Description
How would you like an actual Cosworth Formula 1 cylinder head to display in your home or office? And how about one from the crazy days of +1,000 bhp V6 turbos in the mid-80s? We have for sale one of the actual cylinder heads that was fitted to the Cosworth GBA engines in 1987, as raced by the Benetton team.
Cosworth GBA Engine
The GBA turbo V6 engine was active in Formula 1 for just two seasons – 1986 and 1987. Initially designed for Beatrice Lola team, the GBA engine was Cosworth’s only turbocharged Formula 1 engine. The birth of this engine was immortalised in the Equinox video that can be found on YouTube.
After multiple victories with the DFV engine, and in response to the switch by the major OEMs to turbocharged engines, Cosworth was tasked by Ford with creating a brand new engine for the 1986 season. The result was the GBA, a 120 degree 1.5 litre V6 twin-turbocharged monster that was capable of power figures in excess of 1,000 bhp.
The GBA was introduced in the early part of the 1986 season for the defacto Ford works team, Beatrice Lola, with Alan Jones and Patrick Tambay at the wheel. Following the withdrawal of the team at the end of the year, the supply of the GBA switched to the Benetton team, and was raced in 1987 by Thierry Boutsen and Teo Fabi.
Sadly, after just two seasons, the GBA was dropped from Formula 1. The engine regulations for 1988 switched to normally-aspirated 3.5 litre engines, and the GBA was discontinued.
Cosworth GBA Formula 1 Cylinder Head
The cylinder head on a mid-80s Formula 1 engine was subjected to immense loads. Not only that, but the head also had to be as light as possible. Cosworth managed to combine strength and lightness perfectly with this design. It also shows just how compact the GBA engine was, with the head measuring just 34 cm long.
This actual cylinder head was used in the 1987 Formula 1 season, raced by the Benetton team in their B187 chassis.
Details:
- Length= 34 cm
- Width = 22 cm
- Height = 14 cm
- Weight = 9 kg
- Material = High strength aluminium cast alloy