1966 Chaparral 2E

Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes built the original Chaparral race cars. Two Chaparral 1s were acquired by Jim Hall; later, when Hall and Hap Sharp began building their own cars, they received permission from Troutman and Branes to use the Chaparral name. The cars built under the Hall/Sharp legacy all used the '2' name, with models 2A through 2J representing Sports Cars and Can-Am cars, and the 2K was an Indycar. The Chaparral company, founded in 1962 by Sharp and Hall, would quickly foster a reputation for its innovative designs and use of spoilers, wings and ground effects. Among the accolades achieved during their racing career was a victory in 1980 at the Indianapolis 500.

Chaparral 2E is arguably the most significant Chaparral design. It introduced driver-controlled aerodynamic downforce to the world. Its large high mounted wing represented a dramatic change in the world of automobile racing. From that time forward, racing cars became aerodynamic ground vehicles. The Chaparral 2E was fast everywhere it raced in the 1966 Can-Am series, and once teething troubles were solved, Phil Hill and Jim Hall finished a memorable one-two at Laguna Seca.

The Chaparral 2E was based on the 2C which used a Chevrolet-designed aluminum chassis and a small overall length. It had an in-car adjustable rear wing designed to tip-up under braking while lining flat for low drag on straight stretches. The 2E took the concept further with a large pivoting variable-incidence wing mounted several feet above the rear of the car on struts. This created downforce rather than lift, and additional downforce was created by channeling air upwards through a ducted nose at the front of the car. This design necessitated the radiators being relocated from the traditional location in the nose to two ducted pods on either side of the cockpit.

While other teams preferred larger engines with a displacement size of 6-liters or higher, Hall outfitted the 2E with an aluminum 5.3-liter Chevrolet engine. Although it was less powerful, it was also lighter.

Phil Hill captured the car's only victory during the 1966 Can-Am season, with a win at Laguna Seca.