ever, it gave circa 750bhp @ 14500rpm without pneumatic valves, more than the Cosworth V8 of the day.

Senna tested the car initially at Pembrey, at Silverstone twice, and later at Estoril. He wanted to race it in the three final races of the year at Portugal, Japan and in Australia but Dennis wouldn’t allow it given the contractual arrangements already, and in the process of being put in place with sponsors and the like.

Senna suggested to the engines designer, Ferrari legend Mauro Forghieri, that the V12 would be better with a less brutal top end and more mid range torque, these changes were made, the engine producing around 750bhp.

Mika Hakkinen was the team’s test driver that year, Senna’s race teammate was Michael Andretti until Mika took over the race seat from the Portuguese GP. Hakkinen was 1.5 seconds faster at Silverstone in the Lambo powered MP4/8B than the Ford engined MP4/8 had been during the ’93 British GP weekend.

McLaren MP4 8 Lamborghini Silverstone 1993 — Senna, Estoril (Sutton)

Adrian Burgess was a member of McLaren’s test team in 1993 and was one of three mechanics who worked on the MP4/8B and spoke about his experiences to Which Car? magazine.

“I remember going to Estoril the day after the Grand Prix (it was a three day test, September 27-29, 1993 involving Senna and Hakkinen) Ayrton loved the engine. Within half a day we were 4.9 seconds quicker than the Larrousse LH93 was the day before with the same engine.” Philippe Alliot and Eric Comas were 10th and 11th in their Larrousse Lamborghinis in the race won by Michael Schumacher’s Benetton B193 Ford.

“The problem with it was that by the time it was warm it normally had hand-grenaded itself. I think the furthest we went was 19 laps before all of a sudden you could look down through the inlet trumpets and actually see out the bottom! It hand-grenaded itself in the most magnificent ways. It was like Scalextric car dragging con-rods down the front straight at Estoril. The thing just blew up.”

As the balance of the 1993 season played out, Prost resigned, Senna won the last two races in Australia and Japan in his MP4/8 Ford. McLaren did a deal with Peugeot and Senna went to Williams for 1994…and the rest as they say is history, a sad one at that.

Photo Credits…

Sutton Images, Autosprint

Tailpieces…

Finito…

My First Race Meeting, Sandown Tasman F5000 1972, Bartlett, Lola and Raquel…

Posted: November 18, 2014 in Features, Obscurities
Tags: 1972 Tasman Series, Bob Muir, Elfin MR5, F5000, Kevin Bartlett, Lola T300, McLaren M10B, McLaren M22, Raquel Welch, Sandown Tasman 1972

My First Race Meeting…Sandown Tasman F5000 Meeting February 20 1972…

We can all recall the meeting or event which hooked us on the sport, right?

For me it was the 1972 Sandown Tasman Meeting, the Australian Grand Prix no less, contested by Formula 5000 cars.

I was up for it mind you, one of my friends, Simon Roberts’ father Ron worked for Castrol and amongst his responsibilities was the racing budget in some shape or form.

Critically, he went to race meetings and gave me Castrols’ copy of ‘Racing Car News’ each month after it had done the rounds of their execs. It was always a month or so outta date and well thumbed by the time I got it, but I lapped up every word.

Finally i was invited to my first meeting.

We cruised out to Sandown from North Balwyn in Rons’ metallic brown Valiant with the big ‘265 Hemi’…not a bad ‘Dad Car’ at the time. The Val joined the endless stream of weekend traffic on Warrigal and Dandenong Roads, my excitement building seeing lots of performance cars of the day; GTR’s, XU1’s, GT’s, GTV’s, Monaro’s and plenty of souped up EH’s and HR’s ‘chromies’ gleaming in the sun amongst the other weekend warriors heading to a Mornington Peninsula beach on that hot summers day.

Reading RCN didn’t prepare me for the sheer visceral thrill, excitement, speed and ground shaking, gutterall thunder of the 5 Litre 500 BHP V8’s.

In those days the paddock was in the infield, inside Shell Corner, or turn 1 and extended across the track to the inside of Peters or Torana Corner, now turn 3, or the Corner onto the back straight. It was lower than the surrounding infield and was like a private little Mecca for racers and enthusiasts alike.

I recall 2 things vividly from that weekend all these years later.

The first was walking from the carpark behind the grandstand, the excitement building hearing cars being warmed up in the distance and crossing the track into the dusty, gravel paddock area and seeing Bob Muirs beautiful, exotic, automotively erotic, concours, gleaming blue Lola T300 just about to enter the scrutineering bay.

I was stunned, gob-smacked. I couldn’t move I was so awed by its amazing combination of wedge shape, curves, fibre-glass, chrome tipped exhausts, scoops, ducts, wings and oh-so-wide tyres! It was immaculate, yellow pinstriping contrasting the blue bodywork, the finish of the racer a ‘Von Dutch’ work of art.

Lola was as curvaceous as Raquel Welch who adorned my bedroom wall. Her appeal was far more carnal, but the compound curvature of both car and screen siren was undeniable.

Fairly soon a poster of Lola was alongside Raquel. Dad related to Raquels’ charms, more than once we compared and contrasted her ‘on screen’ attributes with Sophia Loren but to me she was too old, I took his point all the same. He did find the car thing more of a challenge than babes.

Eventually I regained my senses and did a slow lap of Lola taking in every bit of it. ‘Drinking’ visually every feature. The T300 was a new design, none of my old RCN’s had pictured it. Most racing cars then were still cigar shaped, Lola took her cues from the radical 1970 F1 Lotus 72, not the cars of the 60’s.

We wandered off to the Castrol tent meeting Peter Brock and Colin Bond and whilst the Touring Cars were of interest they didn’t really float my boat. Moffat’s Mustang raced that weekend, it was and still is impressive. Surely the best looking ‘taxi’ of all time?. With an honorable mention to Brian Foley’s Alfa GTAm.

The beauty of the old Sandown setup was that you could see most of what you wanted within a 500 metre walk. Watch the cars coming down the main straight and into Shell Corner on either the inside or outside of the track. This was a great spot to watch braking manoeuvres and hear and work out the best practitioners of the ‘heel’n toe art’.

My other favourite spot was coming into or exiting Torana/Peters from the inside of the circuit. This was the place to watch and hear the cars accelerate away from you, always impressive to watch an F5000 doing that on its own bellowing up through the gears on it’s way up towards ‘Marlboro Country’, the fast combination of corners into ‘Dandy Road’, it was and still is a great part of the track to drive.

Access and egress from the Paddock was via a pit pass or jumping the fence for the impecunious. The Light Car Club guys always turned a blind eye to this teenage activity, proper chaps those blokes.

My preferred locale though, was in the paddock. You could wander around seeing as much as you liked, talk to the drivers and get an autograph if you picked your moment, watch the cars form up on the dummy grid, see them take off, and watch them from the pit counter, on circuit until told to ‘piss-orf matey’ by the ever polite LCCA officials.

It was from that pit counter that the second indelible memory of the weekend took place.

We watched the cars grumble, crackle, spit back through their intake trumpets and ‘pig-root’ their way past us… down the pitlane, the exotic sound of Hewland gear whine audible and onto the circuit, the pack disappearing in one massive rumble of fuel injected thunder as they accelerated up to The Rise and down into Dandenong Road.

The first car to approach us exiting Shell was yellow.

It was Kevin Bartlett in his McLaren M10B, he kicked the car sideways…teasing the thing on the throttle, the engine note changing minutely but perceptibly as he balanced the beasts sticky, wide Goodyears with throttle and steering. I was stunned, it looked and sounded so fast and spectacular and easy. It wasn’t of course, but he did it lap after lap in this third gear corner. To see the thing accelerating hard past us and then almost as quickly the wonderful sound of the big Chev on the down-change into ‘Torana’ all too much.

I was in sensory overload, Raquel did that to me as well mind you, but in a different kinda way.

But I was hooked as a Bartlett, F5000 and race fan for life.

I don’t remember too much of the race itself but Graham McRae in his own car (Leda aka McRae GM1 designed by the recently deceased Len Terry) won the AGP from Frank Gardner’s Lola T300 and David Hobbs in a McLaren M22. KB and Bob Muir were both retirements with gearbox and engine maladies respectively.

But the race didn’t matter to me, i lived that wonderful weekend for months, I had found my lifelong interest and passion, it’s been my sport as a competitor and fan ever since.

Etcetera…From my scrapbook all those years ago

Photo Credits…

Thanks to Chris Parker and his archive for some of the shots, Stupix

Finito…

Jim Clark: Lotus Cortina, Sebring 1964…

Posted: November 16, 2014 in Features, Touring Cars
Tags: Jim Clark, Lotus Cortina, Lotus Cortina Road Test, Sebring 3 Hour 1964

Jim Clark explores the limits of adhesion of his Cortina during the Sebring 3 Hour Enduro in March 1964, he finished first in class…

MotorSport magazine road test of the car from January 1964, this Bill Boddy road test of the car ‘in period’ well worth the read.

