For many, Jim Clark and the Lotus 18 (seen here at Monaco in 1960) are the quintessential Formula Junior combination.
The Formula Junior category was introduced in Italy in 1958 by Count Giovanni Lurani, and in 1959 it became an International Formula. Shortly thereafter, in 1960, the British began to take a serious interest in the category, thus starting the rivalry between British and Italian cars.
The original FIA Formula Junior regulations defined the cars as single-seater racing cars with the mechanical components coming from a touring car of which a minimum of 1,000 units had been produced in 12 month’s time. The chassis was built within certain dimensions and to a weight minimum. The engine, gearbox, brakes, etc., had to be as derived from a production touring car. Therefore, there were a great variety of choices to be found on different cars, such as engines from BMC, Fiat and Ford, as well as gearboxes from Citroen, Renault and VW.
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