Wella European Trophy

Thruxton, 31 Mar 1975

All cars are 2-litre F2 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Chevron B29 [29-75-03] (Héctor Rebaque): New to Fred Opert Racing as a Formula 2 car for Hector Rebaque. Raced by Rebaque in the first five races of the season and then hired to Maxime Bochet for Pau in May. The car was next seen in September when it was raced by Rebaque at Zolder and Nogaro, and it was very probably the car then driven by Tom Bagley at Vallelunga in October. It was then converted to Formula Atlantic specification and sold to Carl Liebich (Plymouth, WI) and used in the IMSA and Players Formula Atlantic series. In August, Liebich acquired a new Lola T460, and the Chevron was advertised by Lola importer Carl Haas in November 1976. The history of the Chevron is then unknown until it was advertised by David Klutsenbaker (Nashville, TN) in February 1984. Klutsenbaker had owned a 1972 Brabham BT38B until January 1983, so it likely that he had only had the Chevron for one season. The B29 was bought by Ted Voruz (Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin) in 1990. It was bought from Voruz by Howard Blight (Sydney, NSW) in late 2005, and raced in a few events in 2008. Then to David Kent, and raced by him from 2013 to 2016.
2. Elf (Jabouille) 2J [7501] (Jean-Pierre Jabouille): New for the Elf Switzerland team in 1975, based on the Alpine A367 chassis 3671. The car was completed in time for 50 km of testing at Dijon before the first race of the 1975 F2 season at Estoril on 9 March. Jean-Pierre Jabouille placed it fourth on the grid at that race, but struggled in the wet race conditons and finished eighth. He qualified scond at Hockenheim in April, then won the non-championship race at Magny Cours in May. He was second on the grid again at Pau, Hockenheim again in June and Salzburgring, winning the latter race. He took the 2J's first pole position at Rouen-les-Essarts two weeks later. The second 2J was then completed, so this car was handed over to Gérard Larrousse, who finished a fine second at Silverstone but retired with engine problems at Zolder and Nogaro. This car was consumed in the creation of new cars with Renault V6 engines for 1976. Whether chassis 7502 became the new chassis 7602 remains unresolved.
3. Osella FA2/75 [001] (Giorgio Francia): New for Arturo Merzario to race for Osella Squadra Corse at Vallelunga in October 1974. Rebuilt to 1975 specification and raced by Giorgio Francia in the early part of the season, then by Diulio Truffo, and then my Merzario for the last three races. Rebuilt to 1976 specification and raced by Gianfranco Trombetti at the start of that season. Subsequent history unknown.
4. March 742 [24] (Jorg Siegrist): New to Jacques Laffite (Paris) using BP France money and prepared by Tico Martini for F2 in 1974. Extensively modified by Martini during the season. To Jorg Siegrist (Lucerne, Switzerland) for 1975 and entered for him in F2 events by Schweizer Auto Rennsport. It was then sold to Bernhard Wissler (Ebringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) in mid-1975 and raced by him at the Preis Der Nationen at Hockenheim at the end of August and at Ulm-Mengen two weeks later. He also raced it in the F2 race at Hockenheim in April 1976, when it still had its Martini nose from 1974. One distinct possibility is that this car was acquired by French Martini enthusiast Jacques Terrien (France) who had raced an ex-F3 MK12 in 1974-75 and would run a pukka F2 MK19 in 1977 but had a March 742-Ford for the latter half of 1976. Terrien's car went to Jean-Pierre Perrin (Beaucourt, northeastern France) for 1977. Subsequent history unknown but the remains of a car believed to be the ex-Laffite car were bought from French dealer Christian Hollinger (Lyon, Rhône-Alpes, France) via Gérard Billaud (Toulouse, France) in the late 1990s by Philippe Demeyer (Liège, Belgium). Demeyer sold these parts to Matt Slinn (UK) and they form the basis of the car later raced in historics by Martin Stretton.
5. March 752 [17] (Vittorio Brambilla): New to Ron Dennis's Project Three team and raced by Vittorio Brambilla and Sandro Cinotti during the first half of the 1975 F2 season. Crashed heavily by Brambilla in practice at Mugello, then raced by Bruno Pescia at the end of the year. Sold to Max Bonnin for 1976 but only seen at a few races. To Sylvain Lachaud for French hillclimbs in 1977 but referred to as a 742 for much of the year. To Bernard-Etienne Grobot for 1978 but he crashed very heavily at Gué-Chervais in September and the car was returned to March for repairs. To Anne Baverey for 1979, when described as a 772, but damaged mid-season and sold to Philippe Porcheur. Retained by Porcheur for 1980, when it was again described as a 772. Bought from Porcheur by Eddy D'Hoe for Belgian hillclimbs in 1981. Then to Pierre Evrard (Rochefort, Belgium) for Belgian hillclimbs in 1982 and 1983. Subsequent history unknown.
