March 762 car-by-car histories
The race-winning March 762 of Maurizio Flammini in the paddock at Thruxton in April 1976. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2025. Used with permission.
The factory team of March 762s, driven by Maurizio Flammini and Alex Dias Ribeiro, were part of the "Big Six" that dominated Formula 2 in 1976, but the Renault-powered Elf 2s and Martini proved to have the edge. Customer 762s sold very well, although the design was little changed from the 752.
The 1975 wide-tub F2 March 752 had been a significant change, so for 1976 March did not attempt anything radical, and just tweaked the 752 to make the March 762. The new car had the same wide monocoque with slightly longer wheelbase to allow for new FIA rules that mandated the repositioning of the oil tank, and a slightly narrower track. A design fault in the rear suspension handicapped the 762s at Pau, Mugello and Nogaro, but they performed well elsewhere.
Sales of the 762 were down on the 752, from 24 to 18, and share of grid in European races fell from 46% to 30%. The main March users in F2 were Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest, Willi Kauhsen Racing Team, and Ron Dennis's Project Four Racing. The other privateer F2 runners were Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi, Cosimo Turizio, Willi Deutsch and Richard Robarts. French importer Pierre Maublanc bought four 762s for French hillclimbs, and Swiss importer Markus Hotz bought three, mainly for the Swiss championship. The last one went to Count Zanon, for unknown reasons. As well as the production cars, March built three for their own F2 team with drivers Maurizio Flammini - who won two races - and Alex Dias Ribeiro. March F1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck made six appearances and won three races.
New engine rules for 1976 allowed racing engines, instead of the previous stock block stipulation. Renault-Gordini came to F2 with the V6 CH-series engine that had proved very successful in 2-litre sports racing, as did Brian Hart's far smaller company with its lighter all-alloy 420R engine. The Holbay company prepared an F2 engine based on the straight-six Abarth unit, and the Brambilla brothers attempted to make a F2 engine from the Ferrari Dino V6 engine out of the Lancia Stratos rally car. Crankshaft problems meant neither the Lancia-Ferrari nor the Abarth ever worked properly. Paul Rosche did not produce a new BMW engine, but his tweaks to the M12 design gave it the same power as the Renault, although it couldn't match the usable power band of the V6.
Built in July 1975 as a test car for the Renault F2 engine, and tested at Goodwood. After three engine blow-ups, the relationship with Renault deteriorated and the car was rebuilt in November/December 1975 with a BMW engine. It was fitted with white 1976 bodywork to use as a show car, then sprayed orange in March 1976, and raced by Hans Stuck in the opening round of the 1976 season. Stuck won from pole. After Stuck raced it again at Salzburgring, it was then sprayed white and allocated to Maurizio Flammini from Pau onwards. Flammini wrecked it at Enna-Pergusa and it was rebuilt on a new monocoque. At the end of the season it was fitted with Stuck's orange bodywork and the chassis plate from 762//U2 and taken to Japan for the German to race at Suzuka in November. Sold in Japan. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Hans-Joachim Stuck and Maurizio Flammini. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 12 recorded races.
Alex-Dias Ribeiro in his works March 762 at Thruxton in April 1976. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2025. Used with permission.
Built in March 1976 for the works F2 team, initially using parts from the works 752s. Then rebuilt on a new monocoque for Ronnie Peterson to drive at the opening round of the 1976 F2 season. It was then raced by Alex Dias Ribeiro for the rest of the season, with CAIXA sponsorship. It was crashed by Ribeiro at Hockenheim in September and effectively written off. The remaining components of the car were fitted to a new 772 monocoque and given chassis number 772/9.
Driven by: Ronnie Peterson and Alex Dias Ribeiro. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 12 recorded races.
Maurizio Flammini in his works March 762 at Thruxton in April 1976. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2025. Used with permission.
