17 replies to this topic

[philippe charuest]

[philippe charuest]

[philippe charuest]

Obviously those 2 cars are closely related , id like to know the little story behind it, or anything about trojan

[petestenning]

The Jody Scheckter M21 , 1972, F2 car was one of the pleasent looking cars of the year. I first saw it at Oulton in 72 at the F2 race won by Niki Lauda's Works STP March 722.

Pete

[alansart]

Originally posted by philippe charuest
Obviously those 2 cars are closely related , id like to know the little story behind it, or anything about trojan

This is only from memory, but didn't Trojan build customer cars for McLaren which probably includes the M21, so it's logical that it may have been the base of the F5000 car.

I also took the photo of the M21 you've posted. One of my favourite cars

[philippe charuest]

thanks for the pictures. yes that m21 is a pretty car ,but not exactly a "small" formula 2, i wonder if the frame was not design in the first place to be a A/5000

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by philippe charuest
thanks for the pictures. yes that m21 is a pretty car ,but not exactly a "small" formula 2, i wonder if the frame was not design in the first place to be a A/5000

Taken in September at Oulton Park.

The M21 wasn't that big in comparison to the BT38 or the F2 offerings from GRD or March.

[kayemod]

Your suspicions are confirmed, the M21 and the Trojan T101 were essentially the same car. The M21 was originally a low-budget, ‘when we have a spare moment’ in-house Colnbrook project, and was quite successful in Jody Scheckter's hands, though it wasn't a 'lucky' car, suffering repeated problems with reputedly 'special' Cosworth BDGs. It was large by F2 standards, which ultimately worked in its favour, Trojan who built the customer McLarens needed a new F5000 car, they had originally planned to use the M19 as a basis, but the complicated multiple curvature design of the M19 monocoque didn't lend itself to series production, so they eventually used a slightly modified version of the much simpler all straight-lines M21 tub, grafting a M22 rear end onto it. The M21 was one of my favourite McLarens, and there's a story behind that boxy nose. The original was knocked up by McLaren’s Don Beresford, Workshop Manager I think in those days, a lovely guy and a pleasure to work with. He made it all by himself out of plywood, which of course isn't flexible, so there were no curves on it anywhere. He drove up to Specialised Mouldings in the McLaren Minivan, and I was presented with this item and asked if I could re-shape it into something slightly more elegant. It wasn't a bad piece of work by Don, but really just an open-ended wood box. He'd scribbled all over it in felt-tip with his ideas of how it should look, lines like "Finger radius here", and "This face to be raised ¼" in centre" etc. The final moulding was all my own work, though I had less to do with the cockpit surround, McLaren asked us to keep the cost down, and I think it was originally largely a cut & shut, but completely re-styled version of something we found outside on the scrap heap, possibly a Royale or something like that, and I also did at least one airboxes for it, though this was almost certainly a slightly modified version of someone else's box. So I can almost put ‘Stylist of the McLaren M21’ on my CV.

[Jerry Entin]

Trojan T-101 Ad

This was a very good and safe car. It was very user friendly and as good as any other F-5000 car that existed in 1973.

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by philippe charuest

Nice pic! (one of mine)

[David M. Kane]

Chris McAllister of Indianapolis ran a M21 in several Historic races a few years ago in the U.S.

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Stephen W


The M21 wasn't that big in comparison to the BT38 or the F2 offerings from GRD or March.

According to McLaren, the M21 dimensions were: wheelbase 92", front track 58" rear track 60". They also quoted an overall length of 150" and a width of 74", but how does that compare with the opposition? I remember that Don B and designer Ralph Bellamy were quite amused by the size at the time, they certainly thought it was a bit on the large size for an F2 car.

[picblanc]

And one of mine, seen before on another thread. 1974.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

[Red Socks]

Originally posted by kayemod


According to McLaren, the M21 dimensions were: wheelbase 92", front track 58" rear track 60". They also quoted an overall length of 150" and a width of 74", but how does that compare with the opposition? I remember that Don B and designer Ralph Bellamy were quite amused by the size at the time, they certainly thought it was a bit on the large size for an F2 car.

Chris McAllisters certainly reflects the above dimensions-its actually a little longer but a little narrower.

[Jerry Entin]

Monterey 1973 F-5000 race.
Jody Scheckter getting ready for his first win of the 1973 season.
Sam Winston is next to Jody, then Jerry Entin on the left is Kerry Agapiou.
Ron Bennett was also on the Sid Taylor run Trojan T 101.

Photo Dick Bame

[Jerry Entin]

Jody Scheckter at Mid-Ohio in 1973.
On the left front Kerry Agapiou and on the right side Ron Bennett and at the back Jerry Entin.
Race won by Jody Scheckter.
photo Carmen Entin

[philippe charuest]

Originally posted by kayemod


According to McLaren, the M21 dimensions were: wheelbase 92", front track 58" rear track 60". They also quoted an overall length of 150" and a width of 74", but how does that compare with the opposition? I remember that Don B and designer Ralph Bellamy were quite amused by the size at the time, they certainly thought it was a bit on the large size for an F2 car.

and what about the fuel cell . formula 2 didnt need much more then 100 litres but a 5000 probably more like 200 litres(± 45 gallons)

[Jerry Entin]

Kent Washington Last race of 1973 Trojan T 101.
On the right is Eppie Wietzes in jacket and just behind him barely visible is Dan Gurney.
On the side of the car is Kerry Agapiou.


photo Carmen Entin