16 replies to this topic

[Don Capps]

Doing some research for the 1964 series I am working on, I have been quite amazed as to the rather vague and misleading information that exists on the "Formula 1 Constructors Association" which was subsequently renamed the "Formula One Constructors Association." The dates for its creation are all over the calendar, generally in the 1970's, and the focus is inevitably on Bernie Ecclestone who seems to be generally credited with "founding" the organization. Only a few references seem to acknowledge that the F1CAFOCA emerged during the Winter of 1963/1964 with Andrew Ferguson serving as its secretary.

While I am still doing some digging and nosing around on F1CA/FOCA during the 1964 period, it seems to have been a lightning rod from the get-go, the unhappiness of BRP with the association being but one of several issues that have been forgotten in the passage of time.

At any rate, I am open to any assistance in the way of references and materials concerning F1CA/FOCA concerning its origin and the 1964 season. I have been working on peeling back the layers of this onion for several days and have found it quite interesting. Funny how much you forgot or didn't know as well as what you recall once you start poking around....

[Dennis Hockenbury]

Don, I have to agree that the origins of F1CA/FOCA are not well understood. Earlier this year, I did some poking about in an attempt to better understand this subject, and I must say that I did not find all that much.

This thread contains some of the references that I was using at the time.

I have a few notes that I made during that time at home. I will e-mail you a copy tonight.

[Pete Stowe]

Andrew Ferguson talked about the "Formula 1 Association" in an Autosport interview by Jeff Hutchinson in April 1972.
Ferguson had begun with Cooper in 1957, staying to 1960 doing the teams entries etc, and during that period Masten Gregory had also talked him into managing the affairs of other teams, such as Ken Tyrrell, Ian Burgess, Centro-Sud, etc. Then he moved onto Lotus for nine years.

Ferguson described the birth of the association :
"I had been involved with a similar idea since 1963 when I ran the Formula Junior Association. Then the constructors, who were building the cars for Formula 1 as well, asked why they couldn’t have a similar thing for Formula 1. So it was back to me again. A Formula 1 Association, then for constructors only, was formed in 1964 with four teams, BRM, Lotus, Cooper and Brabham. Then soon after Honda joined. Colin did not mind and I found myself handling their entries and any major dramas that cropped up. The Formula Junior Association became F2 and F3 associations which I was also running at the time. An American company also came up with the design registering the cars for model company purposes and I became secretary of a company called Grand Prix Constructors Ltd, which is what most of the magazines ended up calling the Formula 1 Association."

JH - Even after you had left Lotus you were heavily involved with the association?
"Yes. The Formula 1 constructors approached me and said, how about working for the association on a more organised full-time basis. In the old days we had a lot of opposition among the teams. In the days of the Frankfurt agreement which we had, new teams, like McLaren, would be getting far less than the established teams, for we had a fixed scale based on results. Obviously the format of the association was in need of a change."

JH - Is that when you began full-time work with the F1 Association, at the end of 1969?
"Yes, although I also had other involvements. I started working with STP looking after Mario Andretti’s European operation, plus the model company affairs and various other things."

JH - What were your first plans in reorganising the association?
"The first thing we did was to include the entrants as well as the constructors. The name then was the Formula 1 Constructors’ and Entrants’ Association. As in the past, any new members had to wait one year before being allowed to the meetings or have the power to vote, although all members received the results of these meetings."

JH - What exactly is the work of the association now?
"It has grown very complicated over the past three years. By 1969 the business of motor racing had become so complicated that just about all aspects of the sport needed attention and discussion among all involved. Trying to negotiate on an individual basis was becoming increasingly difficult for all concerned - problems with organisers and the CSI, etc, taking up more time than the constructors could afford. Unity was the only sensible answer.
During the early discussions with Colin Chapman in the tent at Zeltweg 1970 he came up with the idea of how much easier it would be to have team prize money, scale and appearance money agreement based on the Geneva agreement drawn up at the end of 1969. All the teams got together to work something out. This meeting included Ferrari, to whom I had been offering membership since 1964 and whom we had long regarded on a different plain. The result was the new Geneva scale with the switch from driver to team success, teams taking the limelight.
A team bonus was scheme was worked to help ensure the money would always be kept in the sport, sponsors now backing the teams rather than individuals. The team spirit appealed to Enzo Ferrari, who joined the association at Monza later that year. By that time we were representing all the major F1 teams and entrants. A scale for the European races for 1971 with a 20 per cent loading for races outside Europe. For that year Max Mosley of March and Phil Kerr of McLaren were chosen to represent the constructors and along with myself taking the minutes, met with the organisers. They had formed a similar body called the Triumvirate of European World Championship Race Organisers, headed by Martin Pfunder, vice-president of the CSI. We all get together for a chat and to discuss any problems between us and after a few meetings come up with a satisfactory agreement."

This has now drifted on somewhat beyond the 1964 season, but in August 1975 Autosport published a feature by Eoin Young talking to F1CA secretary Peter Macintosh. According to this, on leaving the RAF in 1971 Macintosh apparently asked people such as Ken Tyrell if there were any management opportunities in Formula 1 "At the time there weren’t but when the constructors got together and formed their association in 1973, Tyrrell remembered Macintosh and Peter was rescued from what looked like being a career as an airline pilot."

