1950 Effyh “Special”
The early post-war interest in small displacement automobile racing in Europe was fueled by enthusiasm and petrol rationing. Money was tight and 500-cc home-spun race cars powered by motorcycle engines were relatively affordable. These cars were built on weight-sparing tubeframe chassis and were most often motivated by half-liter chain-driven JAP and Norton rattlers. This genre of racing became so popular in Europe that the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) added a Formula Three Class to its roster in 1950. And while F3 provided an ideal platform for the budget-minded hobbyist racer, it also served as a stepping stone for such greats as Stirling Moss, Jim Russell, Ken Tyrrell, and Peter Collins.
Over time, shade-tree specials gave way to professionally built F3 racing machines and a new industry was born. Cooper rapidly emerged as the dominant constructor, but several other manufacturers also sold well-built, competitive racers including Emeryson, Arnot, Deutsch-Bonnet, Monopoletta, Kieft, Scampolo, JBS, among others. A lesser-known Formula 3 builder opened its doors in Sweden, and that was Effyh.
