39 replies to this topic

[rdrcr]

I'm curious to know about one car in particular, the Chevron B41. The one and only car ever designed by Derek Bennett Engineering to compete in an F1 class. Though it never appeared in a 'proper' F1 event, it did run a season of the Aurora AFX Championship - driven primarily by Tiff Needell and David Leslie. Its best finish was 2nd on its first outing at Zolder. The car was also seen at Non-World Championship events like the "Race of Champions" in '79. Does anyone have info regarding the lineage of this car up to date?

I tried to contact Allen Brown as he has some info on this chassis but my email was replied to via 'automated response' with nothing written in the message field. So, this is my next step.

In addition, feel free to discuss other "one offs" of the Grand Prix or F1 class.

[Mallory Dan]

Richard

The B41 was started by Bennett, I think, but left alone after he died. It was then resurrected for the 79 Aurora series by Graham Eden, and sponsored by the "Durex Eden Award Scheme", a very worthy attempt to put young British drivers in an F1 car. The intention was to give 3 drivers 4 races each, as I recall. It started with Needell, who went OK, then Ray Mallock took it over, as he was then going very well in Atlantic, and perhaps still had hopes of an 'International single seater career'. At that point the scheme seemed to lose its way a little, Needell came back in for a race or 2, then Kim Mather got 2 races near the end, before Tiff had a final go at the end.

I guess that as the Aurora got more competitive that year with more wing-cars, the B41 started to look less good. After all it had been designed in I think 77, possibly earlier still.

Eden retained the car, and Mike Wilds had a final go in it at the last Aurora race at Silverstone in October 80. He went very well, finishing 4th, against much more modern cars.

DR

[petefenelon]

Another "small family car"

It's difficult (Derek being Derek) to know what the intentions for the B41 really were, there was a lot of talk of Trivellato continuing a relationship with Chevron and entering a car for Patrese though... I think given the way it was essentially hand-built by Derek in a corner of the factory it was probably seen by him as no more than a toe in the water for a 'proper' go at F1 later.

Unfortunately Derek's accident combined with the sea-change that ground-effects brought to F1 meant that we never really saw what Chevron might've done in the top category. I wish they'd tried F1 a few years earlier - sticking a DFV in the back of something somewhere between a B24 and a B25 could've put them at least in the upper midfield, I reckon...

[ian senior]

Unfortunately Derek's accident combined with the sea-change that ground-effects brought to F1 meant that we never really saw what Chevron might've done in the top category. I wish they'd tried F1 a few years earlier - sticking a DFV in the back of something somewhere between a B24 and a B25 could've put them at least in the upper midfield, I reckon... [/B][/QUOTE]

Quite how Chevron would have fared had Derek not died is one of those "what if" debates that we will never resolve. Perhaps F1 was something he felt he ought to try, rather than being fully commited to it. The way the B41 evolved does suggest this. I think he would have risen to the challenge of aerodynamics, given his interest in flight and aircraft, but he probably wouldn't have fared too well at coping with the differing methods of chassis construction that were adopted in the early 80s. If he couldn't have constructed prototypes on his "piecemeal with a welding kit" basis, he would probably have been a bit lost. I somehow feel that he would not have wanted to continue if he couldn't carry on as before. But perhaps there would have been a new venture into the world of hang gliding, given his latter obsession with such things. Perhaps the Chevron badge would still be around today on such deathtraps.

Off at a tangent - am I right in thinking that Derek's last race as a driver was the Croft International in 1971, at the wheel of a B19? If so, I was there.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by ian senior

Quite how Chevron would have fared had Derek not died is one of those "what if" debates that we will never resolve. Perhaps F1 was something he felt he ought to try, rather than being fully commited to it. The way the B41 evolved does suggest this. I think he would have risen to the challenge of aerodynamics, given his interest in flight and aircraft, but he probably wouldn't have fared too well at coping with the differing methods of chassis construction that were adopted in the early 80s. If he couldn't have constructed prototypes on his "piecemeal with a welding kit" basis, he would probably have been a bit lost. I somehow feel that he would not have wanted to continue if he couldn't carry on as before. But perhaps there would have been a new venture into the world of hang gliding, given his latter obsession with such things. Perhaps the Chevron badge would still be around today on such deathtraps.

