(Schlegelmilch)
Silvio Moser’s Brabham BT24 Ford racing with Lancia D50 style pannier tanks during the 1969 Monaco Grand Prix…
He retired from the race won by Graham Hill’s Lotus 49B, Moser is one of those privateers who so enriched GeePee racing in the days when such things were allowed, encouraged even.
Silvio was keen on Brabhams, he raced an ex-works BT20, Denny’s chassis ‘F1-2-66’ in 1968 before buying the car above, BT24/3 after Piers Courage raced it in the 1969 Tasman Series.
Silvio is his Charles Vogele Racing Team Brabham BT20/2 Repco. DNF, Daily Mail Race of Champions meeting, Brands Hatch, 17 March 1968. Bruce McLaren won in his M7A Ford (Ed Lacey)
It was the last of the BT24’s built, Jochen Rindt raced the 1967 championship winning design during early season 1968 Grands Prix whilst Jack tried to coax some reliability from the quad cam, 32 valve, powerful but problematic ‘860 Series’ Repco V8 engined BT26.
Jochen Rindt’s Brabham BT24/3 Repco, his ’67 spec ‘740 Series’ Repco SOHC V8 powered car beside Jack’s new BT26 powered by the ‘860 Series’ DOHC, 32 valve V8, DNF for both, Monaco 1968. Hill won in a Lotus 49 B Ford (R Schlegelmilch)
Dan Gurney also had a steer, the lanky Californian crammed himself into the car at Zandvoort (below) then Kurt Ahrens raced it to twelfth in the German GP, the cars only GP finish in 1968.
(R Schlegelmilch)
Kurt Ahrens (below) in BT24/3 during the awfully wet German GP at the Niuburgring, Jackie Stewart triumphed in his Matra MS10 Ford aided by some trick Dunlop wets that day. Kurt was on Goodyears, finishing in a one off drive on home turf.
The cars spec was ever evolving, check out the wing package, the same as that used on the factory 1968 BT26’s, Nurburgring was the only race of the year in which both Jack and Jochen finished a race in the fast but unreliable BT26. Kurt’s cars wing has ‘Fosters Flop’, it’s in full droop mode, the simple support bracket came adrift on the bumpy Eifel Mountains course.
(Unattributed)
Frank Williams then bought the car and converted it to Tasman spec by fitting a Ford Cosworth DFW V8, the 2.5 litre variant of the famous DFV. Piers did well in it in the Antipodes, his best result a win at the Teretonga International on 25 January 1969.
Here (below) he is behind Jochen Rindt’s Lotus 49 DFW and the Ferrari 246T twins of Chris Amon and Derek Bell, the ‘flash’ grandstands are nicely juxtaposed against the cars. This must be the warm up lap as Jochen’s driveshaft failed on the line, the cars are in grid order.
(Ian Peak)
And below Bell’s Ferrari 246T from Hill’s Lotus 49B and Courage’s BT24/3. Courage won from Hill and Amon. Variety of approaches to wings is interesting, checkout that crowd and the el-casual vantage points.
(Ian Peak)
Courage had a prophetic summer to a sensational F1 season driving another ex-works Brabham, a BT26 adapted to accept a DFV, he established himself as an Grand Prix front runner in 1969, second at Watkins Glen to Jochen Rindt the seasons highlight.
Frank Williams then popped the BT24 into the ‘Autosport’ classifieds after the Tasman to sell it, Silvio was the eager purchaser. All the hard work had been done, he bought a DFV and slotted it into the spaceframe whence the DFW had been. He needed more fuel tankage though, Tasman races were 100 miles, GP’s were 200 miles and the DFV was a good deal more powerful and less fuel efficient than the Repco 740 around which the car was designed, hence the pannier tanks- ok for 1969 but no-go in 1970 when ‘bag tank’ rules came into being.
BT24/3 still exists in Switzerland, owned by the Moser family, there is also a replica tagged 24/3.
Silvio’s Brabham BT24 DNF engine, about to be swallowed by Amon’s Ferrari 312 3rd, Hulmes McLaren M7A Ford 4th and Brabham’sBrabham BT26 Ford 6th, Zandvoort, Dutch GP June 1969 (unattributed)
Etcetera…
(unattributed)
A nice close-up of BT24/3’s Tasman specification during the Australian Grand Prix weekend at Lakeside on the 2 February 1969 weekend.
The DFV was not mounted as a stressed member in this spaceframe chassis. Two big, tall wings- note the lack of endplates and front winglets, perhaps the wings were made by the factory- Motor Racing Developments.
Piers went like a jet in practice, popping the hybrid second on the grid to Amon’s AGP winning Ferrari. In the race he had a difference of territorial opinion with Graham Hill attempting an outside pass on the Lotus 49 at BMC Corner- they touched, Piers retired with bent front suspension.
It was all a pointed to a great season for the plucky, popular but sadly, ill-fated Brit.
Credits…
Rainer Schlegelmilch, Ed Lacey/Popperfoto, Ian Peak Collection/The Roaring Season, Denis Lupton
oldracingcars.com- click here for Allen Brown’s summary of the Brabham BT24s; https://www.oldracingcars.com/brabham/bt24/
Tailpiece: Silvio Moser on his way to a great sixth place in his Brabham BT24/3 Ford at Watkins Glen during the 1969 USGP, he is being passed by Jacky Ickx’ latest, works Brabham BT26A Ford, DNF. Jochen Rindt won in a Lotus 49B Ford…
(unattributed)
Finito…
primotipo... 