75 YEARS OF F1 AT AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL SHOW

Last week saw the annual Autosport International show return to the NEC in Birmingham, UK. Those that braved the sub-zero temperatures were able to witness an impressive collection of 22 cars as part of the 75 Years of Formula 1 celebrations.

Obviously we are slightly biased, but there were a number of Cosworth-powered Formula 1 cars on display, which we of course had to photograph.

Williams FX3 (1973)

The FX3 was Frank William’s first attempt at his own self-developed Formula 1 car, and epitomised the trend of that era of bespoke chassis designed around the Cosworth DFV mated to a Hewland gearbox. The FX3 was raced in the Formula 1 championship by Henri Pescarolo.

Embassy Hill Lola T370 (1973/1974)

Having run a Shadow DN1 in its inaugural season in 1973, the Embassy Hill team switched to its own bespoke Lola T370 with a Cosworth DFV in the back for the following season, driven by Graham Hill and Guy Edwards.

Hesketh 308B (1975)

Actually, this car wasn’t part of Autosport’s 75 Years of Formula 1 display. Instead, we found it on MJ Tech‘s stand. The 308B, fitted with the Cosworth DFV engine, took James Hunt to his first Formula 1 victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1975.

Tyrrell 008 (1978)

Like Lotus, Tyrrell raced with the Cosworth DFV for a number of years. The 008 was driven by Didier Pironi and Patrick Depailler.

Ligier JS11 (1979/1980)

Also on MJ Tech’s stand, the JS11 was Ligier’s first full ground effects car, and it picked up three victories in 1979 for Jacques Laffite and Patrick Depailler, powered of course by the Cosworth DFV.

Lotus 81 (1980)

Lotus, the team that debuted the Cosworth DFV in 1967, continued to use the DFV throughout the ’70s and into the ’80s. The Lotus 81 was raced by Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti and Elio de Angelis.

Shadow DN11 (1980)

Powered by the Cosworth DFV, the Shadow DN11 was raced in the 1980 season by Stefan Johansson, Geoff Lees, and David Kennedy.

Tyrrell 011 (1981-1983)

Whilst other teams were switching to turbo power, Tyrrell persevered with the Cosworth DFV. The 011 raced in various forms between 1981 and 1983, and took two memorable victories with Michele Alboreto at the wheel. Other drivers were Brian Henton, Slim Borgudd and Danny Sullivan.

Jaguar R3 (2002)

This was the only Cosworth-powered car on display that didn’t have a DFV. Instead, the Jaguar R3 was fitted with the groundbreaking CK engine. The R3 was raced by Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa.

All in all it was a very productive show, and we managed to catch up with lots of customers and suppliers. Roll on Autosport International show 2026!