Off at a tangent - am I right in thinking that Derek's last race as a driver was the Croft International in 1971, at the wheel of a B19? If so, I was there.

Something I posted on the thread about the B49 a couple of weeks back:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by MCS
I think John Lewis built his own - it was absolutely immaculate I recall, but then all his cars were.

Alan Smith was based in Germany, but I can't remember why - sorry! Was he a mechanic for Maurer or somebody?

Incidentally - and please forgive me here - Chevron failed not because of the performance of the 1979 cars, but because of fundamental mis-management of the company after Derek Bennett's tragic death...

MCS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Agreed, Derek's sister seemed to think that the company could survive without a 'new Derek' - and didn't want to relinquish any control. Tony Southgate never really got a fair crack of the whip as 'consultant designer', although I wonder if Chevron was really in any position to survive into the ground-effects era.

I think the 80s might've been unkind to Chevron anyway even if Derek had survived - carbon tubs and ground-effects aerodynamics don't really sit well with a vision of Derek pottering around the factory with a welding torch in his hand improvising away at the cars. And days in the wind tunnel rather than taking the car down to Oulton or Aintree and seeing what it felt like? Hmmm. And I think the kind of slick salesmanship that Rick Gorne applied to Reynard would've been anathema to Derek.

It would've been nice to see Chevrons involved in F2 and F3000 through the 80s though, and I'm sure Derek would've enjoyed the prototype revival of the 90s - doesn't take much daydreaming to imagine the kind of rugged, quick and elegant 675 he might've built...

pete

[Mallory Dan]

Pete

Agree with you on the end of Chevron, and possible future prospects if Derek hadn't died.

Though I never knew him, and have no technical knowledge at all in these matters, I don't feel he'd have prospered into the 80s. Not that he couldn't have coped with 'Ground effects' or 'Aero packages'. Its just that as racing got more 'professional' (don't you hate that word), I fear Derek may have lost even more interest. I agree he could have carried on with Sportscars, I like to think he'd have made some great C2/IMSA Lights, but I think Chevron may have struggled a little in F2/F3, as style/presentation/bullshit generally seemed to get more important than engineering.

Dan

[rdrcr]

Thanks for the insights and theories gents... Do you suppose that the B41 project was sold out of the assets of Derek Bennett or was the car bought by Graham Eden and then finished by the crew at DB Engineering? From Allen's website www.oldracingcars.com there is the race data of the B41 for the AFX series and shows the drivers and finishing results. Other sources show the car at the Race of Champions - There was some mention of it being used in other events but I could find no results from the 1979 / 1980 / 81 period. My question apart from the first one, is, what became of that car throughout its ownership history - what I referred to as its "lineage". I have sent another email to R.S. about that particular matter.

I'd ruminate that Derek was quite a resourceful and adaptive fellow and I dare say that his follow-through would have included a top-flight aerodynamicist and sufficient engineering assistance if he wanted to compete at the sharp end of the F1 field. Though I do concur with the majority of what all of you have said. His talents would have been better directly served with the C2 class, IMSA Camel Lights cars and Sports Racing cars - evolving into what is now known as the 675 LMP class and perhaps the 900's as well. Though in thinking that... An effort such as constructing modern prototype sports cars still entails quite a bit of that advanced engineering, as tube built cars went by the wayside quite a while ago. The necessity for CAD generated designs and composite fabrication would have pulled him in a different direction I think.

I'd categorize Dan's statement of "professionalism" to be more of "commercialism" but I believe the point is the same.

[dolomite]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
Richard

Eden retained the car, and Mike Wilds had a final go in it at the last Aurora race at Silverstone in October 80. He went very well, finishing 4th, against much more modern cars.

DR

I was there and I have one rather poor photo of the B41 in its last race, which I've managed to make marginally less blurred via severe application of Photoshop.

Here Mike Wilds chases Giacomo Agostini's Williams and the bodged-about Fittipaldi of Val Musetti.

[Allen Brown]

Hi Richard

Are people still getting that irritating 'automated repsonse' from my site. I thought I'd killed that off ages ago.

I did reply earlier this evening to your email but I'm afraid I hadn't realised that the Richard of the email was the same 'rdrcr' that I knew so well from TNF. Now I know who I'm talking to, I'm happy to tell you all I know.

