In addition to F1, Indy and sports cars, Vern Schuppan also proved formidable in a F5000 car. Here Schuppan is seen driving the Eagle 755 F5000 to 2nd place in the 1975 inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix. Photo: Bob Tronolone
Racecar Interviews

Interview: Vern Schuppan

A new event in the British racing calendar took place in July 1973, the Avon Motor Tour of Britain. The Tour was based on the Tour de France with similar special rally stages, races at all the U.K. circuits— even a special drag race. Ford entered three Capris for champion rally driver Roger Clark/Tony Mason, Dave Matthews/Charles Reynolds (now with the FIA) and Prince Michael of Kent/Nigel Clarkson. The classes were divided by price, and a works Ford was entered in the most expensive class for Australian BRM F1 driver Vern Schuppan. His co-driver was VRJ’s European Editor, Ed McDonough. Recently, they caught up with each other at this year’s Long Beach Grand Prix where Vern was being reunited with the Eagle 755 F5000 he drove there in 1975, and the two talked about Schuppan’s impressive career that in­cludes F1, Indy, F5000 and even a victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Did your motor racing start in cars in Australia, or after you went to Britain?

Members only$29 / year

Keep going. This is where it gets good.

Sports Car Digest Membership is for people who'd rather spend an hour with one chassis number than skim ten headlines. The rest of this story — and every other one like it — is a few seconds away.

  • 5,000+ members-only stories

    Concours, auctions, race history, driven classics and the full archive.

  • No ads. None.

    The whole site reads like a magazine, on every device.

  • The market, every week

    Auction results and classic-car values from the people who were there.

  • 30% off the shop

    Every Sports Car Digest shirt and piece of merch, all year.

Join Sports Car Digest — Keep Reading

$29 a year. Cancel anytime, no hoops.
Already a member? Sign in

BY CAR PEOPLE, NOT A NAMELESS MEDIA COMPANY. Your membership keeps a small independent team of historians, photojournalists and racing drivers doing this.

Join — Keep Reading $29/yr

Tags
Steve Natale has been playing with cars ever since he was old enough to first hold a matchbox car in his hand. A lifelong enthusiast of anything old with an engine in it or wheels on it, Steve has been active in the hobby for over 35 years. Currently he owns a successful marketing company with his wife Mary, is an automotive photographer, blogger and writer for several automotive magazines and regular contributor to various automotive websites. Steve has attended vintage car events and visited car museums and collections around the world.
Related