Built in March 1976 for the works F2 team, initially using parts from the works 752s. Then rebuilt on a new monocoque for Maurizio Flammini to drive at the start of the 1976 F2 season, winning at Thruxton and starting from pole position twice. Flammini then moved to 762/R1 and 762/U2 became a test car. Used by Stuck to win from pole position at Hockenheim in June, and to win again at Misano in August. It was then rebuilt on the prototype 772 monocoque for Rolf Stommelen to race at Nogaro in mid-September and Stuck at Hockenheim a week later. The car was then dismantled and many of its components were used in the construction of March 772/10.
Driven by: Maurizio Flammini, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Rolf Stommelen. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 8 recorded races.
New to Pierre Maublanc's MRS team with blue bodywork and white sidepods for Michel Pignard (Rillieux-la-Pape, Lyon, Rhône-Alpes) to use in French and European hillclimbs in 1976. Suffered massive damage in his accident at St Ursanne-Les Rangiers in August 1976, and the March was not seen again.
Driven by: Michel Pignard and Pierre Maublanc. First race: Col Saint-Pierre, 25 Apr 1976. Total of 18 recorded races.
New to Pierre Maublanc's MRS team with white bodywork and blue sidepods for Maublanc to use in French and European hillclimbs in 1976. Sold or leased to Bernard Chevanne to use in F2 for the latter part of the season, replacing a MRS-supplied March 742 which he had failed to qualify at five successive races. Raced by Chevanne at Enna-Pergusa, Estoril and Nogaro. To Jean Lapierre for 1977 and updated to 772 specification for French hillclimbs. Retained for 1978 but crashed in practice at Tonnerre in April. Reported to have been repaired and raced by Anne Bavery in 1979, but that car seems more likely to have been a March 752. The 762 was next seen in August 1980, when it had been fitted with a ROC engine and was raced by José Albertini. Retained by Albertini for 1981, but only seen infrequently after May 1981. Raced by Albertini a few times in 1982 and 1983, with either a ROC or BMW engine. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Pierre Maublanc, Bernard Chevanne, Jean Lapierre and José Albertini. First race: Montmarquet, 14 Mar 1976. Total of 53 recorded races.
New to Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest with BMW engine for Lorenzo Niccolini to drive in Formula 2 in 1976. Retained for 1977 when it is likely to have been the car that Alfonso Giordano failed to qualify at Vallelunga in May (although 762/12 is also a possibility). It was then driven in two races by Gianfranco Trombetti, when it was specifically identified by Autosprint as ex-Niccolini. Trombetti took over the car, and appeared with it at Mugello and Enna in 1978, when it was entered for him by RAM Racing. The car appeared again in 1979, now entered as a 782 and driven by Pasquale Barberio. It was acquired from Barberio as a complete car less engine by Flavio Tullio (Padova, Italy) in 2014. Still owned by Tullio in October 2017.
Driven by: Lorenzo Niccolini, Alfonso Giordano, Gianfranco Trombetti and Pasquale Barberio. First race: Thruxton (R2), 19 Apr 1976. Total of 6 recorded races.
Ingo Hoffmann in the Kauhsen March 762 at Thruxton in April 1976. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2025. Used with permission.
Paul Williams in his March 762 at Barbon Manor in May 1981. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2020. Used with permission.
