March 772 car-by-car histories
Ricardo Zunino in his March 772 at Donington Park in October 1977. Copyright Simon Lewis Transport Books 2025. Used with permission.
With strong competition emerging from Chevron and Ralt in Formula 2 in 1977, sales of the new March 772 were well down on the previous season. The March 772s proved off the pace, the cars' best result being Alberto Colombo's third place at Mugello.
The March 772 was a further evolution of the 752/762 wide-tub series of March F2 cars, and shared components with the Formula 1 751/761/771 models that were now seen as very long in the tooth.
The largest team to run 772s in 1977 was the AFMP-Euroracing operation, put together by March sales director Sandro Angeleri and three Italian partners. This team bought four cars: 772/5 for Bruno Giacomelli and 772/6 for Ricardo Zunino being run from the UK; and 772/7 for Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi and 772/8 for Alberto Colombo being run from Italy. French sales agent Pierre Maublanc bought the first two cars and ran one of them for himself in French hillclimbs. German importer Markus Hotz bought just a single 772, Angeleri sold a 772 to Italian customer Gaudenzio Mantova, and the only other sale was to Scottish privateer Norman Dickson.
The 772s were so badly off the pace in pre-season testing that March built an entirely different model, the March 772P, for the works team. Sandro Angeleri was then arrested at Heathrow early in the season and charged with drug offences. Although he was quickly bailed, his AFMP team collapsed, and 772/5 and 772/6 reverted to being owned by the factory, to be run by mechanic Tony Harvey. AFMP's other two cars were taken over by the Italian Euroracing side of the operation. The highly-regarded Giacomelli moved to the works March 772P and won his first race from pole position, cementing the 772's reputation as uncompetitive.
Meanwhile in France, Maublanc's season did not start well when he was beaten at Hébecrevon by Michel Pignard's brand new Chevron B40 and then at Tonnerre by newcomer Christian Débias in a Ralt RT1. Any interest in his second 772 evaporated and it did not help that Maublanc was unable to qualify for any of his F2 races, although customer Patrick Bardinon was able to get on the grid in the second car.
There is still much to be discovered about the later movements of these cars. If you can add to our understanding of the March 772s, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
New to Maublanc Racing Team, and raced by Pierre Maublanc in French hillclimbs during 1977. Also driven by Maublanc in the F2 races at Rouen, Misano and Donington, but he failed to qualify for any of them. Both Maublanc cars were at Donington Park at the end of October 1977 but chassis 772/1 is unknown after that date.
Driven by: Pierre Maublanc. First race: Ampus (R1), 27 Mar 1977. Total of 18 recorded races.
Pierre Bardinon in his March 772 at Donington Park in October 1977. Copyright Simon Lewis Transport Books 2025. Used with permission.
New to Maublanc Racing Team, and raced by Marc Sourd at the hillclimbs at Ampus and Circuit de Charade, and borrowed by Jimmy Mieusset for Abreschviller in May. Raced by Patrick Bardinon in the F2 races at Misano and Donington. To Sylvain Lachaud for French hillclimbs in 1978, then unknown in 1979. To Jean-Jacques Le Corre, who fitted a 1600cc Cosworth BDM engine and raced it in the 1600cc class in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Retained again by Le Corre for 1983, when he fitted a 2-litre BMW engine. To Alain Prat for 1984, then via one other unknown owner to Regis Jumez (Boulogne-sur-Mer, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France). Bought from Jumez in 2001 by Pierpaolo Serra (Turin, Italy).
Driven by: Marc Sourd, Robert "Jimmy" Mieusset, Patrick Bardinon, Sylvain Lachaud, Jean-Jacques Le Corre and Alain Prat. First race: Col Saint-Pierre (R3), 24 Apr 1977. Total of 49 recorded races.
Norman Dickson in his March 772 at Mallory Park in May 1977. Copyright Simon Lewis Transport Books 2025. Used with permission.
