F2 / Atlantic / FB Race Car – 2012 Market & Price Guide

From 1964 to 1978, a series of flat-bottomed, formula cars were manufactured to serve as a stepping stone to Formula One and the upper echelons of open-wheeled racing. In the late ’50s, F2 and F3 were consolidated into Formula Junior, but 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 2-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.

1976 Martini MK19 F2

Tico Martini was a Frenchman of Italian origin who worked with the Ecole Winfield driving school at Magny-Cours, which was run by the Knight brothers. (Thus the MK designation of the Martini racing cars stood for Martini Knight.) That is where the cars were built starting in 1969. By 1976, Martini had designed the MK19 F2 car. This was his second F2 design (the MK16 being the first) and it was very successful. It looked the part of a French racing car in traditional blue with Elf oil sponsorship. It was an aluminum monocoque construction powered by a 2.0-liter 24-valve 90-degree V6 Renault engine producing just over 300 horsepower. The gearbox was a 6-speed with a limited-slip differential. Team drivers were Rene Arnoux and Patrick Tambay. Arnoux had three victories and finished 2nd in the F2 championship. Tambay had one victory and finished 3rd in the championship. The MK19 was followed by the MK22, which was Martini’s last F2 car. Arnoux won three races and the F2 championship with the MK22. Great success came in a short time for Martini in F2, but the 1978 MK23 Formula One project was not a success and nearly bankrupted Martini. In F3 a young driver named Alain Prost won the title in the MK27, bringing success back to Martini. Today an MK19 or MK22 F2 car in its Elf livery is a spectacular sight to see, a sign of how racing was in the mid-1970s.

1970 Techno F2

Luciano and Gianfranco Pederzani started their Technokart business in Bologna, Italy in 1962. The first cars were powered by motorcycle engines for the small racing categories. By 1966, they had entered F3 with a Cosworth-powered car. Their 1970 Formula 2 design was to be a success. It was a tubular space frame construction with outboard suspension and brakes. Power came from a Ford 1.6 liter, modified by Techno. Later a Cosworth engine was used. The cars were not attractive—they looked awkward, but they were nevertheless effective. Team drivers in 1970 were François Cevert and Clay Regazzoni. Regazzoni won four races and the F2 championship, while rising star Cevert won one race. The little Italian Techno team had proven itself to be a championship winner. Ambition took Techno into Formula One, but the car was not successful and the costs were high. Today it is a rare sight to see a Techno F2 racing car, but they were great cars in their time.

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.