6. Chevron B27 [27-74-12] (Harald Ertl): Built for Chris Marshall's Baty/Ottershaw Motors team as a quasi-works car in European F2 championship, fitted with a Schnitzer BMW engine. It was originally announced as a two-car works team for James Hunt and Hiroshi Kazato, managed by Bill Harding, and "the first car" was shown to the press in mid-May. This car was driven by Tom Pryce at Salzburgring, Hockenheim and Mugello, and by Hunt only at Rouen-les-Essarts. The team dropped out in August, and the car was used briefly as a development car by Derek Bennett. Harald Ertl hired the car for Hockenheim in September 1974, still using its Schnitzer BMW engine. Ertl then acquired the car and raced it in the early rounds of the 1975 season using works BMW engines. He replaced it with a brand new B29 in mid-season but then retained the B27 unraced until his death in 1982. Bought from the Ertl estate by American Jack Perkins (San Jose, CA) in the early 1990s. Perkins had the tub disassembled, reglued and re-riveted by Mark Bahner, and had its BMW M12/7 engine and Hewland FG400 gearbox overhauled by Dave Vegher and Veloce Motors West.
7. March 742L [27] (Loris Kessel): New to Jean-Claude Favre (Switzerland) and raced in European F2 rounds but rarely qualified. Sold mid-season to Loris Kessel (Lugano, Switzerland) and entered for him by Jo Vonlanthen Racing Team at Vallelunga at the end of the year. Retained for 1975 and impressively quick, finishing fourth at Hockenheim in April and then qualifying second at the Nürburgring. It was crashed at that race and rebuilt on the monocoque from the ex-Hans Stuck 742/17. Prior to the Mugello race in July, Kessel heavily modified the March, including a wide nose, front radiator and modified rollhoop shroud. He crashed during practice and although the tub was undamaged, the modifications meant it could not be repaired. That evening, he bought Markus Hotz' March 752, and used that for the rest of the season. The 742's unique rollhoop shroud, together with references to it being "ex-Stuck", identify this as the car sold to Romain Feitler (Luxembourg) and used in hillclimbs in Luxembourg, France and Germany during 1976. A photograph shows that it was back in normal long nose specification and appeared to have a Schnitzer BMW engine. Sold to Helmut Kalenborn (Euskirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) and used in hillclimbs across Europe in 1977 and 1978. It was described by Autosprint at Ecce Homo in 1978 as "ex-Stuck". The same unusual rollhoop shroud identified this as the Schnitzer-engined 742 acquired by Henri Nussbaum (Luxembourg) and used in hillclimbs in 1979 and 1980. Subsequent history unknown.
8. March 742L [28] (Carlo Giorgio): New to Carlo Giorgio, fitted with a very unusual Holbay Ford Pinto engine and raced in F2 in 1974, entered by Scuderia Jolly Club. Giorgio retained the car for 1975, when he used a Hart Ford BDA. He returned very briefly in 1976, when the car was used to test the new Armaroli V6 engine, but it did not qualify for its only race. He returned for a fourth season in 1977 when the March had its original 742 sidepods but a 762 cockpit and 762 nose, and used a Hart 420R engine. He failed to qualify for three of his five races that season and did not go the distance in the other two. He raced the car again in 1978, when it has a distinctive rollhoop extension. This was carried over when it moved from its 762 bodywork to full 782 bodywork during the season. He failed to qualify for all his six races that season, except at the Nürburgring in April where he was 37th and slowest in practice, but everyone was allowed to start. For the 1979 season, Giorgio acquired a pukka March 782. The 742 ended with a record of 25 F2 races but 12 failures to qualify and only five classified finishes. Many years later, in 2016, the monocoque from this car was in the garage of Silvio Pederzini in Padova, Italy. It showed signs of having had a 782 roll hoop forward stay stiffening plate added just forward of the rear seat panel, showing it was the car Giorgio used in 1978.
9. Lola T360 [HU7] (Ted Wentz): Believed to be the new car loaned to Ken Bailey in August 1974 for British Formula Atlantic, after he had wrecked his original loan car at Silverstone two weeks earlier. Sold to Planer, owners of the Wella brand, for Ted Wentz, starting with the televised Thruxton race in November 1974. Raced by Wentz through 1975 until it was heavily damaged by Roy James in a testing accident in early October 1975. Wentz hired the works development car for the remaining three races of the season, so it is assumed that HU7 was not repairable.
10. March 742L [26] (Cosimo Turizio): New to Trivellato Racing Team and raced by Cosimo Turizio in F2 in 1974, entered by Scuderia Vesuvio and sponsored by insurance company Lloyd Centauro Italia. He started the season with the car in standard short-nose customer specification, but it was in works long-nose form by Mugello in July. Turizio retained the car for 1975, when he was again entered by Scuderia Vesuvio, and was sponsored by Lloyd Centauro. Subsequent history unknown.
