Formula Ford was a specification racing series created on the idea that the best drivers would win if they were racing identical cars. The idea for this low-budget Formula was created by an Englishman named Geoffrey Clarke, who had a drivers school called Motor Racing Stables based at the Brands Hatch Circuit. Clarke received support from Ford’s competition manager, Henry Taylor, and Ford’s director of public affairs, Walter Hayes. Ford supplied its 1600-cc Cortina GT engine, as well as financial backing and family name. Lotus Components built a car based on the Lotus 31 Formula Three car, calling it the Lotus 51 Formula Ford. Ironically, this early car had a Renault gearbox. They sold for the affordable price of just under £1,000, making racing in this series very affordable, since a Formula Three car of the day cost more than £3,000. The Royal Automobile Club, Britain’s governing body, established a set of racing regulations. The first official race was held at Brands Hatch on July 2, 1967. From 1967 to the present, the Formula Ford series has produced some very exciting racing in many different makes of racing cars, as well as some great drivers and future champions, including Andretti, Fittipaldi, Schenken, Scheckter and Senna. Today, Historic Formula Ford is an entry-level racing category, and for the purposes of this guide, covers cars from 1967 to 1972. Keep in mind that the greatest single factor in determining the value of a Formula Ford is the quality and cost of its preparation.
Make
Model
Acceptance
Level III
Level II
Level I
Change
Notes
Alexis
14
3
$8,000
$12,000
$17,000
15
3
$8,000
$12,000
$17,000
18, 18B
3
$9,000
$14,000
$18,000
3
22
3
$9,000
$14,000
$19,000
3
Beach
Mk II
3
$7,500
$15,000
$21,000
3
Bobsy
3
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
Caldwell
D9, D9B
3
$8,000
$16,000
$23,000
Crossle
16F
3
$9,000
$13,000
$17,000
3
20F
3
$10,000
$13,000
$20,000
3
Dulon
LD4, 4B, 4C
3
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
LD9
3
$6,000
$11,000
$17,000
Elden
PH6
3
$5,000
$11,000
$17,000
PH8
3
$5,000
$12,000
$18,000
PH10
3
$6,000
$13,000
$20,000
Elfin
600
3
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
3
Forsgrini
Mk 12
3
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
3
Ginetta
G-18
3
$7,000
$12,000
$17,500
3
Hawke
DL2, 2A, 2B
3
$7,500
$11,000
$19,000
DL9, 9A
3
$10,000
$12,000
$21,500
LeGrand
Mk 10
3
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
Lola
T200
3
$6,000
$11,000
$18,000
T202
3
$6,500
$12,000
$20,000
T204
3
$7,000
$13,000
$21,000
Lotus
51 A,B,C
3
$12,000
$18,000
$29,500
61M, MX
3
$9,000
$15,000
$20,000
69
3
$19,000
$26,500
$37,000
3
Macon
MR 7B
3
$4,000
$9,000
$14,000
3
MR8, 8B
3
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
3
March
709, 719, 729
3
$10,000
$14,000
$21,000
McNamara
FFA
3
$4,000
$9,000
$15,000
3
Merlyn
Mk11, 11A
3
$12,000
$17,000
$25,000
Merlyn
Mk17, 17A
3
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
Mk20, 20A
3
$12,000
$17,000
$22,000
Mirage
Mk5
3
$5,000
$9,000
$15,000
3
Mistrale
3
$5,000
$9,000
$15,000
3
Nike
Mk 4, 6, 10
3
$5,000
$9,000
$15,000
3
Royale
RP2
3
$5,000
$10,000
$17,000
RP3, 3A
3
$7,500
$11,000
$19,000
Tecno
FF
3
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
3
Titan
Mk 4, 5
3
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
3
Mk 6,6A,6B,6C
3
$10,000
$15,000
$24,000
Winkelman
WDF1,2,3,4
3
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
1972 Hawke DL9
The British Hawke racing car company was founded in 1968 by David Lazenby, Jim Clark’s mechanic at Indianapolis, and a former principal of Lotus Components during the beginning of the Formula Ford era. Lazenby believed that he could build a better car, and designed the DL1-2 with which Tom Walkinshaw won the 1969 Scottish Formula Ford Championship. In 1972, a DL2B won the SCCA National Championship in the hands of Eddie Miller. Hawke went on to produce the DL9 with which Syd Fox won the 1972 British Sunbeam Electric Formula Ford Championship. Rupert Keegan drove for Hawke and hired a young Adrian Reynard to help design the DL15 with which Stuart Lawson won the 1976 Scottish Formula Ford Championship. However, Hawke over-expanded into other formula and subsequently closed its doors in 1979.
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