3 replies to this topic

[funformula]

I read somewhere that the Tyrrell 008 for the 1978 saison was originally designed as a fan car similar to the Brabham BT46 which later won the Swedish GP with Niki Lauda.
Now, while reading the Ken Tyrrell biography, the Tyrrell 008 concept was brought into the team by Morris Phillippe who followed Derek Gardner as chief designer.
Morris Phillippe originally designed the car for another (abandoned?) team.
Does anyone has an idea what team that could have been?

[john winfield]

I read somewhere that the Tyrrell 008 for the 1978 saison was originally designed as a fan car similar to the Brabham BT46 which later won the Swedish GP with Niki Lauda.
Now, while reading the Ken Tyrrell biography, the Tyrrell 008 concept was brought into the team by Morris Phillippe who followed Derek Gardner as chief designer.
Morris Phillippe originally designed the car for another (abandoned?) team.
Does anyone has an idea what team that could have been?

A guess, but perhaps Maurice Phillippe had designed something for the Parnelli F1 project.

[AAA-Eagle]

I read somewhere that the Tyrrell 008 for the 1978 saison was originally designed as a fan car similar to the Brabham BT46 which later won the Swedish GP with Niki Lauda.
Now, while reading the Ken Tyrrell biography, the Tyrrell 008 concept was brought into the team by Morris Phillippe who followed Derek Gardner as chief designer.
Morris Phillippe originally designed the car for another (abandoned?) team.
Does anyone has an idea what team that could have been?

Thank you for this very interesting question. The answer is 1977-78 Willi Kauhsen F1 project. This was Kausen's first attempt to enter F1, which had appeared even before his Kojima venture.

As you may know, after 1975 and his work for Parnelli Jones, Maurice Philippe spent a couple of years working as a freelance designer before being hired in 1978 to replace Derek Gardner as chief designer at Tyrrell. In 1976 and early 1977 Maurice spent his time with his friend Emerson Fittipaldi as an adviser, helping him and his brother with Copersucar FD04, and putting some initial ideas to Copersucar F5 while it was on drawing board.

But in May 1977, when European part of WDC season started, right before Monaco GP, it was announced that Maurice Philippe officially back to F1 as a chief designer:

The German Willi Kauhsen -- former sportscar driver, former World Championship for Makes champion as a team manager (in 1975) with Alfa Romeo and current Kauhsen/Renault team owner in Formula 2 -- announces the launch of a new F1. Creation of Maurice Philippe -- author of the famous Lotus 49 and Lotus 72 -- the car will have innovative features, especially up to now unprecedented hydraulic suspension. The engine will be an Alfa 1500cm3 with turbocharging to be supplied under exclusive contract, leaving the 12-cylinder 3000cm atmospheric engines of Italian manufactures reserved solely for the Martini Racing/Brabham team.

[funformula]

Thank you for this very interesting question. The answer is 1977-78 Willi Kauhsen F1 project. This was Kausen's first attempt to enter F1, which had appeared even before his Kojima venture.

As you may know, after 1975 and his work for Parnelli Jones, Maurice Philippe spent a couple of years working as a freelance designer before being hired in 1978 to replace Derek Gardner as chief designer at Tyrrell. In 1976 and early 1977 Maurice spent his time with his friend Emerson Fittipaldi as an adviser, helping him and his brother with Copersucar FD04, and putting some initial ideas to Copersucar F5 while it was on drawing board.

But in May 1977, when European part of WDC season started, right before Monaco GP, it was announced that Maurice Philippe officially back to F1 as a chief designer:

The German Willi Kauhsen -- former sportscar driver, former World Championship for Makes champion as a team manager (in 1975) with Alfa Romeo and current Kauhsen/Renault team owner in Formula 2 -- announces the launch of a new F1. Creation of Maurice Philippe -- author of the famous Lotus 49 and Lotus 72 -- the car will have innovative features, especially up to now unprecedented hydraulic suspension. The engine will be an Alfa 1500cm3 with turbocharging to be supplied under exclusive contract, leaving the 12-cylinder 3000cm atmospheric engines of Italian manufactures reserved solely for the Martini Racing/Brabham team.
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Wow, thats really interesting that the Maurice Philippe designed Tyrrell 008 was originally meant for Kauhsen´s F1 Team. I was aware about the Kauhsen/Kojima connection but the Alfa Romeo Turbo story is new to me.
I guess that this hydraulic suspension Alfa Turbo project would have been too much/too difficult/too innovative for the new Kauhsen F1 team. Even the fully works supported Renault F1 team struggled a while getting their car fast and reliable.
But it may have been a good starting point if they had chosen an Cosworth engine instead and maybe far more competitive than the WK1 car they used in 1979.

Edited by funformula, 22 December 2012 - 22:16.