New to Willi Kauhsen Racing Team with Hart engine for Ingo Hoffmann to drive in Formula 2 in 1976. Also driven by Jochen Mass at Hockenheim. The Kauhsen team had a third March 762, used by teammate Klaus Ludwig after he wrote off 762/5 at the opening race, but it is assumed here that Hoffmann drove 762/4 all season. Hoffmann's regular car was also driven by Jochen Mass at Hockenheim in June. Hoffmann crashed his regular car at Enna, the March flying over the catch-fencing and landing nose-first. It was said at the time to have been "totally destroyed". The team then skipped the Misano race as they had no raceworthy cars, and when the "rebuilt equipe" returned to F2 at Nogaro in September, it is unclear which car Hoffmann drove. Then at the final race, the team fielded three 762s, with Hoffmann in a brand new car that had not turned a wheel, and guest driver Jacques Laffite in Hoffmann's Nogaro car. Chassis 762/4 was next seen in early 1978 when Jim Gleave's MRE (Bourne End, Buckinghamshire) had a group of ex-Kauhsen cars. This 762 was sold to hillclimber Godfrey Crompton (Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire) who wanted it for the Hart engine to use in his newly-constructed 772P. The 762 was then sold to Rob Turnbull (Walmley, West Midlands) to replace the Ralt RT1 he had damaged at Le Val des Terres. Run by Turnbull in the BARC British Hill Climb Championship round at Wiscombe Park in September 1978, where it was borrowed by Chris Cramer for the run-off. Raced by Turnbull for the rest of the 1978 season and throughout 1979. It was then sold to Paul Williams (Newcastle, Staffordshire) and used by him in sprints and hillclimbs in 1980 and 1981. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Ingo Hoffmann, Jochen Mass, Rob Turnbull, Chris Cramer and Paul Williams. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 33 recorded races.
New to Willi Kauhsen Racing Team with Hart engine for Klaus Ludwig to drive in Formula 2 in 1976. Raced by Ludwig at Hockenheim, the opening round, and "written off" when he crashed into José Dolhem's stationary Chevron B35 on the opening lap. The Kauhsen team had already taken delivery of a third March 762, chassis 762/11, the week before, and Ludwig used 762/11 at the next race. Photographs suggest that he then returned to his original car for the rest of the season. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Klaus Ludwig, Arturo Merzario and Ingo Hoffmann. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 8 recorded races.
New to Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi for Formula 2 in 1976, entered by Scuderia Gulf Rondini. Pesenti-Rossi was also racing in F3, and then acquired a F1 Tyrrell as well, so the 762 was taken over by Gaudenzio Mantova from June 1976 onwards. The car was then borrowed by the works for Maurizio Flammini to test at Vallelunga, and he wrote it off after just ten laps. The car was returned to the factory to be rebuilt and its surviving components were used to build his March 772/4 for 1977. The 772 carried the chassis plate from the 762, presumably for carnet reasons. The 762 therefore probably ceased to exist. When 'Pierpaolo' later bought a car with this chassis plate, it was probably 772/4.
Driven by: Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi and Gaudenzio Mantova. First race: Vallelunga (R3), 9 May 1976. Total of 6 recorded races.
Eddie Cheever's Project 4 March 762 at Thruxton in April 1976. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2025. Used with permission.
New to Ron Dennis's Project Four Racing with a standard BMW engine installation. The back end was then stripped off at the factory and the front end was collected by Dennis for fitting of a Lancia-Ferrari Dino V6 engine, as used in the Lancia Stratos. It was driven by Jochen Mass at Hockenheim, the opening F2 round, but it broke a crankshaft almost immediately, and the spare engine broke a piston after a few more laps. The car was rebuilt with a Hart 420R engine for Eddie Cheever to drive for the rest of the season. It was "totally wrecked" in a pre-race testing accident at Mugello in July and rebuilt on an updated 752 monocoque. Cheever then took over the team's new Ralt and the 762 was driven by Mikko Kozarowitzky and Bertram Schäfer at the final two races, but neither were able to qualify. Sold to Michel Lateste for French hillclimbs in 1977 but wrecked at La Forêt-d'Auvray in June 1977. The 762/752 was not seen again.
Driven by: Jochen Mass, Eddie Cheever, Mikko Kozarowitzky, Bertram Schäfer and Michel Lateste. First race: Thruxton (R2), 19 Apr 1976. Total of 16 recorded races.
New to Swiss agent Markus Hotz and delivered to Southend airport on 25 February to be shipped to Switzerland. Hotz bought two other 762s, 762/14 collected on 12 June or 762/17 on 15 July, but this is the only one delivered early enough to be the 762 raced by Fredy Lienhard in the Swiss national championship and in selected F2 races. He won at Österreichring and Eggberg in the Swiss series but only qualified for one of his three F2 races, crashing in the first heat at Enna. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Fredy Lienhard. First race: Dijon-Prenois (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 6 recorded races.