New to Norman Dickson, and raced in F2, Shellsport G8 and libre racing in 1977. To Jimmy Jack for 1978, and used in libre, sprints and hillclimbs, when it was also raced by Charlie Munro, and by Eddie Cheever in an Ingliston libre race. Retained for 1979, when driven by Jack and Munro in speed events again, and also by Andy Barton and Bill Lord on occasion, and used by Jack more rarely in 1980. It was then sold to Tony Brown in Gloucestershire for hillclimbs, but by mid-1981, he had sold it to Stuart Lawson (Kirkliston, Scotland), taking Lawson's ex-Bernard Hunter March 80/81A in trade. Lawson used the 772 in libre racing with a Hart 420R engine at Ingliston in 1981, sharing it with Ted Dzierzek, who drove it in Knockhill events in 1981 and 1982. Subsequent history unknown until it was raced by Christian Fischer in Historic F2 in 2003, when it had been reunited with its BMW engine. Fischer drove it until 2005, when it temporarily disappeared into Switzerland before being bought by Ted Walker and Matthew Watts (both Dursley, Gloucestershire) in 2007. It was raced by Watts in Historic F2 from 2009 onwards. Raced by Watts at Zandvoort in June 2025.
Driven by: Norman Dickson, Jimmy Jack, Charlie Munro, Eddie Cheever, Bill Lord, Andy Barton, Stuart Lawson and Ted Dzierzek. First race: Silverstone (R1), 6 Mar 1977. Total of 77 recorded races.
New to Gaudenzio Mantova for F2 in 1977. March records mention that this car wore a "pseudo chassis plate 762:6" which would explain why Mantova's car at Hockenheim in April was described by Autosport as a "private March 762". March records state that it was "written off" at Hockenheim and rebuilt at the factory on a new monocoque. Mantova drove it in seven more races that season. Retained by Mantova for 1978 but he failed to qualify for his only two races: at Vallelunga and at Misano. Subsequent history unknown. When Pierpaolo Serra (Turin, Italy) later bought a car with this "762/6" chassis plate in about 1999, it was probably this car.
Driven by: Gaudenzio Mantova. First race: Vallelunga (R5), 15 May 1977. Total of 7 recorded races.
Pierpaolo Serra's highly-modified ex-Mignotti March 772 in Italy in 2019. Copyright Giuseppe Bianchini 2019. Used with permission.
New to Sandro Angeleri's AFMP-Euroracing, fitted with a Hart 420R and raced by Bruno Giacomelli in F2 in early 1977, sponsored by SCAINI. When AFMP collapsed, the car was taken over by mechanic Tony Harvey and driven by Alex Dias Ribeiro at Vallelunga in May. Not seen again in 1977. Then to Sergio Mingotti for 1978, but appeared at only three F2 races, failing to qualify for two and being disqualified from the other. Mingotti then revamped the car significantly for 1979, adding an attempt at ground-effect bodywork, and renaming it Mirage M1. It first appeared in this form at Vallelunga in May 1979, where a misfire left him last in practice, but actually started at Mugello two weeks later, as only 24 cars practiced and Mingotti, although last again, was fractionally inside the 110% limit. He finished the race four laps down in last place. He appeared twice more in 1979 and 1980, failing to qualify both times, after which the Mirage was not used again. In 2004, it was bought by Pierpaolo Serra (Turin, Italy), still completely unrestored.
Driven by: Bruno Giacomelli, Alex Dias Ribeiro and Sergio Mingotti. First race: Silverstone (R1), 6 Mar 1977. Total of 7 recorded races.
Ted Williams' March 772 at Gurston Down in August 1978. Copyright Alan Brown 2025. Used with permission.
Neil Harrison in his family’s March 772 at Thruxton in June 2025. Copyright Alan Brown 2025. Used with permission.
New to Sandro Angeleri's AFMP-Euroracing, fitted with a Hart 420R and raced by Ricardo Zunino in F2 in early 1977, sponsored by Levi. When AFMP collapsed, the car was taken over by mechanic Tony Harvey for Zunino to drive at Vallelunga, Pau and Mugello. Then run by "March Racing" for Zunino for the last half of the season. Sold to Ted Williams (Bristol) for sprints and hillclimbs in 1978, still using a 2-litre Hart engine. Retained for 1979, when it was partly updated to 782 specification. Sold to Martin Bolsover (Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire) for 1980, and fitted with a 1600cc BDA engine and again entered as a 772/782. Bolsover fitted his BDA to a new Pilbeam for 1981, and the March was not seen in 1981, 1982 and 1983. It reappeared in 1984 when raced by Roy Woodhouse, and fitted with a turbocharged 3.5-litre Rover engine. Alan Payne (Birmingham, West Midlands) won a sprint at Curborough in June 1984, when sharing this car with Woodhouse. Raced by Woodhouse in sprints in 1985 and 1986, after which he transferred the engine into a newer March 822. When that car was wrecked at the end of 1988, he returned to the 772 for 1989, 1990 and 1991, only for the car to be comprehensively demolished at the Weston sprint at the end of 1991. The wreck was later acquired from the Woodhouse family by Mark Harrison and family, and reconstructed. Raced by Mark Harrison at the Thruxton Retro June 21-22 2025.
