Formula Ford was a racing series created around the idea that the best drivers would win if they were racing essentially identical cars. The idea for this low-budget formula was created by an Englishman named Geoffrey Clarke, who had a driver’s 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 their 1600-cc Cortina GT engine (otherwise known as the “Kent” engine), as well as their financial backing and name. Lotus Components built a car based on the Lotus 31 Formula 3 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 3 car of the day cost more than £3,000. The Royal Automobile Club, Britain’s governing body, established a full set of racing regulations for Formula Ford, and the first official race was held at Brands Hatch on July 2, 1967. From 1967 to the present, Formula Ford has provided some very exciting racing in many different makes of racing cars, all around the world, as well as producing many great drivers and future champions, among them Emerson Fittipaldi, Jody Scheckter, Ayrton Senna Michael Andretti, and Tim Schenken. 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 |
Level III |
Level II |
Level I |
| Alexis |
15 |
$10,000 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
|
18, 22 |
$10,000 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
| Bobsy |
|
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$18,000 |
| Caldwell |
D9, D9B |
$10,000 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
| Crossle |
16F |
$8,000 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
|
20F |
$8,000 |
$15,000 |
$20,000 |
| Dulon |
LD4, 4B, 4C |
$7,000 |
$10,000 |
$16,000 |
|
LD9 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$18,000 |
| Elden |
PH8 |
$10,000 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
|
PH10 |
$10,000 |
$16,000 |
$20,000 |
| Ginetta |
G-18 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$18,000 |
| Hawke |
DL2, 2A, 2B |
$10,000 |
$14,000 |
$20,000 |
|
DL9, 9A |
$12,000 |
$16,000 |
$22,000 |
| LeGrand |
Mk 10 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$17,000 |
| Lola |
T200 |
$10,000 |
$16,000 |
$20,000 |
|
T202 |
$10,000 |
$18,000 |
$22,000 |
|
T204 |
$12,000 |
$18,000 |
$24,000 |
| Lotus |
51 A,B,C |
$16,000 |
$22,000 |
$26,000 |
|
61M, MX |
$12,000 |
$16,000 |
$22,000 |
|
69 |
$26,000 |
$32,000 |
$38,000 |
| Macon |
MR 7B |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$17,000 |
|
MR8, 8B |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$17,000 |
| March |
709, 719, 729 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
$22,000 |
| Merlyn |
MK11, 11A |
$18,000 |
$22,000 |
$26,000 |
|
MK17, 17A |
$14,000 |
$17,000 |
$22,000 |
|
MK20, 20A |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
$24,000 |
| Royale |
RP2 |
$8,000 |
$14,000 |
$18,000 |
|
RP3, 3A |
$10,000 |
$16,000 |
$21,000 |
| Tecno |
FF |
$10,000 |
$15,000 |
$20,000 |
| Titan |
MK 6,6A,6B,6C |
$16,000 |
$22,000 |
$26,000 |
| Winkelman |
WDF1,2,3,4 |
$10,000 |
$15,000 |
$20,000 |
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