New via French agent Pierre Maublanc to Jimmy Mieusset (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes) for French hillclimbs, from June 1976 onwards. To Marc Pozet (Trévoux, Ain) for 1977. Unknown in 1978. To Didier Bonnet (Besançon, Doubs, Franche-Comté) for 1979, and usually described as a March "772" that season. Presumably the "772" that Bonnet drove in 1980, when it was also driven by Pozet and by Daniel Boccard at least once. Believed to be the "March 78S" that Pozet wrecked during practice at Treffort in September 1980. Bonnet bought a Ralt for 1981 and the subsequent history of the March is unknown.
Driven by: Robert "Jimmy" Mieusset, Marc Pozet, Didier Bonnet and Daniel Boccard. First race: Mont Ventoux, 20 Jun 1976. Total of 55 recorded races.
New to Cosimo Turizio for Formula 2 in 1976 and entered by Scuderia Vesuvio. He only competed in a handful of F2 races in 1976, but retained the car thereafter, and raced it in Historic F2 in 2007. He won two races at Monza in it in 2016.
Driven by: Cosimo Turizio. First race: Hockenheim (R6), 20 Jun 1976. Total of 2 recorded races.
New to Willi Kauhsen Racing Team with Hart engine for drivers Ingo Hoffmann and Klaus Ludwig in Formula 2 in 1976. The Kauhsen team had three March 762s and exactly how they were used by the team's two drivers is unresolved. Ludwig is believed to have driven 762/11 at the Nürburgring, the third round, but which car he used thereafter is unknown. Ludwig's usual car was driven by Arturo Merzario at Enna in July.
Driven by: Klaus Ludwig and Ingo Hoffmann. First race: Nürburgring, 2 May 1976. Total of 3 recorded races.
New to Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia Everest with BMW engine for Giancarlo Martini to drive in Formula 2 in 1976. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Giancarlo Martini. First race: Thruxton (R2), 19 Apr 1976. Total of 11 recorded races.
Willi Deutsch in his Daimon-Varley March 762 at Thruxton in April 1976. Copyright Ted Walker 2025. Used with permission.
Jim Evans' ex-Willi Deutsch March 762 as he took delivery in 1978. Copyright Richard Evans 2009. Used with permission.
New to Willi Deutsch (Cologne, Germany) with BMW engine for Formula 2 in 1976. March records say that Deutsch had traded his 1975 car, although they give it as chassis 753/13 instead of chassis 752/13, so this car was listed in works records as 762/13 instead of 762/9, as had originally been intended. It left the factory with the 752 plate on it, but a replacement plate saying "763-13" was later provided at Deutsch's request. He was sponsored by the Cologne-based Daimon GmbH, who manufactured Varley batteries under license. Deutsch was entered in 1976 by Daimon Varley Racing Team. Deutsch returned in 1977 in what looked like the same car, but it was reported to be chassis 762/11, one of the Willi Kauhsen Racing Team cars from 1976. Deutsch had changed from BMW to Hart engines, so it is possible that he had acquired or leased an available car and transferred his 1976 bodywork on to it. However, the cockpit bodywork and nose he used in 1977 was new 772-bodywork, and he would have needed to respray the Kauhsen's 762's sidepods from white to red, as Deutsch's 1977 car had the same red sidepods as his 1976 car. For the purpose of these histories, it is assumed he used the same car in 1976 and 1977, but changed engine supplier. After low-key performances in the opening rounds at Silverstone and Thruxton, Deutsch failed to qualify at Hockenheim and was only able to start as second reserve when two other cars pulled out. Another disappointing performance at the Nürburgring two weeks later brought his F2 career to a close. In February 1978, Motoring News reported that Jim Evans (Selby, North Yorkshire) would be running the ex-Willi Deutsch 762 with sponsorship from Cliff Sayer's Sayers Haulage. Jim recalls that he acquired the car from Jim Gleave's MRE operation. The red livery of the car when it arrived was not an exact match to the last time Deutsch had raced it, but it was completely unlike Kauhsen's blue livery, which had also been suggested as the origins of Evans' car. Also Evans' car had a rear wing mount which matched Deutsch's car but was quite different to all the Kauhsen cars. The mount appears to have been from a Modus, so was very distinctive. Evans raced it in Formule Libre in 1978, winning more often than not. He then sold it to Paul Gardner (Preston, Lancashire) but he crashed the car very heavily soon after. The tub was scrapped at the Selby tip, and the suspension was used with a John Leek chassis for the "Lotus Esprit" GT that Evans drove in the Donington GT series from July 1980 onwards.