‘A £1,100 competition saloon which is also a very practical road car, possessing extremely usable acceleration, very powerful Girling brakes, a top speed of over 100 m.p.h. and good handling qualities.

Soon after that man Chapman had been signed on by British Ford, Dagenham announced the Lotus-Cortina, which was to have a 1 1/2-litre twin-cam 105 b.h.p. engine in a Consul Cortina 2-door saloon body-shell using light-alloy doors, bonnet top and boot-lid, a close-ratio gearbox, modified suspension with a properly-located back axle with aluminium differential housing sprung on Chapman coil-spring struts, Corsair-size servo-assisted front disc brakes, larger tyres and other modifications to improve performance and handling. This Lotus-Cortina was announced enthusiastically in Motor Sport last February, when I remarked that it sounded like the most exciting British car since the Jaguar E-type.

Team Lotus were to run a trio of these Fords in saloon-car races, but the project was a long time coming to fruition, probably because the twin-cam engines were needed for Lotus Elans before they found a place in Cortina body-shells. And competition work with these exciting new cars, for which a top speed of 115 m.p.h. and 0-100 m.p.h. in around 30 sec. is still hinted at in Ford publicity material, was not possible until they had been homologated, which meant that at least 1,000 had to be built. Ford Dealers, promised these fast Cortinas, grew restive, the Ford Board wrathful, but gradually these outwardly normal-looking Cortinas with the colour-flash along the bodyside began to appear on the roads and, occasionally, by the date of Oulton Park’s Gold Cup meeting, on the circuits, while Henry Taylor drove one in the recent R.A.C. Rally.

(James Allington)

At last, late in November, a test car was placed at our disposal for a brief period, and let me say right away that we were not disappointed! The Lotus-Cortina is a very commendable all-round car of truly excellent performance, the acceleration being an outstanding feature, very usable from the low speeds at which the average motorist drives, and going on and on most impressively as upward gear changes are made, so that overtaking is rendered not only safe but a positive pleasure!

This Ford is not a 100 m.p.h. car in the sense that the “ton” can be attained almost anywhere, but it achieves an easy 85-90 m.p.h. on give-and-take roads and certainly has a three-figure top speed. Such performance will leave behind, say, a Porsche 1600 Super or Mini-Cooper S or Alfa Romeo Giulia T1, and it is accomplished without sense of fuss or stress, merely that nice “hard” sound of busy but efficient machinery associated with a twin o.h.e. engine. However, although the r.p.m. limit is set between 6,500 and 8,000 r.p.m., the engine in the test car would not go beyond the first of these figures.

Road-holding is another strong feature of Colin Chapman’s modified Cortina, the standard being extremely satisfactory, remembering that the basis of the exercise is a low-priced family saloon. The back suspension creaks a bit but the combination of coil springs, tying up the axle and reducing its weight has transformed the mediocre handling of the bread and margarine Cortina.

Cornering is mainly neutral, with a tendency to understeer. probably accentuated by the small-diameter wood-rimmed steering wheel, which makes the steering ratio seem rather low geared on acute corners; in fact, the wheel calls for 3 1/2 turns, lock-to-lock, including some sponge not noticeable when on the move. On normal bends the gearing feels just right and the steering very accurate and positive. Roll on fast corners is very moderate. The front-end feels softly sprung if sudden changes of direction or a heavy application of the brakes are made, when the weight of the twin-cam engine tends to be noticeable, but even over bad surfaces the front wheels retain firm adhesion with the road and the ride is comfortable. Even at 80 m.p.h. over a bad road the ride is very reasonable and the car in full control. At high speed there is a slight weaving action, accentuated by rough going, as if the back axle resents the restraint Colin Chapman has wisely put on it, but this does not develop into anything serious. Round fast, wide-radius bends the Lotus-Cortina holds the desired line most commendably, even with the inner wheels running along a rough verge, while the car goes exactly where it is directed when tucking in quickly after overtaking. There is some lost movement in the transmission, probably another product of restricting rear axle movement, just as the absence of a propeller shaft accentuates harshness of take-up in rear-engined cars. Had Chapman been allowed to instal i.r.s. this tendency to weave, and transmission of noise from the road wheels, might have been eliminated. As it is, there is very little judder through the rigid Cortina body shell but the axle does build up some shudder or mild vibration, which releases a number of body rattles. Reverberations from the engine can be cured by using the two lower gears when pulling away from low speeds.

The clutch of the Lotus-Cortina is extremely heavy, but engages progressively. The short remote gear lever is splendidly placed, and has a neat wooden knob. It controls a gearbox with the most commendably closely spaced and high ratios I have used for a long time, bottom gear being as high as 9.75 to 1. Chapman has clearly designed this gearbox for enthusiasts and doesn’t intend you to use a Lotus-Cortina for towing a caravan up Porlock.

The gear change is very quick and positive but the action is notchy and the synchromesh can be beaten if very rapid changes are attempted or the clutch not fully depressed. I rate this a good but not a superlative gear change. Reverse is easily engaged by lifting the lever beyond the 2nd gear position and the gears are quiet, but at certain speeds the lever rattles. The synchromesh bottom gear is as easy to engage as the rest of those in the box, which enables quick use to be made of the lowest ratio to keep the revs. up on sharp corners and steep hills.

The Girling brakes, 9 1/2 in. disc at the front, 9 in. drums at the back, with a suction servo on the n/s of the engine, are just the job for a car with Lotus-Cortina urge. They are light to apply, yet not too light and never sudden, and stop the car very powerfully and progressively with no vices, except for a tendency to pull to the right under heavy applications, on the test car. The hand brake is a normal Ford pull-out and twist affair. The combination of speed, acceleration particularly, road-clinging and powerful retardation possessed by this remarkable Ford enables 60 m.p.h. averages to be achieved on British roads effortlessly and safely, the Lotus-Cortina being easy to drive, no special techniques being called for, while its only notable disadvantages are some rather tiring engine noise and an uncomfortable back seat.

However, the outstanding impression imparted by this excellent saloon car is of willing, purposeful acceleration, which goes on and on with no trace of hesitation or flat-spot. For this I feel quite certain the two twin-choke, side draught Weber 40DCOE18 Carburetters deserve most of the credit. The performance does not come up to the publicity estimates, as our figures show, but even so the Lotus-Cortina is a very rapid vehicle by 1.6-litre standards, quite apart from the fact that it is a 4-seater saloon! Because bottom gear can be held to nearly 50 m.p.h. and because acceleration commences to be really effective from around 3,000 r.p.m., a snick into 2nd gear produces extremely useful acceleration that leaves loiterers far and cleanly behind! Especially when it is realised that the rev.-counter needle only just touches the red mark at 70 m.p.h. in this gear, or at over 90 in 3rd gear!

The ‘light hands’ of Jim Clark at the wheel of a Lotus Cortina (unattributed)

In spite of its racing-type engine this Ford is perfectly docile in traffic, although if you motor through the thick of the rush-hour it is seemly to use 1st and 2nd more frequently than the 3rd and top gears, the water temperature will rise to 90˚ C but will stay at that, and your clutch leg may get rather tired. Starting from cold presents no problems.

I have dealt with the performance and controllability aspects of the Lotus-Cortina first, instead of commencing, as I do usually, with details of controls, instruments and decor. This is because anyone contemplating this particular and so very acceptable version of the popular Ford Consul Cortina sill regard these aspects as of major importance, and also because in general layout the car is like the normal, staid Cortina.

The separate front seats are comfortable and offer good support; they adjust in two planes, forward and upwards, in one movement. Upholstery is in matt black p.v.c., with a light roof lining. The dials are on a neat hooded panel before the driver, as on the latest Cortina GT models, but the instruments are better contrived, and in this case the background simulates metal instead of grained wood. The 110 m.p.h. speedometer has trip with decimal and total milometers, the tachometer is marked in red between 6,500 and 8,000 r.p.m., although the engine peaks at 5,500 r.p.m. The small fuel gauge is properly calibrated but shows a very definite zero some 30 miles or more before the 8-gallon tank empties. There is a combined oil-pressure gauge and water thermometer matching the fuel gauge in size; the oil pressure reading shows barely 40 lb./sq. in. at normal engine speeds, and falls to a depressing 5 lb./sq. in. at idling revs., although the green warning light does not show. In view of the fact that the twin-cans Harry Mundy-designed head has been grafted onto a standard Ford engine-base, this low pressure may prove disturbing to sensitive-minded engineers. No doubt proprietory oil-coolers will soon be offered to owners of these cars! Normal water temperature is 80˚ C. The two main dials are notable for steady-reading needles, white against a black background and moving in the same plane, which, with the steady-reading small dials and black interior trim, imparts an air of luxury, not found in lesser Fords. The usual Ford fixed r.h. stalk carries lamps and winker switches, the lamps control faired off, unlike that on other Cortina models. This makes it even less easy to use. That no lamps flasher is fitted is a serious omission; the horn push on the wheel, which is inoperative, might well be employed as such, enabling the push on the stalk-extremity to be used as a lamps-flasher.

