F2 / Atlantic / FB Race Car – 2021 Market & Price Guide

From 1964 to 1978, a series of flat-bottomed formula cars were manufactured to serve as steppingstones to Formula One and the upper echelons of open-wheel racing. In the late ’50s, F2 and F3 were consolidated into Formula Junior. However, with that category’s demise at the end of 1963, F2 was reformed, utilizing highly developed 1,000-cc, fuel-injected engines until 1966. From 1967 to 1971, racecars manufactured for F2 were equipped with a more powerful gear-driven Cosworth FVA engine, while in the United States many of the same chassis were being outfitted with Lotus twin-cam engines for what was known as Formula B. By 1972, F2 graduated to two-liter displacement, with engines being manufactured by firms such as Cosworth, Hart and BMW. During this same period, Formula Atlantic replaced FB, both in the United States and overseas, with similar chassis to the F2 cars, but running the 1,600-cc Cosworth BDA or BDD engine.

Though various models were sold in both F2 and Atlantic form, the F2 cars today command a much higher value due to their more sophisticated and expensive engines. The value of these F2 variants is also bolstered by the fact that they were usually driven by some of the greatest, current or up-and-coming F1 drivers of the day, names such as Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt, Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi and the like.

1967 Lotus 41 Formula B

By 1966, Colin Chapman’s Lotus cars designed and built sports racing cars which had won several national titles and had class wins at the Lemans 24 hours with its sports cars and a Formula One World Championship, Formula Junior Championship and a victory in the Indianapolis 500 with its’ single-seaters. Chapman ever the innovator and clever designer had brought airplane technology to Formula One and Formula One technology to Formula Junior and Formula 2. However, even Chapman decided that for reasons of cost, repairs and simplicity the 1966 Lotus 41 design would revert back to a tubular chassis construction. The 41 was to be raced in European Formula 2 and 3 and the American Formula B series. 61 cars were built. It was a new design from a new sheet of paper. The U.S. Formula B cars differed from the smaller displacement Formula 3 cars with the Hewland Mark 6 gearbox in that they used the larger 1.6 liter twin cam engine and the superior Hewland FT 200 gearbox. They also had larger 8″ and 10″ wheels from the type 33. Suspension was outboard wishbone front and rear changed from the inboard of the earlier monocoque design. Although this  tubular chassis did have stressed panels attached to it for greater rigidity. This was another example of the genius of Chapman’s Lotus cars during the golden age of motor sports. Jackie Oliver was a successful Lotus 41 driver of the era. The car faired quite well in the U.S. Formula B which was a good market for Chapman.

1974 Lola T360 Formula Atlantic

Eric Broadley’s Lola cars of Huntingdon Cambridgeshire was known for constructing top quality single-seater and sports racing cars. By 1974, they had just won the Formula 5000 championship with the T332, had ventured into the 3.0 liter Manufacturers World Championship with the T280 and had won the 2 liter European Sports Car Championship a few years earlier with the T212. Their design for the 1974 Formula Atlantic Championship was the T360. It was a monocoque design with outboard suspension, sleek body work and adjustable rear wing. It was powered by a 1.6 liter Cosworth BD engine mated to a Hewland FT 200 gearbox. 19 cars were built and used primarily as Formula Atlantic cars although Ted Wentz did convert one to Formula 2 specification. Competition was fierce in both the Canadian, US and British Formula Atlantic championships with entries from Chevron, Martini and March. Drivers such as Jaussaud, Depailler, Villeneuve, Brack and Rahal took part. Wentz did win in the English Atlantic series in Silverstone and Rahal and good success driving a T360 in the USA. The Atlantic series was always a great  feeder series into Indy cars or other Formula. Today there are historic venues for Formula Atlantic cars to race and it is a lot of race car for the money.

Criteria Used For Assessing Valuations for this Guide:

• Degree of Originality
• Overall Condition, Restoration
• Technology, Design, Coachbuilder
• Production Numbers/Rarity
• Competition History
• Ownership History, Documentation
• Modern Event Eligibility

Regional Variances

The prices stated in this guide are based on U.S. values. The values of historic racing cars can vary as much as 25%-35% in other countries, depending on local market appeal, currency rates, import duties, and VAT. Most of the time, we are able to document known sales or closed escrows, as they say in real estate. When this is not possible, a logical estimate of the car’s value is given, based on its sales history and relationship to cars of its type.

The prices stated in this guide are based on U.S. values. The values of historic racing cars can vary as much as 25%-35% in other countries, depending on local market appeal, currency rates, import duties, and VAT.