11. March 752 [15] (Masami Kuwashima): New to Masami Kuwashima for Formula 2 in 1975, prepared by Roy Kennedy's team in London, and entered by Masami Kuwashima Racing. After just two races, Kuwashima returned to Japan, and the 752 was sold to Tom Walkinshaw.who had it converted by Kennedy to F5000 specification, with the installation of a 3.4-litre Ford V6 engine. Raced by Walkinshaw in the 1975 Shellsport F5000 Championship. To Val Musetti, and raced in Shellsport G8 in 1976 and 1977. Converted to F1 specification for 1978, with a Cosworth DFV engine, and referred to as a 761 that season. Wrecked at Mallory Park in August but rebuilt again for 1979, when it was described as a 771, but wrecked at Zolder at the start of the Aurora season and finally written off.
12. March 752 [10] (Hans Binder): Sold to Jorg Obermoser and run by Obermoser's Team Warsteiner Eurorace for Hans Binder in European F2, and later for Alain Peltier and Ewald Boisitz. To Alois Muller for 1976, still with its B Schnitzer BMW engine and used in the European F2 race at Salzburgring in May 1976, where it was entered by BMW Dienst Rischer Wien, and in Austrian national events. Unknown after 1976.
13. March 742 [12] (Ray Mallock): Originally built with a Ford engine and used in back-to-back tests with a BMW-engined car. Then converted to BMW specification and entered by March Engineering for Jacques Coulon in F2 in 1974, sponsored by Antar. In February 1975, the car was converted to 75B specification, and March records show that it was given the identity 75B-U1. However, Motoring News twice reported its chassis number as 742/12 during 1975, suggesting that it still had its 742 chassis plate.
14. March 752 [3] (Lamberto Leoni): Entered by Giancarlo Minardi's Scuderia del Passatore for Lamberto Leoni in F2 in 1975. Also for Diulio Truffo at one late-season race. Retained by Minardi as a spare car for his Scuderia Everest in 1976 and raced by Gianfranco Brancatelli at Mugello in July. Unknown after 1976.
15. Chevron B29 [29-75-17] (Peter Williams): New to Peter Williams (Brentwood) and raced in the British Formula Atlantic series in 1975, but crashed at Brands Hatch in April and not seen again that season. Entered by Williams' Coin News for Jim Crawford in early 1976 and then sold to Martin Birrane (Ballina, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland) who raced it in G8 and in Atlantic in 1976 and 1977. To Laurence Jacobsen (Glasgow, Scotland) for 1978, fitted with a Swindon BDX and entered by him for Bryce Wilson in libre that year. Converted back to Atlantic spec and raced by Bryce, Jacobsen and Graham Hamilton in 1979. In 1980, Jacobsen had the monocoque shortened and fitted the car with a plastic Sunbeam Stiletto body and Cosworth BDG engine, and raced it in GT racing in Scotland as a Hillman Imp. The car was later sold to Eric Munnoch who raced it with a 3.5-litre Rover V8 in 1982. For 1983, it was fitted with a supercharger and entered as a Davrian Stiletto. He returned with the car for 1984, but was not seen again after the first race. The tub somehow returned to Jacobsen and was sent to ex-Chevron engineer Nigel Dickson to be repaired, but this job was still incomplete when the monocoque was sold by Jacobsen to Sandy Watson. John Bradshaw remembers buying the remains of this car from Watson some time around 2006, when "it consisted of aluminium folded panels, uprights and wishbones with some instruments and a chassis plate, apparently driven by Bryce Wilson in his teenage years". He sold it on to Colin Thorpe, and in March 2010, HSCC News reported that Thorpe had rebuilt the car, which was not thought to have raced since the 1980s, and it would be raced by his son Ollie Thorpe in 2010. It was later sold by Ollie Thorpe via Ken Thorogood to Clive Wood, and by 2020 it was being rebuilt for Wood by Dan Eagling for historic F2 racing with a Richardson BDG. However, Wood crashed the car at Donington in March 2021 and while it was being repaired bought a March 782.
16. Elf 2 (Alpine) A367 [3673] (Gérard Larrousse): New for 1974, for Ecurie Elf team leader Jean-Pierre Jabouille to drive in F2. The car was fitted with Schnitzer BMW engines. It was raced by Jean-Pierre Beltoise at Hockenheim in April, where it used Schnitzer's experimental 12-plug engine. Jabouille won at Hockenheim in June in this car. Retained by Equipe Elf Switzerland for 1975, when No 2 driver Gérard Larrousse used it until his new Jabouille-designed Elf 2 was ready, and Larrousse won at Hockenheim in April in this car. Unlike the two sister cars which were rebuilt for further duty in 1976, this car was sold to Guy Fréquelin and used in French hillclimbs in 1976, still with its Schnitzer BMW engine. It was then sold to Pierre Desnos and used by him in French hillclimbs in 1977 and 1978. Gerard Gamand on Autodiva adds that the car was raced by Jean Louis Neveu from 1983 to 1985.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.

Individual sources for this event

Motoring News (3 Apr 1975 pp10-11,19) gives chassis numbers for all 30 starters but mentions that 31 cars were present. Autocourse (1974/75 p193) gives the single DNS as Larrousse. Vonlanthen's March is given as 752-16, a number repeated later but presumably a misread 752-6.