Driven by: Ricardo Zunino, Ted Williams, Martin Bolsover, Alan Payne, Roy Woodhouse and Keith Cox. First race: Thruxton (R2), 11 Apr 1977. Total of 84 recorded races.
New to Sandro Angeleri's AFMP-Euroracing, fitted with a Hart 420R and raced by Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi in F2 in early 1977, with black bodywork and sponsored by Sarea Componenti. Pesenti-Rossi missed the first race, and the Hart engine had been replaced with a Heidegger BMW by the time it first appeared. When AFMP collapsed, the car was taken over by Giampaolo Pavanello's Italian Euroracing operation, and Pesenti-Rossi continued to drive it to the end of the year. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Alessandro Pesenti-Rossi and Piercarlo Ghinzani. First race: Thruxton (R2), 11 Apr 1977. Total of 11 recorded races.
New to Sandro Angeleri's AFMP-Euroracing, fitted with a Hart 420R and raced by Alberto Colombo in F2 in early 1977, sponsored by Gulf and then Sarea Componenti. After one race, the engine was replaced with a Heidegger BMW and the white bodywork replaced with black. When AFMP collapsed, the car was taken over by Giampaolo Pavanello's Italian Euroracing operation, and Colombo continued to drive it to the end of the year. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Alberto Colombo. First race: Silverstone (R1), 6 Mar 1977. Total of 13 recorded races.
Built by March from "the remains of 762-U1", fitted with a BMW engine, and sold in May 1977 to Markus Hotz (Lippoldswilen, Switzerland) who used it in Swiss and European Championship hillclimbs in 1977. Subsequent history unknown.
Driven by: Markus Hotz. First race: Ayent-Anzere, 7 Aug 1977. Total of 3 recorded races.
Alan Richards in his front-radiator March 772 at Barbon Manor in 2005. Copyright Steve Wilkinson 2012. Used with permission.
Built by March using "several second-hand components", fitted with a front radiator and March 771B nose, and sold to David Franklin in January 1978. Franklin used the car in the British Hillclimb Championship, winning the 1978 title, and in sprints. Sold to Alan Richards for 1979, and used in sprints and hillclimbs. Converted to Hart power for 1980, when it was entered by Richards as a 772P. Returned to BMW power for 1981, but Richards rarely qualified for Top 10 run-offs during that season. Sold to John Meredith for 1982, who used a 2.1-litre BMW engine. Sold to Rodney Eyles for 1983, now fitted with a BDA engine for the 1600cc class. Not seen in 1984, but Eyles returned to the "772/782" for 1985, now using a 2.5-litre Hart engine. Wrecked in Eyles accident at Blackpool in 1985.
Driven by: David Franklin, Terry Smith, Alan Richards, John Meredith and Rodney Eyles. First race: Loton Park (R1), 27 Mar 1978. Total of 62 recorded races.
March 772s in 1977
The only remaining puzzle in 1977 is the "772" driven by Karl Jordan in German hillclimbs from October that season. It could have been Markus Hotz' 772/9, but Hotz later sold a "772" to Michael Salvi in France, and at present we don't know which was 772/9 and which was something older, such as one of the three March 762s that went through Hotz' hands.
Karl Jordan (Hüfingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) raced a March "772" with BMW engine in German hillclimbs from October 1977 to April 1980. His first known appearance was at ADAC-Bergpreis Oberallgäu on 9 October 1977, which means it is almost impossible for it to have been a March 772. Nine of the ten 772s built raced in European F2 either later in 1977 or in early 1978. The only one that didn't was Markus Hotz' 772/9, which was with Michael Salvi in 1979 and therefore overlaps with Jordan racing this car. It is therefore likely that Jordan's car was an older 752 or 762 updated with 772 bodywork. Jordan then acquired a newer March 802 for 1981, and was killed while driving this car at Hauenstein Bergrennen in 1984. The subsequent history of the March 772 is unknown, but it may be the car raced by Helmut Kalenborn in 1981 and 1982.