Driven by: Wilhelm "Willi" Deutsch, Jim Evans and Paul Gardner. First race: Hockenheim (R1), 11 Apr 1976. Total of 26 recorded races.
New to Swiss agent Markus Hotz and collected on 12 June. This must be the car Hotz first drove in the Swiss national championship round at Eggberg on 20 June, racing it for the first time at Freiburg-Schauinsland a week later. Retained by Hotz for the opening races of the 1977 Swiss season, and for the F2 race at the Nürburgring in May. Then sold to Gerd Biechteler and raced by him in Austrian events in 1977 and 1978. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Markus Hotz and Gerd Biechteler. First race: Freiburg-Schauinsland, 27 Jun 1976. Total of 13 recorded races.
Brett Riley in Dr Ehrlich's March 762 at Brands Hatch in August 1978. Copyright James L Crofts 2025. Used with permission.
New to Richard Robarts in June 1976, fitted with a Hart 420R engine and raced in European F2 and Shellsport G8 in 1976 when Robarts was sponsored by Myson. For some reason this car wore chassis plate 762-22, which was its monocoque number, instead of its actual chassis number 762-15. It was used once more by Robarts in early 1977 and March records then show it being sold to Dr Joseph Ehrlich in February 1978. It was raced for Ehrlich by Brett Riley in two Aurora AFX British F1 races, at Mallory Park in July and Brands Hatch in August, but at the latter race he skated off at Westfield and the car was badly damaged. Parts from the car may have been used in the Ehrlich RP5 built towards the end of 1979.
Driven by: Richard Robarts and Brett Riley. First race: Hockenheim (R6), 20 Jun 1976. Total of 9 recorded races.
March records show that March 762/16 was delivered to Count Zanon on 18 August 1976. Nothing more known.
New to Swiss agent Markus Hotz, without engine or gearbox, dispatched on 15 July 1976. This must be the car entered by Lista Racing Team for Manfred Schurti to drive at Enna on 25 July when it was said to be "brand new" and "purchased from Markus Hotz". After racing it at Enna and Misano, Schurti had a collision with Cheever's Ralt in practice for Hockenheim at the end of September and Motoring News reported it was a "write off". Evidently repaired and sold to Hohmann Auto Technik for Marc Surer to drive in F2 in the first half of 1977. It then went to Walter Raus, who drove it a couple of Austrian national events, entered by Austria Puma Racing Team. Retained by Raus for 1978, when he drove it in the European F2 series, entered by OASC Racing Team. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Manfred Schurti, Marc Surer and Walter Raus. First race: Enna-Pergusa (R9), 25 Jul 1976. Total of 16 recorded races.
New to French March importer Pierre Maublanc in August 1976, possibly intended for Michel Pignard to use in French hillclimbs after his accident at St Ursanne-Les Rangiers. To Max Mamers (Objat, Corrèze, Limousin) for 1977, when it was generally described as a 762/772. To Bernard Delage for 1978, and retained for 1979 and 1980, by which time it was called a 772. To Bernard Birbès (Montdragon or Lautrec, Midi-Pyrénées) and fitted with a 1600cc engine for 1981. For 1982, it went to Julien Gallo (Bordeaux, Aquitaine), for regional events, still in the 1600cc class. Retained by Gallo for 1983, then advertised by him in September 1983 as a 772 with 1600cc Cosworth engine.
