| <!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: | | | | mirrored developments in more senior formulas. |
| 0.21cm } --> | | | | As an illustration look at the Formula 1 cars of |
| Formula Ford is a single seater racing car formula | | | | nineteen eighty three, such as the John Player |
| that started in 1967 using a sixteen hundred cc | | | | Special Lotus where the driver appears to be well |
| Cortina engine in the back of a space frame, open | | | | forward in the car and then look at the Van |
| wheel chassis with a fibreglass body. The first | | | | Diemen RF84. All Van Diemens' model numbers |
| Formula Ford car ever was based on a Lotus | | | | reflected the year of the particular model. |
| Formula Junior. By this time the more | | | | Soon there were side mounted radiators, inboard |
| sophisticated formulae were using alloy | | | | suspension, bodywork that smoothed the airflow |
| monocoques which were expensive, fragile in the | | | | around the engine and gearbox, but some things |
| event of an accident and often unrepairable at | | | | remained the same. Everyone raced with the |
| least economically. | | | | Kent engine in those decades and although the |
| The steel space frame of a Formula Ford was still | | | | Zetec engine and latterly the Duratec have taken |
| light, but very strong, relatively cheap to | | | | over the formula is a shadow of its former self. |
| manufacture and it could be cut, welded, even | | | | It was so successful in the seventies and eighties |
| straightened in the event of a 'shunt'. The heyday | | | | for a number of reasons, firstly it was affordable, |
| of Formula Ford was actually a rather long period, | | | | secondly it was exciting, this was due to narrow |
| primarily all of the nineteen seventies and eighties, | | | | control tyres and a lack of aerodynamic devices, |
| although it remained very healthy in the nineties | | | | the cars could and did run close together, |
| and continues today. There were spin offs, many | | | | slipstream and slide. The variety of manufacturers |
| of them, too many really which diluted Formula | | | | added to spectator interest and you really could |
| Ford itself for a while, Formula Ford 2000, Sports | | | | see new stars in the making. |
| 2000, Formula First and Formula Forward, but | | | | In 1972 the inaugural, end of season Formula Ford |
| none enjoyed the success, or attracted as much | | | | Festival was held at Snetterton in Norfolk, it would |
| affection from race goers and drivers as the | | | | move to Brands Hatch from 1975 and it evolved |
| original Formula Ford sixteen hundred formula. | | | | into a World Cup event for Formula Ford drivers |
| Thousands of drivers around the world cut their | | | | around the world. It still runs today and even in |
| racing teeth in Formula Fords in the decades | | | | the nineteen nineties was attracting hundreds of |
| mentioned, when the engine in use was the Ford | | | | entries from around the globe, with supporting |
| Kent engine, not so easy to get hold of now, but | | | | races for other Ford formulae and historic |
| as common as muck then. Early Formula Fords | | | | Formula Fords. |
| generally had front mounted radiators and | | | | Winners of the festival include Johnny Herbert, |
| outboard suspension, but because of the | | | | Eddie Irvine and more recently Mark Webber, |
| popularity of the formula and the relative simplicity | | | | although some fourteen winners have gone on to |
| of construction the number of racing car | | | | reach Formula 1 and many who came close to |
| constructors ballooned. Joining Lotus were Merlyn, | | | | winning the Festival such as David Coulthard went |
| Royale, Van Diemen, Reynard, Swift, Elden, | | | | on to the pinnacle of the sport. It's possible that |
| Hawke, Lola, Ray, Titan, Tiga and more. Some | | | | the Ford Motor Company took theirposition as the |
| just made Formula Fords, whilst others like Lola | | | | number one in grass roots motorsport for |
| were involved in numerous formulae right up to | | | | granted, or perhaps they thought their position |
| and including World Championship Sportscars, Indy | | | | unassailable, but other companies wanted in on |
| cars, Formula 5000 and Formula 1. | | | | the action, prompting Formula Renault, Formula |
| Motorsport has always been intensely competitive | | | | Vauxhall Lotus (Opel in other markets), Formula |
| and so, with all these manufacturers competing to | | | | Palmer Audi and others. |
| sell their chassis the development was rapid and | | | | |