On this Ford the screen-washers knob is adjacent to the starter-key, and the wipers knob, on the other side of the dash, pulls out to start the single-speed wipers. There is the usual choke knob. The bonnet is opened from outside the car and has to be propped up, although the self-locking boot-lid is self-supporting. The bonnet opens to reveal the neat twin-cam engine, with those big Webers on the o/s and a 4-branch exhaust system dropping away efficiently on the n/s. The ignition distributor is inaccessible beneath the carburetters. The latter have a cold air box led through a flexible pipe from a filter in the grille. The dip-stick is close to the dynamo bracket, but accessible. Blue cam-box covers signify the 105 b.h.p. version of this 1,558 c.c. Ford engine, but for competition purposes the “red” 140 b.h.p. engine is available.

This “blue” engine has a 9.5-to-1 c.r., so 100 octane petrol is called for. On a last run from Hampshire to Somerset and back this was consumed at the rate of exactly 25 m.p.g. The absolute range on a tankful, which holds within 1/20th of a gallon what the makers specify, was 200 miles. The horizontal filler pipe is unsuited to refuelling from a can.

The Lucas 60/45 watt sealed-beam headlamps enable most of the Lotus-Cortina’s performance to be used after dark and the illumination provided in the dipped position is to be highly commended. There is nothing else to mention that distinguishes the car from its less powerful brethren, except that the spare wheel lies on the boot floor, the battery and two strengthening struts are found in the boot, the boss or the 15 in. racing-type steering wheel and the gear-lever knob are endowed with Lotus badges, which are repeated on the radiator grille and on each rear quarter of the body, and that the 6 in.-section Dunlop tyres look imposing.

We obtained the following performance figures, two-up, using an electric speedometer on the test track (average of several runs, best time in parenthesis, best Cortina GT acceleration times within square brackets):—

If these figures disappoint anyone, there is the Cheshunt-built 140 h.h.p. race-tuned 1,594 c.c. Lotus-Cortina to bring smiles of satisfaction – if you can afford £1,725 or get your hands on one of the 30 to be constructed! But for all practical purposes the ordinary Ford Lotus-Cortina (or the 125 b.h.p. Special Equipment version) should provide amply sufficient speed and acceleration and, with its good road manners, will soon be giving joy and rapid travel to many discerning sportsmen. It is a much better car than I had dared to hope and there is something very pleasing in the knowledge that Lotus racing “know-how” has been handed on to this outwardly sober Ford saloon, which goes so well, is such great fun and so safe to drive, and which enjoys the widespread Ford spares and servicing facilities. Under the circumstances this Ford Lotus-Cortina is a good car to buy for £1,100 3s. 1d., or £9 10s. extra if front-seat safety belts are specified. (Other extras are a 4.1 to 1 back axle and a reversing light).

Time will show just how reliable this combination of Ford and Lotus components proves but in 600 hard-driven miles the only failures were the Smiths tachometer, which just couldn’t believe the engines high rev.-limit, and a loose bolt holding the carburetters intake box in place. The rubber fell off the clutch pedal. Twin-cam engines are sometimes thought to consume oil but none was used by the Lotus power unit in 600 miles.

In conclusion, I approve very strongly of Colin Chapman’s idea of a British Giulietta, which Ford sells at a price poor men can afford! As for the race-tuned version…!! – W. B.’

Melburnian Peter Coffey brought the first Lotus Cortina to Australia, after a secondment at Ford, Dagenham, in July 1963. The car was soon sold to Victorian Jim McKeown who turned it, over the following years into one of the worlds fastest Lotus Cortina racers

Credits…

James Allington, MotorSport January 1964

Finito…

Winning the 1966 World F1 Championships: Brabham BT19 Repco…

Posted: November 13, 2014 in F1, Rodways Repco Recollections
Tags: 1966 F1 Championship, 1966 F1 Constructors Championship, 1966 Tasman Series, 1966 World Drivers Championship, Australian Motor Racing History, Australian Racing Cars, Brabham BT19 Repco, Denny Hulme, Ferrari 312 1966, Jack Brabham, Phil Irving, Repco, Repco 'RB620' V8 engine, Ron Tauranac

Jack Brabham Oulton Park Gold Cup 1966, Brabham BT19 Repco

Jack Brabham wins the Oulton Park ‘Spring Cup’ 1966. Brabham BT19 Repco (Brian Watson)

The second episode covered the design and building of the 1966 ‘RB620’ V8, the engine which would contest and win the World Constructors and Drivers Championships in 1966, this is a summary of that season…

Cutaway drawing of Brabham BT19 # ‘F1-1-65’, JB’s 1966 Championship Winning mount. Produced in 1965 for the stillborn Coventry Climax Flat 16 cylinder 1.5 litre F1 engine and modified by Ron Tauranac to fit the ‘RB620’ engine, which was designed by Phil Irving with Brabham/Tauranacs direct input in terms of ancilliaries etc to fit this chassis. A conventional light, agile, driver friendly and ‘chuckable’ spaceframe chassis Brabham of the period. Front suspension independent by upper and lower wishbones and coil spring/ damper units. Rear by upper top link, inverted lower wishbone, twin radius rods and coil spring/ damper units. Adjustable sway bars front and rear. Hewland HD500, and later DG300 ‘box. Much raced and winning chassis…still in Australia in Repco’s ownership (Motoring News)

The 1966 South African Grand Prix…whilst not that year a Championship round was the first race of the new 3 litre F1 on 1 January.

In December 1965 the first 3 Litre RB620 ‘E3’ was assembled and with slightly larger inlet valves, ports and throttle bodies than the ‘2.5’ produced 280bhp @ 7500rpm. After six hours testing it was rebuilt, shipped to the UK and fitted to Jacks ‘BT19’, a chassis built during 1965 for the stillborn Coventry Climax 16 cylinder engine, the rear frame modified to suit ‘RB620’.

Brabham started from pole and lead until the Lucas injection metering unit drive coupling failed. He achieved fastest lap but was the only 3 litre present.

Straight after the race the car was flown to Melbourne and fitted with Repco 2.5 engine ‘E2’ for the Sandown Tasman round on February 27, Repco’s backyard or home event…

Roy Billington prepares BT19 for fitment of the’RB620′ 2.5 Tasman engine in place of the 3 litre used in South Africa on 1 January 1966 (Wolfe/Repco)

Jack Brabham with RB Engines GM Frank Hallam at Sandown 1966. Publicity shot with BT19, long inlet trumpets give the engine away as a ‘Tasman 2.5’. Car sans RH side ‘Lukey Mufflers’ exhaust tailpipe in this shot ‘, sitting across the drivers seat. Rear suspension as described in cutaway drawing above, twin coils, fuel metering unit, HD500 Hewland, battery and ‘expensive’ Tudor oil breather mounted either side of ‘box (Brabhams World Championship Year’ magazine)

During a preliminary race the car set a lap record- the race won by Stewart’s BRM. But in the main race but an oil flow relief valve failed, causing engine damage, Stewart won from Clark Lotus 39 Climax and Graham Hill in the other BRM P261.

Upon dissasembly, it was found a sintered gear in the pressure pump had broken. The engine was then rebuilt for the final Tasman round at Longford Tasmania.

In a close race, with the engine overheating, the car ran short of fuel and was beaten by the two 2 litre BRM P261’s (bored out 1.5 litre F1 cars) of Stewart and Hill, Jackie Stewart easily winning the 1966 Tasman Championship for the Bourne team.

BTT19 being filled with the sponsors product, Longford paddock 1966 (Ellis French)

In early January 1966 the engine operation was transferred from Repco’s experimental labs in Richmond to the Maidstone address and factory covered in episode 2 where the operations were ‘productionised’ to build engines for both BRO (Brabham Racing Organisation) and customers.

So far the engine had not covered itself in glory but invaluable testing was being carried out and problems solved.

Meanwhile back in Europe other teams were developing their cars for 1966…

All teams faced the same challenge of a new formula, remember that Coventry Climax, the ‘Cosworth Engineering’ of the day were not building engines forcing the ‘English Garagistes’ as Enzo Ferrari disparagingly described the teams, to find alternatives, as Jack had done with Repco.

Ferrari were expected to do well, as they had done with the introduction of the 1.5 litre Formula in 1961, they had a new chassis and an engine ‘in stock’, which was essentially a 3 litre variant of their 3.3 litre P2 Sports Car engine, the ‘box derived from that car as well. The gorgeous bolide looked the goods but was heavy and not as powerful as was claimed or perhaps Repco’s horses were stallions and the Italian’s geldings!

Hubris or too little focus on F1 in 1966…on paper the Ferrari 312 shoulda’ won in ’66…when Surtees left so did their title hopes, Ferraris’ decline in the season was matched by Brabhams’ lift…

Cooper also used a V12, a 3 litre, updated variant of the 2.5 litre engine Maserati developed at the end of the 250F program in 1957 when it was tested but unraced.