Driven by: Pierre Maublanc, Max Mamers, Bernard Delage, Bernard Birbès and Julien Gallo. First race: St Ursanne-Les Rangiers (R13), 15 Aug 1976. Total of 96 recorded races.
March 762s in 1976
Thanks to the March production records for 1976, the first owners of all the 762s are known. In a few cases, teams owned more than one car, and this can confuse matters. Pierre Maublanc's two cars can be distinguished as their colours are reversed.
Willi Kauhsen's three cars are much more difficult as all were white, but Motoring News' report on the opening Hockenheim race identified Hoffmann's as 762/4 and Ludwig's as 762/5. Motoring News then confirmed the team's spare car to be 762/11 in its Nürburgring report. Photographs show that Ludwig's car's livery remains consistent all season, sufficient for us to be confident he drove 762/5 for the remainder of the season. However, he also drove the predominately white spare car in practice at Pau, instead of his regular white-and-blue race car. We can also see that Hoffmann drove the same car at Hockenheim, Thruxton, Vallelunga, and Pau, and then Mass drove that car at Hockenheim. However, at Rouen a week later, he appears to be in the white spare car, and at Enna two races later the car he damaged badly in practice was also white. As it was described as his "regular car", it would appear that he swapped from 762/4 to 762/11 at Rouen. The team then skipped Estoril and Misano due to a lack of raceworthy cars, and when they returned at Nogaro, Hoffmann's white car could have been either 762/4 or 762/11. His Nogaro car was raced by Laffite at Hockenheim and Hoffmann had the team's third car, so all three were now repaired but there is nothing to tell us which was which of 762/4 and 762/11. All we can tell is that all three cars survived the 1976 season intact.
A further clue comes in an advert by MRE in September 1977, after Jim Gleave's company had acquired the Kauhsen 762s. The advert is for a "March 762 fitted Brian Hart rebuilt engine" which had done "5 races only" (Autosport 22 Sep 1977 p64). Kauhsen two regular team cars would have exceeded five starts each by June, so this must have been the team's spare car. We know Ludwig raced it at the Nürburgring, and photographs show Hoffmann racing it at Rouen and Mugello, then Hoffman crashed it in practice at Enna. Strictly speaking, that means it had raced only three times up to then. It can only get to five races in one of two ways: either it was Hoffmann's car at Nogaro which was then Laffite's at Hockenheim; or it was Hoffman's at Hockenheim and then Hans Royer's at Mugello in June 1977. So we're still not there yet...
March 762s in 1977
Let's take stock as we move into 1977. March 762/R1 was sold to Japan (but using the 'U1' chassis plate); March 762/U1 and March 762/U2 were both used to build new 772s; 762/1 had been destroyed in Michel Pignard's accident at St Ursanne-Les Rangiers in August 1976; 762/2 went to Jean Lapierre for French hillclimbs; Scuderia Everest retained 762/3; 762/4, 762/5 and 762/11 were not seen in 1977 but reappeared with MRE in 1978; 762/6 was wrecked and its remaining components used by March to build 772/4; 762/7 had been rebuilt on a 752 tub and went to Michel Lateste for French hillclimbs; Fredy Lienhard's 762/8 disappears; 762/9 went to Marc Pozet for French hillclimbs; 762/10 remained with Cosimo Turizio; Giancarlo Martini's 762/12 disappears; Willi Deutsch retained 762/13; 762/14 was sold to Gerd Biechteler for Austrian national events; Richard Robarts retained 762/15; Count Zanon's 762/16 remains a mystery; 762/17 went to Hohmann Auto Technik for Marc Surer; and 762/18 went to Max Mamers for French hillclimbs.
