Tag Archives: B19

“03” – Chevron Cosworth B19 #CH-DBE-03

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On the 6th of September 1970 Chevron Cars turned up at the Nurburgring for the 500km race with an open cockpit Spyder version of their B16 Coupe, known as the B16S, for Brian Redman to drive. Brian qualified on pole but retired from the race after a fuel line broke causing a minor fire, two weeks later Brian qualified the same Escuderia Montjuich sponsored car on pole again at Spa and this time came home first.

For 1971 Chevron’s production version of the B16S became the B19 and indeed the original B16S after a phenomenally successful career in Southern Africa where at least five victories were recorded, running in Team Gunston colours and a one off appearance for Jo Siffert’s team at Paul Ricard the B16S was stripped down, the frame refurbished by Arch Motors and the car resold as a B19 for Peter Humble to race.

Chevron Cosworth B19, Ross Maxwell, Oulton Park,

B19’s hit the decks running at all levels in 1971 with John Bridges scoring an early class victory for the model in a club event at Oulton Park in March with John Miles and Gerry Birrell scoring a class victory driving another B19 in the BOAC 1000 Kilometres World Championship Sports Car Race at Brands Hatch two weeks later.

The history of today’s featured car #CH-DBE-03 according to the Chevron Heritage website is complicated because another B19 chassis #B19-71-3 claims exactly the same early history on the RM Auctions Sotherby’s website.

Chevron Cosworth B19, Ross Maxwell, Oulton Park,

For clarity on the subject one must turn to Allen Brown’s OldRacingCar.com website where the owner of #B19-71-3 in 1972 Jörg Zaborowski advises that the car was “totally destroyed” in an accident on the at ADAC Bergrennen Detmold in April 1973 and twenty years later the chassis number B19-71-3 was reassigned to the new chassis built by Vin Malkie in 1993 that is seen in the RM Auctions Southerby’s website.

The “chassis number” #CH-DBE-03 is believed to actually be a “frame number” designated by Chevron contractor Arch Motors and as Allen points out in his introduction to the B19 “the number on the frame (stamped by chassis manufacturer Arch Motors) is being mistaken for a chassis number” assigned by Chevron Cars, leading to some cars inadvertently claiming an incorrect provenance.

Chevron Cosworth B19, Ross Maxwell, Oulton Park,

Allen has found that the provenance of today’s featured car, seen being driven in these photographs by Ross Maxwell at Oulton Park, can be traced back to 1981, but it is possible the frame has an older provenance that has yet to reveal itself, Chris Chiles drove this car to International Supersports Championship victories in 1991 and 1994.

In all 35 B19’s were built, including the recycled B16S, and B19 victories were recorded in the 1971 European 2 litre Sports Car Championship by Niki Lauda, Toine Hezemans, and John Hine, but consistent Lola driver Helmut Marko won the drivers championship and Lola the constructors championship.

Thanks for joining me on this “03” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at a Formula One Car that tragically never got the opportunity to be raced in period. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The Blank Car – Chevron Cosworth B16 #B16-DBE-27

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1969 saw Derek Bennetts Chevron launch what turned out to be it’s final closed cockpit model the B16, most of which were powered by 4 cylinder Cosworth FVA or larger FVC motors, though at least one was powered by a Mazda rotary and at least two more were raced with BMW motors.

Chevron Cosworth B16, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

23 Chevron B16’s are believed to have been built, 20 from 1969 to 1970 and three more in 1971, however the desirability of these coupés has increased since the 1980’s and many more than the original 23 exist today as numerous continuation and replica examples have been built and are still available to order from Chevron.

Chevron Cosworth B16, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

I believe the Cosworth powered chassis #B16-DBE-27 was originally delivered to Chevrons Swiss agent and noted racing driver Jo Siffert who sold it onto fellow Swiss driver Arthur Blank who took it hill climbing and won at least one race at Ulm-Laupheim in Germany with it.

Chevron Cosworth B16, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Shortly afterwards the car is said to have been burnt out in a club race and it is believed the useable remains or at the very least the chassis plate were built up into a Steinmetz Opel powered B19 spyder, as were numerous other B16’s after the closed cockpit class for sports racing cars was abandoned.

Chevron Cosworth B16, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Arthur Blank entered his B19 in at least two races at the Nurburgring and Le Mans in 1971 for himself and “Brilliant” Bob Wollek to drive but it would appear the car never took part in either event and Bob appears never to have raced this B19 which Arthur drove to a second place finish in class at Hockenheim at the end of 1971.

Chevron Cosworth B16, Race Retro, Stoneleigh

Arthur continued to compete in the B19 through 1972 mostly in hillclimbs and did a deal with Austrian Freddy Link to drive the car, now with a Ford motor installed, at Interlagos where Freddy finished 18th in the 500km race.

It is believed Arthur then upgraded his B19 to B21 spec, as were many other B19’s, which he again took hill climbing in 1973, Gerhard Kobler competed with the car in 1974 and 1975 running a turbocharged Cosworth motor until crashing it while testing at Misano. Chevron aficionado Vin Malkie appears to have been responsible for restoring the B21 spec car back to B16 spec with bodywork in Arthur Blank’s 1970 colours.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Blank Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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