Coopers’ 1966 T81 was an aluminium monocoque chassis carrying a development of Masers’ 10 year old ‘Tipo 10’ 60 degree V12. DOHC, 2 valves per cylinder, Lucas injected, and a claimed 360bhp @ 9500rpm. The cars were heavy, reasonably reliable. Surtees and Rindt extracted all from them (Bernard Cahier)

Dan Gurney had left Brabham and built a superb car designed by ex-Lotus designer Len Terry. The T1G Eagle was to use Coventry Climax 2.7 litre FPF power until Dans’ own Gurney-Weslake V12 was ready. Again, the car was heavy as it was designed for both Grand Prix and Indianapolis Racing where regulation compliance added weight.

Denny Hulme stepped up to fulltime F1 to support Jack in the other Brabham.

The dominant marque of the 1.5 litre formula , Lotus were caught without an engine and contracted with BRM for their complex ‘H16’ and were relying also on a 2 litre variant of the Coventry Climax FWMV 1.5 V8…simultaneously Keith Duckworth was designing and building the Ford funded Cosworth DFV, but its debut was not until the Dutch Grand Prix in 1967.

BRM, having failed to learn the lessons of complexity with their supercharged V16 1.5 litre engine of the early 50’s, and then reaping the benefits of simplicity with the P25/P48/P57, designed the P83 ‘H16’, essentially two of their 1.5 litre V8’s at 180 degrees, one atop the other with the crankshafts geared together. They, like Lotus were also using 2 litre variants of their very fast, compact, light and simple 1965 F1 cars, the P261 whilst developing their ‘H16′ contender.

Honda won the last race of the 1.5 litre formula in Mexico 1965 and were busy on a 3 litre V12 engined car, the RA273 appeared later in the season in Richie Ginthers’ hands.

Richie Ginthers’ powerful but corpulent, make that mobidly obese Honda RA 273 at Monza, the heaviest but most powerful car of 1966…it appeared too late in the season to have an impact but was competitive in Richies’ hands, a winner in ’67 at Monza…(unattributed)

Bruce Mclaren produced his first GP cars, the Mclaren M2A and M2B, technically advanced monocoque chassis of Mallite construction, a composite of balsa wood bonded between sheets of aluminium on each side.

His engine solution was the Ford ‘Indy’ quad cam 4.2 litre V8, reduced to 3 litres, despite a lot of work by Traco, the engine whose dimensions were vast and heavy, developed way too little power, the engine and gearbox weighing not much less than BT19 in total…He also tried an Italian Serenissima engine without success.

Bruce McLaren, McLaren M2A Ford Indy, Riverside 1966

Bruce testing M2A Ford at Riverside, California during a Firestone tyre test in early 1966. M2A entirely Mallite, M2B used Mallite inner, and aluminium outer skins. Note the wing mount…wing first tested at Zandvoort 1965. L>R: Bruce McLaren, Gary Knutson, Howden Ganley and Wally Willmott (Tyler Alexander)

So, at the seasons outset Brabham were in a pretty good position with a thoroughly tested engine, but light on power and on weight in relation to Ferrari who looked handily placed…

Variety is the spice- 1966 MotorSport magazine visual of the different F1 engine solutions pursued by the different makers

Brabham contested two further non-championship races…with the original engine in Syracuse where fuel injection problems caused a DNF and at Silverstone on May 14 where the car and engine achieved their first wins, Brabham also setting the fastest lap of the ‘International Trophy’.

Brabham , Silverstone Trophy 1966, BT19 Repco

First win for BT19 and the Repco ‘RB620’ engine, Silverstone International trophy 1966 (unattributed)

Monaco was the first round of the 1966 F1 Championship on May 22…

Clark qualified his small, light Lotus 33 on pole with John Surtees in the new Ferrari alongside. Jack was feeling unwell, and the cars were late arriving after a British seamens strike, Jack recorded a DNF, his Hewland HD 500 gearbox jammed in gear.

Mike Hewland was working on a stronger gearbox for the new formula, Jack used the new ‘DG300′ transaxle for the first time at Spa. Clarks’ ‘bullet-proof’ Lotus 33 broke an upright, then Surtees’ Ferrari should have won but the ‘slippery diff’ failed leaving victory to Jackie Stewarts’ 2 litre BRM P261.

Richie Ginther going the wrong way at Monaco whilst Jack and Bandini find a way past. Cooper T81 Maser, BT19 and Ferrari 246 respectively. Nice ‘atmo’ shot (unattributed)

Off to Spa, and whilst Brabham was only fourth on the grid…he was quietly confident but a deluge on the first lap caused eight cars to spin, the biggest accident of Jackie Stewarts’ career causing a change in his personal attitude to driver, car and circuit safety which was to positively reverberate around the sport for a decade.

The rooted monocoque of Jackie Stewarts’ BRM P261, Spa 1966. He was trapped within the tub until released by Graham Hill and Bob Bondurant who borrowed tools from spectators to remove the steering wheel…all the while a full tank of fuel being released…(unattributed)

Surtees won the race from Jochen Rindt in a display of enormous bravery in a car not the calibre of the Ferrari or Brabham, Jack finished fourth behind the other Ferrari of Lorenzo Bandini. Denny Hulme still driving a Climax engined Brabham.

At this stage of the season, the ‘bookies pick’, Ferrari, were looking pretty handy.

Another major new car of 1966 was the BRM P83 ‘H16’…love this shot of Jackie Stewart trying to grab hold of the big, unruly beast at the Oulton Park ‘Spring Cup’ 1966. The car got better as 1966 became 1967 but then so too did the opposition, the message of Brabham simplicity well and truly rammed home when the Lotus 49 Ford appeared at Zandvoort in May 1967…free-loading spectators having a wonderful view! (Brian Watson)

Goodyear…

Dunlops’ dominance of Grand Prix racing started with Engleberts’ final victory when Peter Collins won the British Grand Prix for Ferrari in 1958.

Essentially Dunlops’ racing tyres were developed for relatively heavy sports prototypes, as a consequence the light 1.5 litre cars could compete on the same set of tyres for up to four GP’s Jimmy Clark doing so in his Lotus 25 in 1963!

Goodyear provided tyres for Lance Reventlows’ Scarab team in 1959, returned to Indianapolis in 1963, to Europe in Frank Gardners’ Willment entered Lotus 27 F2 at Pau in 1964 and finally Grand Prix racing with Honda in 1964.

In a typically shrewd deal, Brabham signed with Goodyear in 1965, it’s first tyres for the Tasman series in 1965 were completely unsuitable but within days a new compound had been developed for Australian conditions, this was indicative of the American giants commitment to win.

By 1966 Goodyear was ready for its attack on the world championship, we should not forget the contribution Goodyears’ tyre technology made to Brabhams’ wins in both the F1 World Championship and Brabham Honda victory in the F2 Championship that same year.

Equally Goodyear acknowledged Brabhams’ supreme testing ability in developing its product which was readily sought by other competitors at a time when Dunlop and Firestone were also competing…a ‘tyre war’ unlike the one supplier nonsense which prevails in most categories these days.

Dan Gurney, Eagla T1G Climax, Spa 1966. In my top 3 ‘GP car beauties list’…Len Terry’s masterful bit of work hit its straps 12 months later when the car, by then V12 Eagle-Weslake powered won Spa, but in ’66 the car was too heavy and the 2.7/8 Climax lacked the necessary ‘puff’…Goodyear clad cameraman exceptionally brave!, shot on exit of Eau Rouge (unattributed)

The French Grand Prix was the turning point of the season…

Brabham arrived with three cars- Hulmes’ Climax engined car as a spare and finally an ‘RB620’ engined car for the Kiwi. Perhaps even more critically for Brabham, John Surtees had left Ferrari in one of the ‘Palace Upheavals’ which occurred at Maranello from time to time, fundamentally around Surtees’ view on the lack of F1 emphasis, the team still very much focussed on LeMans and the World Sports Car Championship, where the marques decade long dominance was being challenged by Ford.

Surtees was also, he felt, being ‘back-doored’ as team-leader by team-manager Eugenio Dragoni in choices involving his protege, Lorenzo Bandini. The net effect, whatever the exact circumstances was that Surtees, the only Ferrari driver capable of winning the ’66 title moved to Cooper, Bandini and Mike Parkes whilst good drivers were not an ace of 1964 World Champ, Surtees calibre…

Reims was the ultimate power circuit so it was not a surprise when four V12’s were in front of Brabham on the grid, the Surtees and Rindt Coopers and the two Ferraris. Surtees Cooper failed, and Jack hung on, but was losing ground to Bandini, until his throttle cable broke with Brabham leading and then winning the race.

It was Jacks’ first Championship GP win since 1960, and the first win for a driver in a car of his own manufacture, a feat only, so far matched by Dan Gurney at Spa in 1967.