The unidentified 762s to appear during 1977 were "one of the Willi Kauhsen 1976 Marches" driven by Hans Royer at Mugello on 19 June, the 762 driven by Hisayoshi Mitsuhashi car in Japan, which we can be confident was 762/R1, and Allan Humphries' car for sprints and hillclimbs which first appeared in mid-June, which evidence suggests was 762/5.
Racing Team Combat entered a March 762 for Hisayoshi Mitsuhashi in the Japanese Formula 2 series in 1977 and 1978. His first race was at Suzuka on 6 March, this is likely to have been March 762/R1, which was sold to Japan wearing the 'U1' chassis plate. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Hisayoshi Mitsuhashi. First race: Suzuka (R1), 6 Mar 1977. Total of 8 recorded races.
Allan Humphries (Bath, Somerset) raced a March 762 in sprints and hillclimbs in 1977, starting at Curborough in June. The 762 replaced a March 702 he had used earlier in the season, and at first it used the same 1600cc Ford engine. In 1978, he upgraded the 762 to a 2.1-litre Hart engine, and was highly competitive over the next two seasons. In a sprint at Lydden Hill in August 1979 he crashed heavily and the March was reported to have been "written off". Humphries bought an ex-F1 March 761 which he converted to Cosworth GAA power and ran in 1980. At the Blackpool sprint in August, Humphries recorded second best time behind Mark Williams' F1 Hesketh 308E, but the throttle stuck open as he crossed the line and the 761 was badly damaged. He rebuilt the car on a 762 tub, almost certainly the one he had damaged at Lydden, and he continued to race the 761/762 until the end of 1981. What happened next is too ugly to relate, and does not speak highly of the motor racing trade. The complete car went in one direction and the old 761 tub in another, and before long both were claimed to be the actual 761. Then one was rebuilt on a new monocoque, and both it and the replaced tub (a 762 tub remember) were claimed to be "the" 761. Then the rebuilt one spawned a complete clone, which was also claimed to be the "real" 761. One of these four went to Germany where, within a very short time, the owner claimed it had been in a museum for 20 years. If you ever decide to buy a 761, ask plenty of questions.
Driven by: Allan Humphries. First race: Curborough (R7), 12 Jun 1977. Total of 21 recorded races.
March 762s from 1978 onwards
The March 772 had flopped completely in 1977, and as this was essentially the same as the March 752 and 762, the demand for all three of these "wide-tub" models fell away completely. March returned to a narrow-tub model with the 772P and then with the March 782/783/78B series, which used a completely different monocoque. By the time they were a few years old, March 772s were used almost entirely in sprints and hillclimbs, in Britain, France, Germany and Austria, with only one - Ted Dzierzek's 772/3 - being used for circuit racing.
As the only mystery March 762s after 1977 were in French course de côte, let's just review which 762s had reached France. Michel Pignard had destroyed 762/1 in his accident at St Ursanne-Les Rangiers in August 1976; Pierre Maublanc's 762/2 went to Jean Lapierre for 1977 and 1978, and then reappeared with José Albertini in 1980; 762/7 had been rebuilt by Project Four on a 752 tub and went to Michel Lateste who wrecked it at La Forêt-d'Auvray in June 1977; Jimmy Mieusset's 762/9 went to Marc Pozet for 1977, then was unknown in 1978 before going to Didier Bonnet for 1979 and (probably) 1980; and 762/18 went to Max Mamers for 1977 then to Bernard Delage for 1978, who retained for 1979 and 1980. This does not leave any room for the car raced by Alexandre Aguzzi in 1979 and then by various other Corsicans over the next few seasons. Aguzzi's car was initially reported to be ex-Mieusset, indicating 762/9, so have we incorrectly identified Bonnet's car? It is hard to see how Aguzzi's car can have been an older ex-Mieusset car, as Mieusset's 742 and 732 can both be accounted for during the time the Aguzzi car was racing. The Bonnet car was not identified by Echappement when Bonnet raced it, but was later referred to as the "March 762 de Pozet" in Echappement on 1982 (Echappement April 1982 p198). The fact that Pozet drove the car a couple of times while Bonnet owned it would appear to cement that identification, and Pozet's was definitely ex-Mieusset.