Driven by: Karl Jordan. First race: 9 Oct 1977. Total of 21 recorded races.
March 772s in 1978
Of the ten 772s, 772/1 was not seen after 1977 but presumably stayed in France; 772/2 remained in French hillclimbs until 1982 at least; 772/3 remained in Scottish racing until 1981 at least; 772/4 was used by Gaudenzio Mantova in a couple of F2 races; 772/5 was used by Sergio Mingotti in a couple of F2 races; 772/6 went to Ted Williams for hillclimbs in the UK; both Euroracing cars in Italy, 772/7 and 772/8, disappeared; 772/9 was either the Karl Jordan car or missing for a while before reappearing in Swiss and French hillclimbs with Michel Salvi; and 772/10 stayed in British hillclimbs and sprints until its destruction in 1985.
Henning Hagenbauer was listed as a DNQ in a March 772 at the Preis von Baden-Württemberg F2 race at Hockenheim on 24 September 1978. This could have been the Hotz car on hire before it went to Salvi. A photograph shows Hagenbauer's car in red-and-white livery, with Bose signwriting.
March 772s from 1979 onwards
By 1979, four of the March 772s had vanished: 772/1 presumably stayed in France; Gaudenzio Mantova's 772/4 in Italy; and both Euroracing cars in Italy, 772/7 and 772/8. Of the other six: 772/2 remained in French hillclimbs until 1983 at least; 772/3 remained in Scottish racing until 1982 at least; 772/5 remained with Sergio Mingotti for many years; 772/6 remained in British hillclimbs until it was destroyed in 1991; 772/9 remained in French hillclimbs until 1982 at least; and 772/10 stayed in British hillclimbs and sprints until its destruction in 1985.
It is likely that 'the Karl Jordan car' was an older car, such as a 752 or 762, and it is also likely that Michel Salvi's car was the ex-Hotz 772/9, so the remaining mystery 772 is the car raced by Helmut Kalenborn in European hillclimbs in 1981 and 1982. The timing is about right for this to have been Karl Jordan's former car, which had been very successful in German hillclimbs until Jordan bought a newer car for 1981. Also both cars were black.
Other later cars were described as March 772s and a few complete mysteries are worth a brief mention. Anthony Green had a "772" in Monoposto racing in 1985 and 1986 which is likely to have been an older car in 1977 bodywork, and Bill Morris had a 772/782 for British hillclimbs in 1986. When Morris's car was owned by John Lloyd in 1987, it had a 1978 cockpit and nose, and unfamiliar ground-effect(-ish) sidepods, so is again likely to have been a narrow-tub car, not a wide-tub 772. Also brothers Terry and Barry Goode shared a March 772 in hillclimbs in 1990. The March "772" that Jimmy O'Boyle used in Northern Ireland hillclimbs turned out to have been the ex-John Smith 722. Please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com if you can tell us anything about these cars.
Bought from Marcus Hotz by Michel Salvi (Malbuisson, France) and fitted with a Cosworth BDM for the 1600cc class of French hillclimbs, starting late 1979, and running through 1980 and 1981. To Gérard Cornu for 1982.
Driven by: Michel Salvi and Gérard Cornu. First race: Gorcy, 30 Sep 1979. Total of 33 recorded races.
Helmut Kalenborn (Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) raced a March 772 in the F2 race at the Nürburgring in April 1981, and in Bergrennen in 1981 and 1982.
Driven by: Helmut Kalenborn. First race: Nürburgring (R4), 26 Apr 1981. Total of 3 recorded races.
In addition to the above, unknown March 772s were driven by Henning Hagenbauer, Anthony Green and Bill Morris.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Adam Ferrington for supplying the March factory records for these cars. Thanks also to Chris Townsend for detailed notes on his discoveries in Motoring News and Autohebdo, David McKinney, Ted Walker, Alain Prat, Steve Wilkinson, Dan Rear, Simon Hadfield, Alan Brown, Philippe Demeyer, Michael Ferner, Giuseppe Bianchini and Marcus Pye. Thanks also to Simon Lewis, Alan Brown and Steve Wilkinson for the use of their images.
There is still much to be discovered about the later movements of these cars. If you can add to our understanding of the March 772s, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
These histories were last updated on .