Whether this is just a misrepresentation of Macintosh becoming secretary of the association to follow Ferguson in 1973, or refers to a more significant reorganisation or new organisation that brought BCE to the forefront, I think I’ll leave for others to explore.

[Mickey]

Does anyone know what year the F1CA became FOCA?

Somebody at work just asked a tongue in cheek question (If Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino is called FIAT, why is the Federazione Italiana Consorzi Agrari called Federconsorzi?), and I feel like educating him ;)

[Don Capps]

Originally posted by Mickey
Does anyone know what year the F1CA became FOCA?

I will have to check the exact date, but it was probably around 1970, give or take a year or so.

In my research, the F1CA gets some mention in the racing rags of the day, but since most "knew" what was up, not a great deal of in-depth was done on it for several years, the group really becoming more public in the 1969/1970 timeframe.

[Mickey]

Grazie Don

[JtP]

Originally posted by Mickey
Does anyone know what year the F1CA became FOCA?

I am sure it was in the 80s after the 82 F1CA/ FIA war. Someone eventually told Bernie Enzo Ferrari's favorite joke and translated FICA from Italian to English for Bernie.

[fines]

I'm sure it was later than 1970, but earlier than 1980! My guess would be '76...

[AAA-Eagle]

F1CA was changed to FOCA just after Ecclestone was elected as F1CA president on the 6th of January, 1978. F1CA looked like Italian abusive 'fica' and that is why it was renamed. By the way it was the first ever Bernie's decree as Constructors Association president.

[Schummy]

And FOCA is the spanish word for "seal" This has originated a lot of funny situations when FOCA/FISA war was reported in spanish media ("La FOCA se está moviendo lentamente en contra de la FIA", etc)

[f1steveuk]

I thought it was 1973/4, at the suggestion of Lord Hesketh, that FOCA came into being, and was based at the Brabham works in Weybridge.

[Twin Window]

Steve

Sounds to me as if your dates (give or take) are more likely to be for the F1CA 'launch' as opposed to FOCA.

Twinny

PS Check your Personal Messages ('pm's)!

[Dennis Hockenbury]

Originally posted by Twin Window
Sounds to me as if your dates (give or take) are more likely to be for the F1CA 'launch' as opposed to FOCA.

The F1CA was formed in the late 1963 early 1964 timeframe.

[Don Capps]

In the Autosport for 7 February 1964, on page 175 there is a short bit in "Pit and Paddock" entitled "Formula 1 Constructors's Association" and stated the following:

The Formula 1 Constructors' Association has been formed, founder members being, Brabham, BRM, Cooper and Lotus. It was formed to promote the better interests of motor racing in the Formula 1 category, and particularly to encourage better understanding of the problems involved between constructors and promoters and organizers throughout the world.

Membership is open to any company or organization from any company fulfilliing the following definition of racing car constructor: (1) A constructor who builds all his car completely, or (b) builds a racing car without using a substantial number of parts from another constructor's products, and further © has completed one season of racing such a product and (d) has had his application for membership approved by the individual members of the association.

Secretary of the association is Andrew Ferguson.

Interestingly enough, this is one few contemporary references to the "F1CA" at its foundation, Motor Sport apparently ignoring this monumental event....

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by Pete Stowe

Andrew Ferguson talked about the "Formula 1 Association" in an Autosport interview by Jeff Hutchinson in April 1972.

AF - "I had been involved with a similar idea since 1963 when I ran the Formula Junior Association. Then the constructors, who were building the cars for Formula 1 as well, asked why they couldn’t have a similar thing for Formula 1. So it was back to me again. A Formula 1 Association, then for constructors only, was formed in 1964 with four teams, BRM, Lotus, Cooper and Brabham. [...] An American company also came up with the design registering the cars for model company purposes and I became secretary of a company called Grand Prix Constructors Ltd, which is what most of the magazines ended up calling the Formula 1 Association."

It is indeed strange that Motor Sport chose to ignore it, but even odder that in an Autosport interview the very bloke charged with running it got his own organisation's name wrong!

Twinny

[Don Capps]

Considering that nearly every reference to it is as the "constructors' association" from 1964 until well into the 1970s, little wonder the name was a challenge for Ferguson.

Actually, it is 1972 that I think the FOCA was "FOCA" since it tangled with the GPI gang both before and after GPI was formed and somewhere it was referred to as "FOCA" during this period -- the old canard of the 'F1CA' being there since day one.....

[Dennis Hockenbury]

Twinny, my apologies if my previous response seemed terse. Writing at the office sometimes comes across as clipped and overly to the point.

The F1CA to FOCA question is also one that I have long searched for an adequate answer. And there is so little published information available on this subject.

I believe that part of the mystery in all of this is the Ecclestone connection.

Ecclestone assumed control of the F1CA at a meeting held during the 1972 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. At this meeting he usurped the then F1CA secretary, Andrew Ferguson and replaced him with a proxy, Peter Macintosh. It is clear however that Ecclestone was the real power and made all of the significant decisions from that point onwards.

It was not until 1978 that F1CA officially changed its name to FOCA.

I think we all relate the Ecclestone takeover with the offical creation of FOCA in spite of the 6 year period that he was in control of the still existant F1CA.