Marque History

The name Vanwall may not be the biggest in the history of motorsport but what they achieved in 6 years of Formula One is huge and the list of people involved is a who’s who of motorsport. Here is a list of just some of these individuals and companies:

Drivers: Tony Brooks, Peter Collins, José González, Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss

Engineers: Colin Chapman, Frank Costin and Owen Maddock

Engineering Partners: Cooper Cars, Norton and Rolls-Royce

How a small upstart like Vanwall managed to involve such champions of the sport and industry is a testament to the ambition and tenacity of Tony Vandervell, the industrialist who after racing modified Ferraris, decided to build his own racing car and team.

Despite experimenting with advanced technologies like fuel injection and disc brakes, the firsts few years weren’t too kind to Vanwall. However, in 1956 Vandervell hired a young designer (Colin Chapman) who with aerodynamicist, Frank Costin, went about improving every aspect of the car. The improvements to the handling of the car were limited but it was now quicker in a straight-line then all the competition. The answer to the handling issues would arrive a few years later when Cooper put the engine behind the driver in 1957 and won back-to-back world championships in 1959 and 1960. Every world champion since has sat in front of the engine.

1957 saw Vanwall take their first victory, when Moss and Brooks, sharing driving duties, won the British Grand Prix at Aintree. If two British drivers winning the British Grand Prix isn’t patriotic enough, it also made Vanwall the first British team to win a World Championship race. Moss would go on to win at Pescara and Monza that year too.

1958 would see the teams form go from good to great with Vanwall winning six of the nine races they ran in and winning the inaugural Constructor’s Championship. Stirling Moss would have won the Driver’s Championship as well had it not been for his sporting behaviour in the Portuguese Grand Prix when Mike Hawthorn was threatened with a 6 point penalty and Stirling defended his rival. The result was the stewards waived the penalty and Hawthorn would go on to beat Moss to the Championship by just one point!

Unfortunately, Vandervell’s health was deteriorating and the financial costs of running the team was looking unsustainable, as a result just one race was entered in 1959 and one other in 1960 after which Vanwall withdrew from Formula One altogether.

Car Offered

The Vanwall VW5 for sale with Wrightson Automotive is a one-off continuation built between 2009 and 2016. Built as a replica of the 1957 British Grand Prix winning car, this amazing creation is virtually indistinguishable from the original car. The build quality and attention to detail is incredible and the build is reported to have cost well in excess of £200, 000 GBP by the time it was completed.

The tubular chassis was hand built to original specifications with a slightly longer wheelbase and wider track, the latter of which was to improve the turning circle. The bodywork was all hand beaten from Aluminium alloy.

In terms of the engine, the original 2. 5 Litre engine in an actual Vanwall was effectively 4 Norton Manx engines built around a Rolls-Royce military engine crankcase breathing through six Amal carburettors. To recreate this would have been beyond expensive, so the decision was made to use a 2. 2 Litre twin cam engine from a Lotus Excel. The engine was rebuilt by PNM Engineering in Wallasey, who ported and polished the unit to increase power from the standard 180bhp to approximately 220bhp. The engine is canted over in the engine bay, exactly as the original Vanwall engines were.

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 5-Speed Lotus gearbox. The suspension is fully independent, front and rear, with adjustable AVO coil-over shock absorbers. Brakes are servo assisted with discs all round. An aluminium 3-core radiator with automatic Kenlowe fan aids with cooling.

Weighing in at a paltry 800kg, this is a truly exciting car to drive on the road. Yes, on the road. After the project was completed the car was subjected to Independent Vehicle Approval via DVSA in the UK which it passed, meaning you can drive this single seater 50’s Grand Prix car to the shops, pub or just out for an evening blast.

Since completion the Vanwall has covered just 120 miles and is still owned by the gentleman who commissioned it in 2009. A collector of note, the car has resided alongside his other toys which include an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 and a Ferrari 365 GTB/ 4 Daytona. In July 2022 the Vanwall went to Autofficina, the well-respected Italian specialists, who look after some of the owner’s other cars, for some snagging and fettling (commonplace after a restoration or complete build). Everything was checked through and all issues were dealt with.

The Vanwall has been used sparingly and with other cars joining the collection this is unlikely to change. With that in mind the owner has decided it is time to part with the Vanwall and has entrusted us to find the next custodian, who we hope will jump in it as often as they can and drive the wheels off it.

Opportunities to own single-seater Grand Prix cars that can be driven on the road are beyond few and far between and to acquire one for a fraction of the cost to build it, has to be unique.