I think the 1979 season has been covered already. The car was then completely rebuilt for the 1980 season when it was expected that Tiff Needell would race the car in selected races. Its first race was due to be at Silverstone in April but the car was withdrawn amid reports that it had been sold to a German enthusiast. It was not seen again until re-emerging in October, now in plain blue livery and carrying only the name of Graham Eden Racing, to be driven at Silverstone by Mike Wilds. Wilds had all sorts of trouble in practice and lined up only ninth, but raced well to finish fourth. The B41 was advertised by Eden the following March, together with DFV’s 248 and 253.

The car was sold, reputedly directly from Graham Eden, to Jan Lundgardh of Hasselholm, Sweden. The car remained untouched for many years and was being advertised by Lundgardh in 1990. There were rumours that it would be out in historic F1 in 1993. I saw the car at Donington in September 1995, when being driven by Lundgardh but I haven't kept up to date with its subsequent travels.

I should point out that the "International Race of Champions" and the "Race of Champions" are two completely different things. The B41 did indeed appear at the RoC in 1979 but IROC is for taxi cabs.

A quick comment on sources: Autosport (17 Apr 1980 p5, 24 Apr 1980 p16, 9 Oct 1980 p27) give the story of its 1980 season and it was Helen Malkie (in March 1991) who told me about its life in Sweden.

Allen

[rdrcr]

Hi Allen,

Check your email again, as I've written back. ...and yes your automated response was still on as of yesterday.

I know the difference between the IROC and RoC - my fingers were working independent of my brain - see the first post - I got it correct then...

Thanks for the lineage as you know it - much appreciated. Helen too, lost track of the car after 1995. There were reports, so far unfounded, of its sale - so we're just curious to know of its current whereabouts.

We'll find the thing in due course - no doubt...

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
Hi Richard

Are people still getting that irritating 'automated repsonse' from my site. I thought I'd killed that off ages ago.



I should point out that the "International Race of Champions" and the "Race of Champions" are two completely different things. The B41 did indeed appear at the RoC in 1979 but IROC is for taxi cabs.



Allen

Further clarification needed here. The 1979 Race of Champions was run concurrently with the Aurora AFX round,when the RoC was snowed off from its original March date.The Chevron was in the Aurora class so never officially took part in 'proper' FOCA F1.

[Mallory Dan]

That Brands RoC race was i think on Easter Monday that year. Pretty poor Aurora turnout as I remember, Guy Edwards won from de Dryver in their RAM Fittipaldis. The F2 cars that usually raced with the Aurora F1s raced with the Atlantics that day instead, anyone recall who won the F2 and Atlantic sections ??? I guess a few of the regular F2s were at Thruxton, eg Dickson/Mather/Booth.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
That Brands RoC race was i think on Easter Monday that year. Pretty poor Aurora turnout as I remember, Guy Edwards won from de Dryver in their RAM Fittipaldis. The F2 cars that usually raced with the Aurora F1s raced with the Atlantics that day instead, anyone recall who won the F2 and Atlantic sections ??? I guess a few of the regular F2s were at Thruxton, eg Dickson/Mather/Booth.

The Brands racing was on SUNDAY so as not to clash with F2 at Thruxton on the Monday. I remember going to both.

[rdrcr]

In case anyone is still interested - This cars' lineage has been successfully traced and is currently still in the hands of Jan Lundgardh of Hasselholm, Sweden. He is no longer campaigning the car as it is in need of some extensive repair. At last report, his asking price was deemed too dear for acquisition at present.

Thanks to all.

[roger_valentine]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
It was then resurrected for the 79 Aurora series by Graham Eden, and sponsored by the "Durex Eden Award Scheme

Possibly o/t - possibly not. Can anyone tell me anything more about Graham Eden/Graham Eden Racing? Is this the same Graham Eden I saw driving a Cooper T51 at Oulton Park in 1961, and who then went on to drive an Emeryson in 1962? Mike Lawrence (Grand Prix Cars 1945-65) has Graham Eden involved in a fascinating project: the Cooper-Arden, powered by an AJB-Norton engine. Lawrence says the car appeared just once, at a club race at Silverstone. Which Silverstone race would that be? The Formula One Record Book has an entry for Graham in a Cooper-Arden (Climax engine) at Snetterton in March 1964. So, what was the Cooper-Arden (was it Graham's old T51 from 1961?), and did it actually race with the AJB engine? (Or indeed, with a Climax engine)?