The other "772" in course de côte, Yves Malateste's car, was not a 772 at all, but something much older. It is covered here until its real identity is determined.
Alexandre Aguzzi acquired a March 762 in 1979 through his Garage Aguzzi, and used it in hillclimbs in Corsica (the principal courses in use at the time being Ajaccio, Porto Vecchio, Sartène-St-Damien, Coti-Chiavari, Corté and Propriano). He won at Porto Vecchio in the March in 1980. In 1981, Robert Simonetti (Furiani, Corsica) drove the "ex-Aguzzi" March 762 in Corsican hillclimbs, winning at Corté. In 1982 a March 762, almost certainly the same car, appeared in the hands of Pierre Paul Cerlini. He retained the car for 1983. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Alexandre Aguzzi, Robert Simonetti and Pierre Paul Cerlini. First race: Porto Vecchio, 12 Aug 1979. Total of 10 recorded races.
Yves Malateste raced a March in regional French hillclimbs in 1982. It was usually described as a 762 and had a 1600cc Ford engine of some type. Photographs of the car show that it had 762 bodywork, including the wide sidepods that distinguish the 752, 762 and 772 from other 1971-1977 March production cars, but the lack of front-facing rollhoop stays suggests it was an older car, probably pre-1973. It was referred to as a "March reconditionné" when he first acquired it. Nothing more known.
Driven by: Yves Malateste. First race: Cagnotte, 25 Apr 1982. Total of 4 recorded races.
March 762s in historic racing
Jean-Marie Brisard (Mantoche, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France) ran a March 762 in a HSCC Derek Bell Trophy race at Brands Hatch in 2001, and in the Euro F2 series from 2004 to 2009. The car was sold to Richard Meins (Chiddingford, Surrey) and raced by him in Euro F2 and HSCC Historic F2 from 2010 to 2018. Then to Cameron Jackson for the 2019 HSCC Historic F2 season, then to Keith Bisp for Rob Wheldon (Evesham, Worcestershire) to race in the HSCC Historic Formula 2 in 2021. Ross Allen drove Bisp’s March 762 in a test at Donington Park in May 2023.
This car was first seen with Rémy Née in the late 1990s. It is said to be the ex-Markus Hotz chassis 762-17, but its chassis plate has been altered to 762-18, for reasons that are unknown. It was restored by Née, initially in plain orange bodywork, and was raced in Historic F2 by Née and Sébastien Brisard. It was then in the US with Michael Pineau for a short time around 2003, after which it was restored with white bodywork and SCAINI livery, and acquired by Oscar Christien. It was raced for Christien in the Euro F2 series by Chris Alford and Christian Fischer. In 2007, the car was acquired by Max Blees (Aachen, Germany) and raced by him in Historic F2 from 2008 to 2012.
In addition to the above, unknown March 762s were driven by Ingo Hoffmann, Jacques Laffite, Hans Royer, Giancarlo Copparoni, David Stenning, Iain McLaren, Makoto Igarashi, F Davis and Toshio Fujimura.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Adam Ferrington for supplying the March factory records for these cars, which form the foundation of these histories. Thanks also to Chris Townsend for his detailed work on this topic, notably his discoveries in Autosport, Motoring News Autosprint and Autohebdo, to Steve Wilkinson for his detailed knowledge of the British hillclimbing scene and for his generosity in providing so many photographs, Dan Rear for his continuing help and enthusiasm, Richard Evans for details of his father's car, Alan Brown and Adam Ferrington for their period chassis plate observations, Simon Hadfield for his invaluable technical knowledge, and to Matteo Tullio for the story of his father's car.
These histories were last updated on .