It was, and is a stunning achievement, but there was still a championship to be won.

Jack Brabham French GP 1966 Brabham BT19 Repco

Brabham wins the French GP 1966, the first man to ever win a GP in a car of his own construction. Brabham BT19 Repco (umattributed)

Brabham’s BT19 leads out of Druids at Brands Hatch, ’66 British GP. Gurney Eagle T1G Climax, Hulme’s Brabham BT20 Repco, Clark’s Lotus 33 Climax and the two Cooper T81 Masers of Surtees inside and Rindt, then Stewart’s BRM P261 and McLaren’s white McLaren M2B Serenissima and the rest (unattributed)

At Brands Hatch Ferrari did not appear…

They were victims of an industrial dispute in Italy. Cooper were still sorting their Maser V12, the H16 BRM’s did not race nor did the Lotus 43, designed for the BRM engine. BRM and Lotus were still relying on 2 litre cars. Brabham and Hulme were on pole and second on the grid, finishing in that order, a lap ahead of Hill and Clark.

At Zandvoort, in the Dutch sand-dunes…

Jack was tough but had a sense of humor…he had just turned 40 a month or so before, there was a lot in the press about his age so JB donned a beard, and with a jack-handle as walking stick approached BT19…much to the amusement of the Dutch crowd and press (Eric Koch)

Brabham and Hulme again qualified one-two but Jim Clark drove a stunning race in his 2 litre Lotus leading Jack for many laps, the crafty Brabham, just turned forty playing a waiting game and picking up the win after Clarks’ Climax broke its dynamic balancer, the Scot pitting for water and still being in second place when he returned, such was his pace. Clark fell back to third, Hill finishing second, the Ferraris and Coopers off the pace.

Bernard Cahiers’ famous shot of Brabham ‘playing with his Goodyears’ in the Dutch sand-dunes is still reproduced by Repco today and used as a ‘promo’ handout whenever this famous car, Jacks’ mount for the whole of his ’66 Championship campaign, still owned by Repco, is displayed in Australia

German GP grid, Nurburgring 1966. I like this shot as it says a lot about the size of 1966 F1 cars and the relative performance of the ‘bored-out 1.5 litre cars vs. the new 3 litres at this stage of the formula. The only 3 litre on the front row, is Ferrari recent departee John Surtees Cooper Maserati #7, Clark is on pole #1 Lotus 33 Climax, #6 Stewart BRM P261, # 11 Scarfiotti Ferrari Dino, all ‘bored 1.5’s. Row 2 is Jack in BT19, and #9 and #10 Bandini and Parkes in Ferrari 312’s, all ‘3 litres’. The physical difference in size between the big, heavy Ferraris, and the little, light BT19 ‘born and built’ as a 1965 1.5 litre car for the stillborn Coventry Climax Flat 16 engine, is marked (unattributed)

The Nurburgring is the ultimate test of man and machine…

Brabham qualified poorly in fifth after setup and gearbox dramas. Clark, Surtees, Stewart and Bandini were all ahead of Jack with only Surtees, of those drivers in a 3 litre car!

The race started in wet conditions, Jack slipped into second place after a great start by the end of lap one and past Surtees by the time the pack passed the pits, Surtees suffered clutch failure widening the gap between he and Brabham, Rindt in the other Cooper finishing third. Hulme was as high as fifth but lack of ignition ended his race.

Hill and Surtees were still slim championship chances as the circus moved on to Monza.

Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme, German GP 1966

Denny and Jack ponder the setup of Hulmes BT20, practice conditions far better than raceday when Jack would triumph (unattributed)

Ferrari traditionally perform well at home…and so it was, Ludovico Scarfiotti winning the race on September 4.

Another power circuit, Brabham was outqualifed by five ‘multis’ the V12’s, the Ferraris of Parkes (pole) Scarfiotti and Bandini, the Cooper of Surtees and the H16 Lotus 43 BRM of Clark in third.

The Ferraris lead from the start from Surtees, but Brabham sensing a slow pace took the lead only losing it when an inspection plate loosened at the front of the engine, burning oil, the lubricant not allowed to be topped up under FIA rules. Hulme moved into second as Jack retired. The lead changed many times but Surtees retirement handed the titles to Brabham, Scarfiotti winning the race from Parkes and Hulme.

The cars were scrutineered and weighed at Monza.

The weights of the cars was published by ‘Road and Track’ magazine. BT19 was ‘Twiggy’ at 1219Lb, the Cooper T81 1353Lb, BRM 1529Lb, similarly powered Lotus 43 1540Lb and Honda RA273 1635Lb. Lets say the Repcos’ horses were real at 310bhp, Ferrari and Cooper (Maserati) optimistic at 360 and BRM and Honda 400’ish also a tad optimistic…as to power to weight you do the calculations!

Jim Clark jumps aboard his big, beefy 1540Lb Lotus 43 BRM whilst Jacks light 1219Lb BT19 is pushed past, ’66 Monza grid. Love the whole BRM ‘H16’ engine as a technical challenge…(unattributed)

2 of the ‘heavyweights’ of 1966, Ludovico Scarfiottis’ Ferrari 312 leading Jim Clarks’ Lotus 43 BRM at Monza, Scarfiottis’ only championship GP win (unattributed)

Jim Clarks’ Lotus 43 BRM achieved the ‘H16’s only victory at Watkins Glen…the Scot using BRM’s spare engine after his own ‘popped’ at the end of US Grand Prix practice. Jack’s engine broke a cam follower in the race, Denny also retiring with low oil pressure.

Front row of the Watkins Glen grid. #5 Brabham’s BT20 on pole DNF, Bandini’s Ferrari 312 DNF and Surtees Cooper T81 Maser 3rd (Alvis Upitis)

The final round of the 1966 was in Mexico City on October 23…

The race won by John Surtees from pole, in a year when he had been very competitive, and perhaps unlucky. Having said that, had he stayed at Ferrari perhaps he would have won the title, the Ferrari competitive in the right hands. Brabham was fourth on the grid, best of the non-V12’s with Richie Ginther again practicing well in the new, big, incredibly heavy V12 Honda RA273. Surtees’ development skills would be applied to this car in 1967.

Surtees finished ahead of Brabham and Hulme, despite strong pressure from both, whilst Clark was on the front row with the Lotus 43, the similarly engined BRM’s mid-grid, it was to be a long winter for the teams the postion of many not that much changed from the seasons commencement…

Mexican GP 1966, Surtees, Brabham and Rindt

John Surtees, Jack and Jochen Rindt, Coopers T81 Maserati X2 and BT19. Mexican GP 1966. Ferrari missed Surtees intense competitiveness when he left them, the Cooper perhaps batting above its (very considerable!) weight as a consequence, Rindt no slouch mind you. The Coopers’ competitive despite the tough altitude and heat of Mexico City. (unattributed)

Malcolm Prestons’ book ‘Maybach to Holden’ records that 3 litre engines ‘E5, E6, E7 and E8’…were used by BRO in 1966, in addition to E3, all having at least one replacement block.

Some engines were returned to Melbourne for re-building and at least three were sold in cars by Brabham to South Africa and Switzerland, whether Repco actually consented to the sale of these engines, ‘on loan’ to BRO is a moot point!, but parts sales were certainly generated as a consequence.

Detail development of the ‘RB620’ during the season resulted in the engines producing 310 bhp @ 7500rpm with loads of torque and over 260bhp from 6000-8000rpm.

Back In Australia…

The Tasman ‘620’ 2.5 litre engine was not made available to Australasian customers in 1966, they were in 1967, a Repco prepared Coventry Climax FPF won the ‘Gold Star’, the Australian Drivers Championship in 1966, Spencer Martin winning the title in Bob Janes’ Brabham BT11A.

4.4 litre ‘RB620′ engines were built for Sports Cars, notably Bob Janes’ Elfin 400, we will cover those in a separate chapter.

Development of the F1 engine continued further in early 1966 in Maidstone, whilst production and re-building of the ‘RB620’ for BRO continued, we will cover the design and testing of what became the 1967 ‘RB740′ Series engine in the next episode…

Meanwhile Brabhams’, Tauranacs’, Irvings’ and Repcos’ achievements were being rightly celebrated in Australia where ingenuity, practicality and brilliant execution and development of a simple chassis and engine had triumphed over the best of the established automotive, racing and engineering giants of Europe…

‘RB620’ 3 litre V8 in Brabham BT19, 1966 F1 World Champions (Bernard Cahier)

Etcetera…

Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme , Mexican GP 1966

Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme, 1st and 4th in the World Drivers Championship 1966. Mexican GP 1966, lovely Bernard Cahier portrait of 2 good friends. Graham Hills’ BRM P83 ‘H16’ at rear.