[Jeremy Jackson]

Richard,

Is the photo at the top of the thread of Lundgardh in the 1990s?

The helmet & race number don't seem to tally with the car during 1979, unless somebody knows different...

[Maldwyn]

Originally posted by petefenelon
there was a lot of talk of Trivellato continuing a relationship with Chevron and entering a car for Patrese though...

According to Riccardo there was talk about this, but nothing more than talk. The idea of Trivellato in F1 never developed any further.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Jeremy Jackson
Richard,

Is the photo at the top of the thread of Lundgardh in the 1990s?

The helmet & race number don't seem to tally with the car during 1979, unless somebody knows different...

Neither, now you mention it, do the big Q8 Oils signs - don't think that brand appeared until the late 80s at the earliest!

[Mallory Dan]

Jeremy/Pete

You're right about that photo, it does look a bit 'odd'. I presume the corner is Druids at Brands. I think the car ran no.6 all year in 79, so it can only have been renumbered for that RoC on easter Sunday. The Q8 bit is strange, I'm with you Pete, I think they only started advertiising in Britain in the late-80s.

[Jeremy Jackson]

Dan,

Yu're right it was no. 6 in 1979, but it ran as no.46 at the race of Champions, with Needell - and anyway that ain't him!

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
Jeremy/Pete

You're right about that photo, it does look a bit 'odd'. I presume the corner is Druids at Brands. I think the car ran no.6 all year in 79, so it can only have been renumbered for that RoC on easter Sunday. The Q8 bit is strange, I'm with you Pete, I think they only started advertiising in Britain in the late-80s.

I don't think so. It was driven at Brands by Tiff Needell who has always warn an orange helmet.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Rob29
I don't think so. It was driven at Brands by Tiff Needell who has always warn an orange helmet.

He did have a white helmet around this time. But are those Avons on the top car? The decals also do not match, the number 33 looks modern, and the durex writing does not have the shadow lining. Pretty certain this is a modern photo.

[Rob Ryder]

Originally posted by Mallory Dan
Jeremy/Pete
You're right about that photo, it does look a bit 'odd'. I presume the corner is Druids at Brands. I think the car ran no.6 all year in 79, so it can only have been renumbered for that RoC on easter Sunday. The Q8 bit is strange, I'm with you Pete, I think they only started advertiising in Britain in the late-80s.

The picture at the top of the thread is from the 1996 TGP race at Zandvoort, but I do not know the driver.

It is from this website...
http://www.ritzsite....F1_70s/1979.htm

Rob

[Jeremy Jackson]

Thanks Rob,

My 1996 TGP calendar didn't have a race at Zandvoort!

I guess this is Lungardh then.

[rdrcr]

Thanks for your additional observations and comments - If I may add, the helmet type appears to be very post 1979 / 80 and the front brake inlets also appear to be a later addition. I would not pay too close attention to the caption on the photo, the webmaster to ritzsite.com provides only generalizations for race events.

It must have been repainted as per original by Lundgardh as the photo by dolomite shows the car in blue in 1980.

I have however, what appears to be a factory or PR photo of that car. The "shadow lining" as ensign spoke of isn't visible there either - or am I missing something?



Damn! Thanks Rob!

Thanks again for your insights...

[MCS]

rdrcr - your picture doesn't load (well not from where I'm sitting anyway).......

For what it's worth, the B41 was only worked on by Derek Bennett (until his death) and resided in a small room at the factory. Following his death the likes of Paul Owens and Dave Wilson refused to be drawn on the rumour that a Formula One car was being constructed and regularly prevented visitors from having a look at it (had they been brazen enough in the first place to enquire)...

But, yes, Derek Bennett's obsession with hang-gliding was total and had - I am told - deflected some of his interest and time away from the factory.


MCS

[rdrcr]

Yeah... : from where I sit too... I wish I could get my uploaded files to be viewable on my atlasf1/members site. I followed the directions from Bira to the letter and they still don't display properly. Anyone desire to help an ftp-impaired person?

[Rob Ryder]

Originally posted by rdrcr
Anyone desire to help an ftp-impaired person?

