Repco
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Repco is an Australian engine tuner and race engine builder, famous for powering Brabham to Formula One Drivers' and Constructors' Championship in the 1966 and 1967 seasons.
Repco Engine in F1
Due to a rule change, 3000cm³ engines were allowed in the 1966 Formula One season, doubling from the previous 1500 cm³. Despite calls for a "return to power" had been made, few teams were prepared, as the main engine supplier Coventry Climax did not develop a new engine.Jack Brabham went for a an intercontinental solution for his Britain-build chassis: Based on the small-block Buick/Oldsmobile V8, an F1 engine was developed, fitted with 2-valve per-cylinders SOHC heads. The first advantage of this "Repco 740" V8 was its lightness, which allowed it to be bolted into an existing F2 chassis. The power output was only 330hp, but this power was usually available until the end of the race due to its reliability. Also, due to low weight and power, the strain on chassis, suspension, brakes and tyres was low.
Four world titles for the 2-valve
In 1966, the Repco engine was good enough to score 3 poles for Jack Brabham, it helped him get 4 consecutive wins and both titles in the 9 races long season, a unique accomplishment for a driver and constructor.In 1967, the competition had made progress. Brabham still scored 2 poles early in the year, but then the new Ford Cosworth V8 appeared in the Lotus 49, setting a new pace with its 400 hp, with Jim Clark and Graham Hill taking all poles in the rest of the season. As the Lotus was still fragile, the Brabham pilots scored 2 wins each. Brabham used new parts on his cars, which was not always helpful, so Dennis Hulme collected more results and the title, followed by Brabham himself, who again won the constructors title.
No success for the 4-valve
The new Ford engine, which was made available to other teams in 1968 also, made clear that more power was needed. Attempts were made to fit DOHC and 4-valve per-cylinders to the Repco V8 engine, designated "Repco 860", but this was a failure as the stock block was unable to sustain the increase in power. Anyway, new driver Jochen Rindt, who had moved to Brabham at the wrong time, managed to score two poles and two podiums that year, while Brabham himself collected only two points.For 1969, Brabham also used the ubiquitous Cosworth powerplant, which allowed both the team and new pilot Jacky Ickx to score 2nd in the championships. Old Brabham-Repcos were entered in some races, and even older Brabham-Climax, but no points were scored.
Also, LDS (automobile) fitted with Repcos were used in the South African Grand Prix in the late 1960s, as well as in the national F1 series there.
Other Racing
Repco also prepared various Holden engines for the Australian Touring Car Championship and for the Tasman Series, when this series was run under Formula 5000 technical regulations.Brabham-Repco's were also prepared and entered in the 1968 and 1969 Indianapolis 500. In 1969, Peter Revson finished fifth in such a car.
F1 Constructors WC results
- 1966 Brabham-Repco World Champion
- 1967 Brabham-Repco World Champion
- 1968 Brabham-Repco 8th
- 1969 Brabham-Repco 8th
F1 Drivers WC results
| Year | Team | Driver | # of GPs | WC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Brabham-Repco | Jack Brabham | 9 | World Champion |
| Brabham-Repco | Denny Hulme | 7 | 4th | |
| 1967 | Brabham-Repco | Denny Hulme | 11 | World Champion |
| Brabham-Repco | Jack Brabham | 11 | 2nd | |
| Brabham-Repco | Guy Ligier | 5 | ||
| 1968 | Brabham-Repco | Jochen Rindt | 12 | 12th |
| Brabham-Repco | Jack Brabham | 11 | 23rd | |
| Brabham-Repco | Silvio Moser | 4 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | Dan Gurney | 1 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | Dave Charlton | 1 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | John Love | 1 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | Kurt Ahrens | 1 | ||
| LDS-Repco | Sam Tingle | 1 | ||
| 1969 | Brabham-Repco | Peter de Klerk | 1 | |
| Brabham-Repco | Sam Tingle | 1 |
External links
- http://www.repco.com.au/
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