BT19 Repco cutaway (unattributed)

Brabham BT19 Repco on ‘centre stage’ at the 1967 London Racing Car Show (unattributed)

A fitting photo to end the article…the joy of victory and achievement after his Rheims, French GP victory. The first man ever to win a GP in a car of his own manufacture, Brabham BT19 Repco (unattributed)

Bibliography…

Rodway Wolfe Collection, ‘Jack Brabhams World Championship Year’ magazine, Motoring News magazine, The Nostalgia Forum, oldracingcars.com, Nigel Tait Collection

‘Maybach to Holden’ Malcolm Preston, ‘History of The Grand Prix Car’ Doug Nye

Photo Credits…

The Cahier Archive, Brian Watson, Tyler Alexander, Ellis French, Eric Koch, Alvis Upitis, Rodway Wolfe Collection

Tailpiece: The Repco hierachy at Sandown upon the RB620’s Australian debut, 27 February 1966. Phil Irving leaning over BT19 and trying to grab another fag from Frank Hallam’s packet. Norman Wilson with head forward leaning on the rear Goodyear, Kevin Davies and Nigel Tait in the white dust coat…and Jack wishing they would bugger ‘orf so he could test the thing. Nigel Tait recalls that the car probably had 2.5 engine #E2, had no starter motor and he the job of push-starting the beastie…

(Tait/Repco)

VI Gran Premio del Valentino, April 1952: Ferrari 375…

Posted: November 10, 2014 in F1
Tags: 1952 Indianapolis 500, 1952 Valentino Grand Prix, Alberto Ascari, Alberto Ascari Indianapolis, Ferrari 375, Nino Farina

Wonderful Pirelli Ad showing Ascari and Farina in their Ferrari 375’s at Valentino Park, Turin on April 6 1952…

Luigi Villoresi won the race in another 375 from Piero Taruffi and Rudolf Fischer both in Ferrari 500’s. Ascari #34 was fifth having lead strongly but running short of fuel with a leak, and Farina #20 crashed on lap 31 having pushed too hard keeping up with Ascari.

Ascari and Farina were in the latest long wheelbase ‘Indianapolis’ Models bound for Indy that May, whilst the winning car was a normal SWB 375.

In those far-off days there were many non-championship F1 races, 1952 was a strange year as Formula 2, for 2 litre cars counted for the World Championship, and Formula 1 races were run but were non championship events…Alfa Romeo withdrew from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1951, BRM were still struggling with their V16, the FIA believed only having Ferrari as a title contender was contrary to the interests of the sport, so F2 became F1 if you will, where fields were of greater depth!

Mind you, Ferrari had the game covered, the Ferrari 500, Lampredi designed 4 cylinder DOHC cars absolutely dominant in 1952 and 1953.

This non-championship race in Italy was well supported with entries from Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Osca and of course Ferrari who entered their 1950/51 F1 375 V12 engined cars, as well as their Ferrari 500 F2, but for 1952/3 cars contesting the world championship. Moss, Fangio, and Ken Wharton were entered in their BRM V16’s but the cars failed to appear, still not being race ready.

Valentino Park, located in Turin on the west bank of the Po River was used for motor racing from 1935 to 1954, different layouts were used varying in length from 2.92 to 4.8 kilometres.

(www.ferraristuff.com)

Farinas’ abandoned, crashed Ferrari 375, Valentino Park, Turin 1952.

These ‘LWB’ cars were being developed for Indianapolis in May, this chassis didn’t make the trip, it was too badly damaged to be repaired in time for shipping to the ‘States.

The shot below is of Nello Ugolini, Team Manager, Aurelio Lampredi, the 375’s Designer, Luigi Villoresi, Enzo Ferrari and Alberto Ascari gathered around a Ferrari 375 in 1952. Nice shot of the 4.5 litre SOHC V12, 3 Weber carbs and cold airbox also clear.

(Pinterest)

The Ferrari 375…

The 4.5 litre, normally aspirated, Aurelio Lampredi designed V12 finally broke the dominance of the Alfa Romeo 159, supercharged, straight-8, 1.5 litre ‘Alfettas’- Froilan Gonzalez famously won the 1951 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The chassis of the car was a conventional tubular steel frame fitted with drum brakes and a four speed ‘box. Suspension was independent at the front by upper and lower unequal length wishbones, a de Dion rear axle located by radius rods and using transverse leaf springs front and rear. Shocks were Houdaille hydraulic.

The engine was a 4493cc 60 degree V12 with SOHC per bank, two valves per cylinder and was fed by three Weber 42DCF carburettors- it developed circa 350bhp @ 7000rpm.

Etcetera…

(Unattributed)

Ferrari’s first championship Grand Prix win, British GP Silverstone 1951.

This evocative shot shows Gonzalez Ferrari 375 # 12 on pole, alongside is Farina Alfa 159, Ascari in # 11 375 and Fangio in the Alfa # 2 alongside him. Then Sanesi in the other Alfa and Villoresi in the final Ferrari 375.

Four ‘375s’were sold to American customers for Indy 1952, the only car which qualified and was classified was that driven by Alberto Ascari, here with his crew pre-race.

He was 25th of 33 starters, 19th fastest but put further back on the grid due to the peculiarities of Indy and the day on which you set your fastest qualifying time. He retired on the 40th lap, classified 31st in the event.

(Unattributed)

Alberto Ascari helps move a heavy looking Ferrari in the Indy Paddock. It appears as though some surgery has been applied to the airbox. In Indy spec the ‘375’ V12 had a capacity of 4382cc and a power output of 380bhp @ 7500rpm.

Photo Credits…

Pinterest, ferraristuff.com

Finito…

Francois Cevert: Formative years…

Posted: November 7, 2014 in F1, Features
Tags: 1966 Volant Shell Competition, 1968 French F3 Championship, 1968 Monaco F3 Race, 1969 European F2 Championship, 1971 US Grand Prix, Alpine A280 Renault, Francois Cevert, Jackie Stewart, Ken Tyrrell, March 701 Ford, Matra MS660, Tecno 69 Ford F2

(Automobile Year)

Francois Cevert applies some gentle correction to his Tecno 68 Ford F3 car, Rouen, France 1968…

I was researching another article and tripped over some photos of a very young Francois Cevert in an Alpine in his F3 days…

It reminded me of how many talented young drivers were killed before their prime well into the 1970’s- Francois, Tom Pryce, Gerry Birrell, Roger Williamson, Piers Courage and Tony Brise all spring readily to mind.

The monocoque chassis of the 1970’s were far stronger than the spaceframes of ten years before but as the width and grip of tyres and the aerodynamic downforce the cars produced improved, it meant that accidents, when they occurred at the higher cornering speeds could be particularly horrific. It was a collision with an armco fence, in an accident of this type when his Tyrrell got away from him which killed Francois at Watkins Glen in 1973.

John Barnards’ pioneering use of a carbon fibre chassis in the first McLaren MP4 in 1981 was a driver safety ‘game-changer’.

Cevert in his ‘Bell Magnum’ 1968 (unattributed)

As a young teenager just getting interested in racing Cevert ‘had it all’- dazzling film star looks, talent aplenty and racing for a team which was carefully nurturing his talent.

Ken Tyrrell recruited Francois into his Elf sponsored team after the retirement of Johnny Servoz-Gavin due to an eye injury. Jackie Stewart spotted Cevert in 1969 when contesting F2 races and suggested to Tyrrell he keep an eye on him.

Stewart immediately clicked with the young Frenchman, they had a remarkably mature relationship as teammates by the standards of today (Piquet/Mansell, Prost/Senna, Rosberg/Hamilton for example!) with Stewart mentoring the younger man, exactly as Graham Hill had done with the young Scot in 1965. Francois fitted into the ‘family team’ that Tyrrell was. Norah and Ken, Jackie and Helen Stewart, Derek Gardner and the mechanics was a famously friendly place to be- albeit a very competitive one.

Cevert made his Grand Prix debut in the team’s March 701 Ford at the 1970 Dutch GP, by the end of 1971 he won his one and only GP victory at Watkins Glen, ironically the circuit at which he would lose his life.

Stewart freely admitted Ceverts’ equal or superior speed in 1973, the team leading role Cevert was to play in 1974, when JYS retirement was planned was cruelly stolen from him.

Francois Cevert, Alpine A280 Renault, Brands Hatch F3 October 1967

(unattributed)

Francois in the Brands Hatch paddock (above) for the ‘ER Hall Trophy’ Meeting October 29 1967.

Alpine A280 Renault, DNF in a race flagged off after 10 laps due to the conditions, the top 10 finishers included future F1 drivers Henri Pescarolo, John Miles, Peter Gethin, Reine Wisell, and Derek Bell- the field also included future F1 drivers Ian Ashley, Gijs Van Lennep, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud, Dave Walker, Clay Regazzoni, Piers Courage, Howden Ganley…a field of some depth!

This article and photographs celebrate Francois’ time in his formative F3 and F2 years.

Cevert, born in 1944, originally became interested in racing via Jean Pierre Beltoise, his sister was dating the future French champion at the time.

After two years doing National Service he enlisted in a racing school at Magny Cours, winning the ‘Volant Shell’ competition, the prize was an Alpine A280 Renault F3 car.

