1961 Dolphin International MKII FJ

Ex-Works Dolphin Engineering as driven by Ken Miles

This is an MKII Series 2 Prototype powered by a Ford-Cosworth 109E engine.

Financed, inspired, and built in San Diego, California, by 'Mr. Dolphin' - Budd Hall, a local commercial fishing boat captain who had a keen liking for Dorado (aka Mahi-Mahi, hence the name - 'Dolphin'!) Budd was one of the early West Coast surfers and a pilot, sadly, Budd died in 1996.

The bodywork for the Dolphin International was crafted by Dick Troutman, who had previously worked on the Scarab Grand Prix cars.

This very car was campaigned by Ken Miles on three occasions, finishing in second position and setting the fastest lap of the race on its debut at Pomona on the 12th March 1961.

Dolphin Engineering was formed by Bud Hull and John Crosthwaite. Crosthwaite was an English race car designer whose resume includes names such as Lotus, Cooper and Jay Chamberlain. Hull was an aerospace industry craftsman. The company was formed with the intent on creating suitable racers for the newly formed Formula Junior racing series. Their design was based on a space frame chassis and powered by a Fiat 11cc engine. The future models of the cars continued to evolve and the design was perfected. In the hands of drivers such as Ken Miles, and Kurt Neumann, the vehicles enjoyed moderate success.

By 1960, Hull and Crosthwaite were busy designing and building a mid-engined Formula Junior car that could compete in the exceedingly competitive FJ-Series against the mighty Lotus and Cooper cars. This FJ racer was meant as a stepping stone into the world of Formula One, meaning the same basic design was some day meant for F1 car. Their FJ racer had a wheelbase that measured 85-inches, had mid-engine placement, had a fiberglass body and a space frame chassis. The front and rear suspension was independent via coil springs with unequal-length A-arms in the front. Double wishbones were in the rear. A Dolphin-designed rack-and-pinion system was used to steer the vehicle.

Many FJ cars of the day used Fiat, English Fords, BMC, and DKW based engines. The Dolphin cars used Fiat components, such as the gearbox, engine, and drum brakes. The engine was given twin SU carburetors with a Dolphin-made intake manifold along with other modifications bringing horsepower to around 75.

A complete car, including running gear, sold for just under $3,900. Kit versions were available at a reduced price. In total, there were just nine examples of the first series of Dolphin Formula Junior cars created. In competition, they failed to challenge the front runners such as the Lotus 18s and the Coopers. Their bulky designs and mechanical failures were part of their Achilles heal.

A second series of Dolphin FJ cars were created, this time they were lower and built by Troutman and Barnes. Though fiberglass was cheaper, aluminum was lighter - so the first example was given an aluminum body while the examples that followed were clothed in fiberglass. Power was from a Ford 105E engine though the Fiat 600 four-speed gearbox was retained. Production was much higher, reaching as many as 26 units.

Though the second series of Dolphin FJ cars were better than their first series, they still were no quick enough to battle the newly created Lotus 20 cars.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2009