1966 Brabham BT8 Sports Racer

This Sports Racer is one of only 12 built, one of only ten surviving, and the last and only one built in 1966, the year Sir Jack Brabham became the first and only F-1 racer to win a Championship in a car of his own manufacture. It was built for John Willment, of Willment Racing, who owned UKs largest Ford dealerships. It was raced in period by Tony Dean (1966) who finished 3rd and set the fastest lap time at Willis Trophy in Croft, England. Both Tony Dean and Peter Crossley (1967) drove the car at famous tracks such as Goodwood, UK; Silverstone, England; Crystal Palace, South London; Oulton Park, UK; Norising, Germany; Mugello, Italy, and others with several podium finishes. Originally developed for the 2-liter Coventry Climax engine, some BT-8s, such as this one, were fitted with the 2.5-liter Coventry Climax FPF engine. A Hewland 5-speed transmission shifts and performs smoothly, the BT-8 represented significant advances over their predecessors in the department of handling and braking and represents what generally can be considered the pinnacle of four-cylinder sports racer development, prior to the widespread arrival of 8-cylinder cars. This BT-8 has an FIA Passport & Heritage Certificate, documentation from 1966 to present, and SVRA racing history. This Sports Racer is beautiful, rare, and autographed by Sir Jack Brabham, the builder, Ron Tauranac, the designer, and Tony Dean, the in-period racer.

This Brabham BT8 is one of 12 chassis constructed between 1964 and 1966, and was delivered new to former Grand Prix entrant and JW Automotive co-owner John Willment. It was the last chassis constructed and came equipped in 2-liter Coventry Climax FPF configuration. The car was driven by the team's driver, subsequent Can-Am race-winner Tony Dean, during the 1966 seasons with accolades that included a 2nd place finish behind Mike Spence's Parnell-BRM in the Lavant Cup at Goodwood, 2nd to Denny Hulme's Lola T70 in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Oulton Park, and 3rd in the Wills Trophy at Croft behind the T70s of winner John Surtees and Hugh Dibley.

The BT8 was sold in 1967 to Peter Crossley, who would campaign it for four seasons. Noteworthy results during this time include a 2nd place finish in the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch in 1967; a 12th in the Martini 300 at Silverstone and 10th at Jyllandsringen in Denmark - both in 1969. It placed 10th in the Jarama 6 Hours, and raced in the Vila Real 6 Hours, the Gran Premio Mugello, the Nurburgring 500 Kilometers.

Richard Thwaites acquired the BT8 in 1974, and a decade later it crossed the Atlantic and entered the collection of vintage racer Don Orosco. While in his custodianship, the car was given a restoration. Ownership passed to Robert McClenagan of Knoxville, Tennessee in 1992, who refinished it in its Brabham team livery of green and gold. He used it frequently in SVRA events until 2007.

The current owner purchased the BT8 in 2013. In 2017, the 2.5-liter FPF motor was rebuilt by Savanna Race Engineering using a UK-sourced engine block. A dynamometer test revealed the engine to produce 232 horsepower.

This Brabham has a correct-type Hewland HD5 gearbox, Girling disc brakes, and magnesium wheels.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022