 |  |  |
1961 Ferguson Climax P99 news, pictures, and information | ||
| Tweet | ||
 |  |  | Chassis Num: P99-01 |
| Sold for $648,948 (£410,000) at 2010 RM Auctions. | |||
Harry Ferguson was the first man to build and fly his own airplane in the British Isles. He later invented and patented the three-point linkage and draft-control systems used worldwide on tractors. After World War II, he won an estimated $9 million for patent infringement by Ford on the 8N tractor. Ferguson would use this new-found wealth to bankroll a company to build four-wheel-drive cars in England. A number of prototypes were built, and were met with little sales success as the industry was still in a post-war funk and few were willing to take a chance on the new technology.
So Ferguson, along with racers Freddie Dixon and Tony Rolt, decided to build a Grand Prix car to showcase the four-wheel-drive's potential. Claude Hill from Aston Martin was hired to design the space-frame chassis. A 2.5-liter engine was intended to fit under the bonnet and power the car. Unfortunately the rules changed and Formula 1 was restricted to 1.5-liters, which meant the extra weight of the four-wheel-drive system would be a handicap. But since it rains a lot in London, the team still felt they would have an advantage. A new series was soon established, the Inter/Continental series (which allowed the 2.5-liter engines), and the Ferguson was built to accommodate both Climax motors.
The work to build this new F1 racing car took less than a year to complete. Dixon had calculated that the differentials, bearings, gears and other drivetrain parts could be lighter if the energy was dispersed to four wheels rather than two. Ferguson's central differential system - which would later become the setup used by Peugeot and later Audi to earn them rally success in the 1980s - could balance out the delivery of that power to the wheels. Another ingenious technology was the Dunlop Maxaret anti-lock brake system, which would later be used by the mainstream automotive community three decades later.
Sadly, Ferguson passed away before his dream car could take to the track. Rolt took over the dream and passion for the project, seeing it through to completion.
When Cooper and Lotus began using mid-engine cars in the early 1960s, the hopes for a strong finish with the P99 seemed highly unlikely. The mid-engine setup had transformed the Formula One world, making the front-engined cars nearly obsolete.
The inaugural racing debut for the P99 was at the 1961 British Empire Trophy at Silverstone, and Jack Fairman drove the car in Rob Walker's team colours of dark blue and white. After mechanical problems, the P99 was retired prematurely from the race. The cars next outing was at Aintree in the British Grand Prix. Rob Walker entered the P99 for Jack Fairman and a Lotus 18 for Stirling Moss. When the Lotus broke, Moss took over the P99. He was black-flagged after a push-start, so his rapid progress through the field came to nought.
In September of 1961, Moss and the P99 competed in the Oulton Park Gold Cup. The weather was cooperating with the strengths of the vehicle - it was 57 degrees and there was a steady drizzle resulting in a wet track. As the checkered flag fell, it was Moss who crossed the finish line first, followed by Jack Brabham 46 seconds later. This would be the only Grand Prix ever won by a four-wheel-drive car. After the race, Formula 1 promptly banned four-wheel-drive. Moss had the option of using the Dunlop Maxaret anti-lock brakes but preferred to turn them off and use his own judgment. This technology would re-appear in 1967 on the Jensen FF.
The next race for the Ferguson P99 was in 1963 in Australia. By now, it was powered by 2.5-liter engine and raced in the hands of World Champion Graham Hill. The car finished 6th in the Australian Grand Prix and 2nd at the Lakeside International. The car returned to England and was lent to hillclimb racer Peter Westbury, who won the 1964 British championship with it. It also ran competitively in 1965 and 1966 and was retired in 1968.
Matra, Lotus and McLaren all tried the Ferguson system, while Cosworth devised their own. The new technology for 1969 was wings, which proved that it was possible to achieve the same traction without the weight penalty. In total, only eight four-wheel-drive F1 cars were built.
The Fergusson P99 spent over 35 years in the Donington Collection. In 2004, it was recovered to the Ferguson Family Museum on the Isle of Wight and overhauled. The work to the car was extensive; it was completely stripped and was found to be in remarkably good order. It was meticulously re-assembled using all of the original parts, including the twin-choke Weber 58 carburetors. The bodywork was re-fitted and it still wears the original Rob Walker team paint and livery.