Rdrcr,
Nothing wrong with your FTP upload, it is your link in the thread that is wrong

You have ........ http://rdrcr@members...9ChevronB41.jpg

It should be ... http://members.atlas...9ChevronB41.jpg

If you edit the link everything should be hunky-dory!!
Rob

[rdrcr]

Thanks Rob - I think I've got it now... much appreciated!

[Rob Ryder]

Yep, it's there!

[dolomite]

Here are some more pictures of the B41 that I took at Thruxton in September 1979. Driver was Kim Mather I believe. Seemingy it broke in the practice session as it didn't start the race.

[rdrcr]

Excellent period photos dolomite - thanks a lot for those. I can see that in fact, the front brake ducts were original pieces - so I stand corrected on that one. And I concur that it was Mather at Thruxton in September of '79 - according to records it was a DNS.

[conjohn]

I have Mather DNS'ing due to a broken drive shaft.

[dolomite]

Originally posted by conjohn
I have Mather DNS'ing due to a broken drive shaft.

The lower picture is of the car being pushed back to the paddock after practice, presumably due to the above problem.

[Mallory Dan]

I mentioned the B41 when I spoke to Kim recently, he said the driveshafts were useless on the car, also that Mr Eden was a bit of a 'character' !!

Dan

[bluetoes591]

Originally posted by ian senior
Unfortunately Derek's accident combined with the sea-change that ground-effects brought to F1 meant that we never really saw what Chevron might've done in the top category. I wish they'd tried F1 a few years earlier - sticking a DFV in the back of something Off at a tangent - am I right in thinking that Derek's last race as a driver was the Croft International in 1971, at the wheel of a B19? If so, I was there.

Yes, that was Derek's last race on July 10th 1971.

[rdrcr]

Not F1 related, but not knowing where else to put this....

Something very interesting has come across my desk - the availability of the last Bennett-era Chevron: the Chevron B46 designed for the Super Vee class. This would be for the water-cooled golf-engined variety, I'm certain.

What is very interesting is, this car has never, ever, been run. It is as it left the factory - as a "roller". It was purchased by a mechanic who worked for Fred Opert and the car was never completed. Reportedly, there is an engine available (a Ford of some sort is suspected).

The car is most definitely a "one-off". In fact, I've never seen a photo of the B46 and neither, to the best of her recollection, has Helen Malkie - who is also very keen to see about this car. Hence I've placed this notice in the "One Offs" thread.

As per Mr. Opert's email to us:

"It is Chevron B46 I.D. # - B46-78-01 complete with wing, Hewland gearbox, and 2 sets of knock-off 4 spoke alloy wheels with Goodyear slick tires. The car never had an engine put into it so of course it was never raced. It has white bodywork with a black front lip spoiler, unpainted aluminum monocoque, and unpainted aluminum wing."

I've just gotten off the phone with Mr. Opert and told him that I believe for historic purposes, the car should be finished as intended, as a Super Vee car and not converted to F3 or FA Specs. This would have the attention of those who would participate in the German based Historischer Formel Vau series which have a number of classes for Historic Formula Vees and those organizations hosting Historic Super Vee in the USA.

This is an incredible opportunity for some lover of Chevrons to get involved with racing in a cost-effective manner and to own a very important car in the Bennett-era - the very last one. Pretty cool huh?

Email me if you are interested.

Thanks for your attention

[DD496]

I wonder if any of you guys that posted on this topic has any contact details for Jan Lundgardh.

I've not seen him for several years, Last heard of living in spain but was thinking of moving back to Sweden.

The Email address that I have for him no longer works, and I think he may have changed his mobile number.

I am quite anxious to contact him regarding some things he left with me about 10 years ago.

Many thanks


Sam.

[Giraffe]

I mentioned the B41 when I spoke to Kim recently, he said the driveshafts were useless on the car, also that Mr Eden was a bit of a 'character' !!

Dan

Yes Dan, he still is a bit of a character! I bumped into him at Silverstone last weekend as he and his current wife were visiting his UK home in Solihull for a few weeks from his main home in the US. No Heathrow for Graham, his port of entry was Lymington as he had sailed his yacht across the Atlantic!

[chdphd]

I like his Mickey Mouse hat