Francois’ Magny Cours drive was funded by a married woman ‘Nanou’, he met her aged 19 and she fell for him during a holiday in which she too was completing the race course- the shot below is of his wet, winning drive in a Merlyn Mk 7.

(unattributed)

Francois and Patrick, Volant Shell 1966 (unattributed)

Patrick Depailler also contested the final, finishing second, here the pair of them are looking very sodden after the race.

The Winfield Racing entered car was underfunded and relatively uncompetitive in 1967 but Francois did enough to be offered a works Alpine drive for 1968 but he turned this down and talked his way into the Tecno team, who had a much more competitive machine.

Francois Cevert , Pau F3 1967, Alpine A280 Renault

Early in the 1967 season, April 2 with the Alpine A280 Renault, at Pau. DNF in the race won by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud’s Matra MS6 Ford (unattributed)

He missed five rounds of the French Championship but won the first he entered at Monthlery on May 12, he was immediately competitive in his Tecno. A strong fourth place followed in the Monaco F3 GP and put his name into prominence, Ronnie Peterson placed third, he too would make his F1 debut in a March 701 in 1970.

Francois then took further wins at La Chatre, Nogaro and Albi winning the French F3 championship that year.

Francois Cevert, Albi 1968, Tecno 68 Ford F3

1st place in the 1968 French F3 Championships’ final 1968 round at Albi. Tecno 68 Ford (unattributed)

Francois progressed to a factory F2 Tecno in 1969…

The Ford FVA powered Tecno 69 was a very competitive car also driven by fellow 1970 F1 ‘newbee’ Clay Regazzoni. The class was hotly contested by drivers including Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Piers Courage, the class contained both pretenders to the thrones of current champions and the champions themselves.

Johnny Servoz-Gavin won the European F2 Championship that year in a Matra MS7 Ford from Hubert Hahne in a Lola T102 BMW/ BMW 269 from Francois in third, it had been a strong debutant F2 season in a field of great depth.

Francois Cevert, Tecno 68 Ford FVA, Pau 1969

Francois Ceverts Pau 1969 was more successful then his 1967 visit- fourth in the F2 race in the Tecno 68 Ford FVA won by ‘F2 king’ Jochen Rindt Lotus 59B Ford FVA. High wings banned shortly thereafter by the FIA during the 1969 Monaco GP weekend (unattributed)

Francois Cevert, Tecno 69 FVA, German GP 1969

Francois in the Tecno 69 Ford FVA F2 car during the 1969 German GP. He qualified sixteeth, and second quickest of the F2 cars in a field of 26 cars. DNF after 9 laps with gearbox failure (unattributed)

Into 1970 Francois continued in F2 and was also picked up by Matra for their endurance program, the 3 litre V12 sportscars provided his first taste of real power.

Cevert drove for the team for the rest of his life, Servoz retired and the rest, as they say, is history and one of Grand Prix Racings’ great ‘mighta-beens’…

Other Cevert Reading…

Francois and Jack Brabham at Matra in 1970; https://primotipo.com/2016/09/09/jack-and-francois-matra-ms660/

Tyrrell Aerodynamic Evolution; https://primotipo.com/2016/05/31/tyrrell-002-monza-1972/

Etcetera…

Francois Cevert , Matra MS660, Monthlery 1970

(unattributed)

Jack Brabham and Francois Cevert teammates at Matra in 1970.

Jack was in his last year of F1 and Francois his first- winners of the Paris 1000Km at Monthlery in 1970, Matra MS660

Francois Cevert, March 701 Ford, Dutch GP 1970

(unattributed)

First Grand Prix, the Dutch in 1970, Team Tyrrell March 701 Ford.

Q 15 of 24 cars and DNF with an engine failure on lap 31 of the race won by Jochen Rindt’s Lotus 72 Ford. This was the tragic race in which Piers Courage lost his life in a high speed crash in his De Tomaso 505 Ford.

Francois Cevert, TecnoTF71Ford FVA , Imola 1971

(unattributed)

Cevert continued to do the occasional F2 race after he had broken into GP racing.

Here he is aboard a Tecno TF/71 Ford FVA, in the ‘City of Imola GP’ in July 1971. He was non-classified tenth in the race won by Carlos Pace’ March 712M Ford FVA. ‘Tyrrell nose’ quickly adopted by others after appearing at the French Grand Prix earlier in July, but pioneered by Chevron in F2.

(unattributed)

Francois and Brigitte Bardot at the Paris Racing Car Show in 1971.

By this time Cevert is a GP star if not an ‘ace’- the car is Graham Hills F1 mount of 1970, the Rob Walker owned Lotus 72 Ford- they make an attractive couple!

Cevert F3 victory celebration with parents, Tecno 68 Ford , 1968

(unattributed)

Francois celebrates a 1968 F3 victory with his parents, circuit not disclosed. Tecno 68 Ford F3.

Below, Ceverts #44 Tecno in the Monaco F3 paddock 1968- #39 Francois Mazet also Tecno 68 Ford mounted and #40 Etienne Vigoureux Martini MW3 Ford.

(unattributed)

Francois Cevert, Tyrrell 002 Ford, USGP 1971

(unattributed)

Francois, Monza 1971, Tyrrell 002 Ford.

He was third in that blink of an eye finish between Peter Gethin, Ronnie Peterson, March 711 Ford, Francois and Mike Hailwood, Surtees TS9 Ford- Gethin’s BRM P160 V12 was the victor by a tenth of a second from Peterson and Cevert.

Credits…

Automobile Year 16, DPPI, The Nostalgia Forum’, F2 Index, oldracingcars.com

Finito…

Alfa Romeo TZ2: Sebring 12 Hour 1966…

Posted: November 4, 2014 in Sports Racers, Who,What,Where & When...?
Tags: 1966 Surfers Paradise 12 Hour, Alfa Romeo TZ1, Alfa Romeo TZ2, Autodelta, Kevin Bartlett, Sebring 12 Hour 1966, Targa Florio 1966

Wonderful Sebring airfield shot of the Autodelta TZ2’s of Russo/Andrey and Bianchi/Consten…

The Ford GT40 X-1 Roadster of Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby won the race, Russo/Andrey winning their class and placing fourteenth outright, not bad for a 175bhp car, the Bianchi car did not finish.

Autodelta and TZ1…

Autodelta was formed by Carlo Chiti after the failure of ATS, the Grand Prix team formed by Chiti and other ex-Ferrari staff after the Commendatore’s purge of Ferrari senior-staff in 1961.

The TZ1 was a collaboration between Autodelta, Alfa Romeo and Zagato. It was designed by Autodelta using familiar 105 Series Alfa components including the engine, five-speed gearbox and differential. The car was clothed by Ercole Spada at Zagato. Autodelta used a lightweight multi-tubular spaceframe for the chassis, specifying an aluminium body, disc brakes and independent suspension, it weighed 660Kg.

112 Z1s were built for road and track, the car was quickly homologated into the 1600 GT category by the FIA’ becoming a class winner on both sides of the Atlantic. Alfa realised the importance of Autodelta to build their brand image via racing and acquired the company in 1964, moving it to Milan.

TZ2…

In 1965 the design was refined, creating the TZ2.

It was lighter, fibeglass was used for the body rather than aluminium, tipping the scales at just 620 Kg and lower at 41 inches high. Z2 was also more powerful, using a 1600 twin-plug engine which gave around 170bhp @ 7000rpm. The engine was dry-sumped to allow it to sit lower in the chassis. Z2 engines were prepared by Autotecnica Conrero in Turin, this engine was homologated for use in the last of the TZ1s and would be very effective in the GTA 105 Series touring cars in the years to come.

13 inch Campagnolo wheels were used to make better use of the racing rubber of the day, rather than the 15’s of the Z1. The chassis were built by Ambrosini, 12 were built, 10 racers plus a chassis each given to Bertone and Pininfarina to create ‘catwalk models’!

In standard form the car is sensational to look at, it’s low, swoopy and curvaceous with one curve merging into the other until ended abruptly with the chopped-off Kamm tail.

The TZ2 was raced five times in international events by Autodelta finishing first in class in all of them, Sebring inclusive. After 18 months of dominating the 1.6 litre GT class it was time for Autodelta to move on to bigger challenges but the TZ played a pivotal role in Alfas re-entry to sportscar racing. The Tipo 33 sports-prototype program picked up where the TZ’s finished, in fact the prototype T33 was powered by a TZ2 engine.

sebring 2 — The Russo/Andrey TZ2 being monstered by a Ford GT40 Mk2 (Pinterest)

The 1966 Sebring winning Shelby American entered Ford GT40 X-1 above driven by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby. The machine was a heavily modified GT40 Mk1 comprising an aluminium rather than steel chassis, Mk2 nose, no roof and a 7 litre/427 CID V8 as per Mk 2 specifications.

