After some fifty years of automobile racing, the Grand Prix Formula, or Formula One, was formed by the FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) in 1950 with its first race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. This was to be the first World Drivers Championship, in the world’s most technically advanced single-seater racing cars. In 1958, the World Constructors Championship was added. Now one would at last know who the best driver in the world was, as well as which manufacturer had constructed the best racing car. FISA was Formula One’s administrative body, which saw that everyone played by the ever-changing rules. In this guide, I am going to cover the period 1966–1983 for cars built to a 500 kg to 585 kg weight minimum, and powered by 3.0-liter naturally aspirated engines.
Formula One started from very humble beginnings. Teams were comprised of a group of talented people working out of small garages, trying to find the money to go racing. During this time frame the miracle of the racing sponsor was created, and teams grew in size. Great inventions were designed, such as the 3.0-liter Cosworth DFV engine, the slick racing tire, aerodynamic aides ranging from simple wings to full ground effects. This was the beginning of the English racing car industry with manufacturers who relied heavily on Cosworth engines and Hewland gearboxes, and also marked the racing comeback of Alfa Romeo. World championship drivers included Andretti, Brabham, Fittipaldi, Hill, Hulme, Hunt, Jones, Lauda, Piquet, Rindt, Rosberg, Scheckter and Stewart.
Historic Formula One races are run by the U.S.-based Historic Grand Prix (HGP), which allows cars to run from 1966–1983 with 3.0-liter naturally aspirated engines, non-turbo engines, and no sliding skirts. In Europe there is the Thoroughbred Grand Prix (TGP), which allows cars built through 1985, but also non-turbo and with no sliding skirts. The GPM (Grand Prix Masters) permits cars built through 1977 that are non-turbo, non-ground-effect cars. The Monaco Historic Grand Prix is open to cars built in 1977 and before.
1980 Lotus 81 Formula One
Colin Chapman’s Team Lotus had dominated the 1977 and 1978 Grand Prix seasons and won the Drivers and Constructors World Championships with the Colin Chapman-, Tony Rudd- and Peter Wright-designed Lotus 79. Although Lotus had pioneered the ground-effects concept, the rest of the Grand Prix field had, by 1980, caught up with them. The Team Lotus design for the 1980 season was the Type 81. It was a further development of the Type 79 and Type 80. A ground-effects car with an aluminum monocoque, Cosworth DFV V8 power mated to a Hewland FG 5-speed gearbox, double-wishbone suspension, coil springs and shocks. It looked splendid in Essex livery of dark blue with red and silver accents. The drivers were Mario Andretti and Elio de Angelis and then the first drive for newcomer Nigel Mansell. Andretti scored points and Mansell had an interesting debut, with Lotus ending up 5th in the Constructors Championship with 15 points. Anytime one can see a Team Lotus F1 car on the track it is a pleasure.
1974 Tyrrell 007
The Tyrrell Racing Organization, run by Ken Tyrrell, had won the World Drivers Championship with Jackie Stewart in 1973 in the Derek Gardner-designed Tyrrell 006. They had also suffered the loss of French rising star François Cevert in an accident at Watkins Glen, and seen the retirement of Jackie Stewart. For the 1974 season, Tyrrell would have not only a new car design, but also two new drivers. Designer Gardner penned the longer-wheelbase Tyrrell 007, which was quite advanced with an aluminum monocoque, side-mounted radiators, all-inboard brakes, torsion bar suspension on the early version and later, in 1975, coil springs and shock absorbers. Despite still being Cosworth-powered with a Hewland gearbox, and still blue with the familiar Elf oil sponsorship, the car looked remarkably different than the 006. The drivers were South African Jody Scheckter and Frenchman Patrick Depailler. They achieved a 1-2 finish at the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. Scheckter won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, ran 2nd at the Monaco and German Grands Prix and 3rd at the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. Scheckter had a chance at the Drivers World Championship right through to the last race of the season. The Tyrrell Racing Team finished 3rd in the Constructors Championship and Scheckter finished 3rd in the Drivers World Championship. The new design was a success. So much so that the team ran the cars all through 1974, 1975 and the early part of 1976. Today they are very appealing as they fit into the pre-ground effects category in the HGP (Historic Grand Prix) series, making them eligible for races such as the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.
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 |
