The Formula Junior category was introduced in Italy in 1958 by Count Giovanni Lurani, and in 1959 it became an International Formula. Shortly thereafter, in 1960, the British began to take a serious interest in the category, thus starting the rivalry between British and Italian cars.
The original FIA Formula Junior regulations defined the cars as single-seater racing cars with the mechanical components coming from a touring car of which a minimum of 1,000 units had been produced in 12 month’s time. The chassis was built within certain dimensions and to a weight minimum. The engine, gearbox, brakes, etc., had to be as derived from a production touring car. Therefore, there were a great variety of choices to be found on different cars, such as engines from BMC, Fiat and Ford, as well as gearboxes from Citroen, Renault and VW.
Formula Junior was in effect Formula Two and Formula Three combined with a maximum engine capacity of 1 or 1.1-liters, depending on the car’s weight. It was a single-seater training ground for young drivers from 1959 to 1963. It produced an endless list of future Formula One stars, including Chris Amon, Richard Attwood, Peter Arundell, Jim Clark, Denis Hulme, Peter Revson, Jochen Rindt, Joe Siffert, and John Surtees.
Lotus was the dominant force in Formula Junior, wining the British National Championship from 1960 to 1963; however, a dozen other small companies also produced cars including Bandini, Brabham, Cooper, Elva, Lola, Merlyn, Osca, Stanguellini and Taraschi.
These were in effect mini-Grand Prix teams with first class drivers, designers and mechanics. Ironically, Formula Junior, which started as a cost-savings effort, was ultimately stopped because the Formula One technology of the day was being used in this lower formula. The monocoque design of the Lotus 27 was a prime example of this technology.
Today, the large number of premium venues combined with very competitive grids has translated into a very strong market for Formula Juniors, especially in Europe. Having a legitimate Formula Junior allows one the opportunity to race at Goodwood, the Monaco Historic, and the Monterey Historic, to name but a few events.
1960 Lotus 18
Colin Chapman’s first mid-engined racing car, the 18, made a tremendous impact on the Formula Junior series. Team Lotus dominated the class and won the title with none other than Jim Clark driving. At least 125 were built; the cars were a popular seller for Chapman. The 18 had a tube frame design, outboard suspension, drum brakes, a Ford 105E engine and a Renault or VW based gearbox.
1960 OSCA
This entry was designed by the Maserati brothers. It was a beautiful front-engined Junior, with the cockpit offset to the right. It had a ladder type tubular frame, outboard suspension and drum brakes. It was powered by a Fiat 1089 cc 4-cylinder engine and a Fiat 4-speed gearbox. Colin Davis had some success, helping him win the International Championship in 1960.
1963 Cooper T67
The official works team was run by Ken Tyrrell and came with none other than Chris Amon and Peter Revson as drivers. The T67 was a tubular space frame, usually powered by a BMC 1098 cc engine and a Citroen six-speed gearbox. Suspension and brakes were outboard. About 16 cars were built. That makes owning a Team Tyrrell, Peter Revson-raced Cooper T67 quite special.
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.
LEVEL | VALUATION CATEGORIES |
|---|---|
I | The best combination of all criteria. |
II | Satisfies mid-range of criteria. |
III | In need of restoration. Meets only a few points of criteria |