Zagato TZ Register…

http://www.zagato-cars.com/contents/en-us/d166_Alfa_Romeo_TZ_1_TZ2_Register.html

Etcetera…

TZ essential elements were a multi-tubular spaceframe chassis, 105 Series engine, gearbox and differential, about 170bhp in TZ2 GTA specification, disc brakes and independent suspension front and rear.

TZ1 Cutaway, but essentially the same elements in both cars as above, Alfa engine, gearbox and diff, spaceframe chassis all clad in a gorgeous Zagato body.

interior — Interior of a restored TZ2 (Pinterest)

testing 2 — The tough life of an Autodelta test drive! Balacco 1966, TZ2 (Pinterest)

targa — Targa 1966 was won by the Mairesse/Muller Porsche 906, highest placed TZ2 was the Pinto/Todaro car in fourth place outright, and first in class. Car # 114 in shot is the Zeccoli/Russo car which finished thirteenth (Pinterest)

targa 1 — TZ2 Targa Florio 1966 (Pinterest)

canguru — It’s generally regarded that 12 TZ2 chassis were built with two used as show cars. This is chassis # 750101 the Canguro, designed by the young Giorgetto Giugiaro whilst at Bertone in 1964. (Pinterest)

pinin — The other show car chassis # 750114 was allocated to Pininfarina, who built the ‘Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 TZ2 Coupe Pininfarina’ in 1965

Tailpiece: Surfers Paradise 12 Hour 1966…

Alec Mildren imported and raced two TZs to Australia, a TZ1 and TZ2, the latter is shown above looking all moody and evocative during the inaugural twelve hour race at Surfers Paradise in 1966. Kevin Bartlett and Doug Chivas raced it to third place in amongst the top-guns, the race won by the Scuderia Veloce Ferrari 250LM driven by Jackie Stewart and Andy Buchanan.

Photo Credits…

Nigel Smuckatelli, Pinterest, Carozzeria Zagato, Alfa Romeo, Stewart Johnson

Finito…

Masten Gregory ‘Readies For The Off ‘: British Grand Prix, Aintree 1959…

Posted: November 1, 2014 in F1, Fotos
Tags: Aston Martin DBR4, British Grand Prix 1959, Carroll Shelby, Cooper T51 Climax, Graham Hill, Lotus 16 Climax, Masten Gregory, Maurice Trintignant

Masten Gregory settles down in his fifth grid spot, works Cooper T51 Climax. Incredibly evocative period shot…

Gregory finished seventh in the race won by his team leader Jack Brabham with Bruce McLaren third in the last of the Cooper team T51’s, Moss splitting them in his BRM P25.

These amazing shots are from the ‘John Ross Motor Racing Archive’ http://www.johnrossmotorracingarchive.co.uk/index.php

Carroll Shelby in the Aston DBR4, Hill in #28 Lotus 16 Cliamx, #22 Ian Burgess Cooper T51 Climax, #30 Innes Ireland Lotus 16 Climax, #42 Ron Flockhart BRM P25, #36 Brian Taylor JBW Maserati…9 Cooper T51’s and 2 T45’s started the race…where Maserati 250F’s provided the bulk of the field 2 years before Cooper now filled that role! (John Ross)

Fireman at rest..whilst Trintignants Rob Walker Cooper T51 Climax passes…he finished 8th (John Ross)

Graham Hill’s Lotus 16 Climax, 9th (GP Library/Getty)

Peter Ashdown, Cooper T45 Climax, from Graham Hill, Lotus 16 Climax and Roy Salvadori, Aston Martin DBR4…12th, 9th, and 6th respectively (John Ross)

Masten Gregory, undated and unattributed but circa 1959…(pinterest)

Etcetera…

Aintree Circuit is located in Merseyside, Liverpool it is still used for motor sport in a limited manner, it last hosted the British GP in 1962

Cooper T 51 Coventry Climax, World Champion in 1959. Spaceframe chassis, 4 wheel disc brakes, IFS front by upper and lowere wishbones and coil spring/damper units. IFS rear by upper and lower wishbones and transverse leaf spring. 5 speed ‘box and DOHC, Weber carbed Coventry Climax FPF 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine developing around 230bhp

Credit…

John Ross Motor Racing Archive, GP Library/Getty

Finito…

Olivier Gendebien, Sports Car Ace…

Posted: October 29, 2014 in F1, Sports Racers
Tags: 1960 British Grand Prix, 1961 Belgian Grand Prix, Cooper T51 Climax, Ferrari, Ferrari 156, Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, Ferrari Dino 246 F1, Ferrari Dino 246SP, Le Mans 24 Hours 1959, Nurburgring 1000Km 1959, Olivier Gendebien, Phil Hill, Sebring 12 Hour 1959

Olivier Gendebien in the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 59 he shared with Phil Hill to second place in the Nurburgring 1000Km in 1959…

Olivier was an interesting driver, born in Belgium in 1924 he fought the Germans as part of the Belgian Resistance movement, joined the Britsh Army and became a paratrooper.

After the War he worked in the forestry industry in the Belgian Congo and met a rally driver, commencing his own rally career. He won the Tulip Rally with Pierre Stasse in an Alfa 1900 Ti in 1954 and soon came to the attention of Enzo Ferrari who signed him as both a Sports Car and occasional Grand Prix driver.

Another view of Gendebiens # 4 TR at rest in the ‘Ring pits. #1 is the winning DBR1 of Moss/Fairman, #15 is the Porsche RSK 718 of Umberto Maglioli/ Hans Hermann (Pinterest)

Grands Prix…

1961 Belgian GP, Spa. Gendebien finished fourth in a Ferrari 156, behind the other similar cars of Phil Hill, ‘Taffy’ Von Trips and Richie Ginther, Hill on his way to the 1961 World Championship.Gendebiens car is painted in Belgiums national racing color, yellow, the car entered by ‘Equipe National Belge’. Less powerful than his teamamtes cars, the 156 was still a formidable weapon (Pinterest)

He competed in 15 Grands Prix, making his debut in a Ferrari 625 in Argentina 1956 finishing fifth. His best season was in 1960 at the wheel of a ‘Yeoman Credit’ Team Cooper Climax , his best results in the French and Belgian Grands Prix.

Olivier Gendebien in the 1960 British GP, Silverstone. ‘Yeoman Credit’ Cooper T51 Climax (The Cahier Archive)

Sports Car Ace…

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 59, Olivier Gendebien, Sebring 1959. Gendebien shared the car with Americans Chuck Daigh, Phil Hill and Dan Gurney (Pinterest)

Whilst he was quick in a single-seater he was supreme in Sports Cars, Phil Hill the only driver who was his equal in the Ferrari Team during this period.

He first won Le Mans with Phil Hill in 1958, winning again with him in 1961 and 1962. He also won in 1960 with Paul Frere, his fellow Belgian. He won the Tour of Sicily, the Tour de France, and the Reims 12 Hour twice. Victorious also in the Targa Florio and Sebring 12 Hours thrice, he won the Nurburgring 1000Km once.

Gendebien was from a wealthy family, and under pressure to quit racing by his wife, retired after his fourth Le Mans win in 1962 aged 38. During retirement he ran a succession of businesses dying in the South of France in 1998.

Pitstop for the Gendebien/Ricardo Rodriguez/Mairesse Ferrari Dino 246SP, Targa Florio winners 1962 (Pinterest)

Le Mans 1959. The Gendebien/Hill Ferrari 250 TR 59, with Olivier sitting on the car talking to Phil Hill. Salvadori/Shelby won in an Aston Martin DBR1. Car # 15 is the Cliff Allison/ Hermanos da Silva Ramos TR . Both DNF(Pinterest)

Gendebien, left, and Hill enjoy the spoils of their 1962 and last Le Mans victory together. Olivier retired shortly thereafter. Car was a Ferrari 330 TRI/LM. The last front engined car to win Le Mans. Hill competed well into the decade, his last international win the Brands Hatch 1000km in a Chaparral 2F in 1967. (Pinterest)

Etcetera…

1959 French Grand Prix in a Ferrari Dino 246. Olivier finished fourth in the race won by his teammate Tony Brooks in a similar car. Olivier made his GP debut in a much less competitive Ferrari 625 in Agentina 1956 but still finished 5th on debut (Pinterest)

Ferrari pits Spa 1961. The 4 156 cars being prepared, Gendebiens yellow car contrasts the # 2 car of Von Trips, the winning #4 of Phil Hill, and Richie Ginthers third placed car # 6. The more you look the more you see… (Pinterest)

Same scene from the other side of the Ferrari pit (Pinterest)

Belgian butt shot..rear of Gendebiens Ferrari 156, Spa 1961 (Pinterest)

Gendebien watching the Ferrari 250 TR 61 of Ireland/Moss/Fulp/Tavano whizz past. It was disqualified for illegal refuelling. Olivier finished second in a 250GTO with Phil Hill. the race was won by the Bonnier/Bianchi Ferrari Tr 61 (Pinterest)

Photo Credits…

The Cahier Archive, Pinterest

The End…

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