- 6,629
- Portugal
Following hot on the heels of Ford, Chaparral equipped their 1967 endurance racer with a big block V8. The much more interesting feature of this 2F was the very high, rear suspension mounted aerofoil wing of which the pitch could be controlled by the driver's left foot.
On the straights the driver had to push down a pedal, which leveled the wing to minimize drag and during braking and cornering the wing was pitched up slowing the car down and creating massive amounts of downforce. High speed stability was further increased by spring loaded trap door in the nose, that would open at speeds over 140 mph.
The revolutionary machine proved fast out of the box and opened Europe's eyes to the benefits of downforce creating aerodynamics. Soon after all the F1 teams started experimenting with a variety of suspension mounted wings. Sadly the gearbox was the car's weakest link, frequently causing the two cars to retire from a promising position.
The 2F recorded four fastest laps and one pole position before going into the final round of the European season at Brands Hatch. It finally came together in that BOAC 500 race as Phil Hill and Mike Spence recorded the 2F's only finish and more importantly only win.
Specifications
Engine Type: V8 6997 cc | 427.0 cu in. | 7.0 L.
Power: 525 BHP (386.4 KW) @ 6000 RPM
Engine Location: Rear
Drive Type: Rear Wheel
Weight: 1742 lbs | 790.158 kg
THE OTHER CHAPARRALS ARE HERE:
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