In 2005, Sir Stirling Moss drove it at the Goodwood revival and at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in 2008. In 2006, Barry 'Whizzo' Williams drove it at Goodwood.
The P99 is currently powered by a 2495cc DOHC Coventry Climax four-cylinder engine offering 243 horsepower. There is a five-speed transmission and four-wheel Dunlop hydraulic disc brakes.
In 2010, the vehicle was offered for sale at the Automobiles of London sale presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $735,000 - $890,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $410,000, inclusive of buyer's premium.
By Daniel Vaughan | May 2011
| Grand Prix Circuits: Pau Circuit | |
 | Some grand prix circuits just have a mythical status about them. Besides the drivers and great races, a lot of the equation comes down to how memorable the circuit truly is. In the case of the Pau Circuit, its sheer place in motorsport history and lore makes this tight, twisting circuit a true legend. From its very beginnings, Pau would be at the heart of travel and transportation. Situated in a rather deep valley with the Pyrenees mountains lending an imposing back-drop, the area that would ...[Read more...] |
| 1970 Monaco Grand Prix: A Reversal of Fortunes | |
 | In gambling and sports there is one word that seems to be absolutely foundational to both—luck. Heading into the 1970 season Jack Brabham had had his share of luck. Jochen Rindt, on the other hand, seemed to have none of it. This would all change on the 10th of May, 1970. Jochen Rindt had come into Formula One during the mid-1960s and was certainly fast straight-away. Often one of the quickest drivers on the circuit, Rindt would find his choice of teams to be his biggest letdown as the reliab...[Read more...] |
| 1969 United States Grand Prix: The Rise of Rindt | |
 | If there was one racer in the Formula One paddock that drivers and spectators alike believed should have scored his first victory before the start of the 1969 season it would almost unanimously be Jochen Rindt. Fast and flamboyant, the Austrian exhibited car control that enthralled just about everyone it seemed, except perhaps the cars themselves. Constantly undercut by poor reliability, it seemed Rindt was to forever suffer under such an oppressive weight. However, at the 1969 United States Gra...[Read more...] |
| 1962 Monaco Grand Prix: McLaren Carries the Cooper Flag back to the Top | |
 | By the beginning of the 1962 Formula One season Jack Brabham had left Cooper to form his own racing team. It seemed the glories days of the double World Championship were well and truly behind them. However, left in Brabham's stead would be a man very akin to the Australian in so many ways. And in Bruce McLaren, Cooper had a driver and competitor more than apt to help carry the team forward into the future. The first race of the 1962 season, the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, certainly didn't...[Read more...] |
| A Monaco story: When Nico met Mika | |
 | It's a scene that happens hundreds of thousands of times a day around the world: two people meet in a lift, greet each other and begin to chat about work and life. The twist in this particular story, though, is that the elevator is in Monte-Carlo; the two men are resident in the same apartment building, separated by little more than a few floors; and both have written their own chapters in the very exclusive grand prix racing history of Mercedes-Benz. Mika Hakkinen was the first Mercedes-Ben...[Read more...] |
| Similar Vehicles | |
 | 1938 Miller Gulf Special |
| Ferguson: 1961-1970 |
| Similar Automakers |
| Other models by Ferguson |
Related Drivers
Related Teams
1961 Formula One Season
| Race | Circuit | Date | Winning Driver | Constructor |
 Monaco Grand Prix | Monaco | May 1961 |  Sir Stirling Moss | Lotus |
 Dutch Grand Prix | Zandvoort | May 1961 |  Wolfgang von Trips | Ferrari |
 Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | Jun 1961 |  Philip Toll Hill, Jr | Ferrari |
 French Grand Prix | Reims-Gueux | Jul 1961 |  Giancarlo Baghetti | Ferrari |
| British Grand Prix | Aintree | Jul 1961 | Wolfgang von Trips | Ferrari |
| German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Aug 1961 | Sir Stirling Moss | Lotus |
| Italian Grand Prix | Monza | Sep 1961 | Philip Toll Hill, Jr | Ferrari |
| United States Grand Prix | Watkins Glen | Oct 1961 | Robert McGregor Innes Ireland | Lotus |
