Jump to content

Portal:Formula One/Featured article/2008-04

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Selected article

The Brabham BT19 being demonstrated at the 2007 'Speed on the Tweed' event at Murwillumbah
The Brabham BT19 being demonstrated at the 2007 'Speed on the Tweed' event at Murwillumbah

The Brabham BT19 is a Formula One racing car designed by Ron Tauranac for the British Brabham team. The BT19 competed in the 1966 and 1967 Formula One World Championships and was used by Australian driver Jack Brabham to win his third World Championship in 1966. The BT19, which Brabham referred to as his "Old Nail", was the first car bearing its driver's name to win a World Championship race.

The car was initially conceived in 1965 for a 1.5-litre (92-cubic inch) Coventry Climax engine, but never raced in this form. For the 1966 Formula One season the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) doubled the limit on engine capacity to 3 litres (183 cu in). Australian company Repco developed a new V8 engine for Brabham's use in 1966, but a disagreement between Brabham and Tauranac over the latter's role in the racing team left no time to develop a new car to handle it. Instead, the existing BT19 chassis was modified for the job.

Only one BT19 was ever built. As of 2007, it is owned by Repco and based in Australia, and is often demonstrated at motorsport events.

(More...)

Recently selected: Tom Pryce - Brabham - Fittipaldi Automotive