1970 Chevron

This 1970 Chevron B16 is believed to have been constructed in 1970 for Italian racing driver Eris Tondelli before instead being retained as a test vehicle at Chevron’s works facility, where it was reportedly fitted with a BD-series engine later in the year. After participating in two hill climbs in 1971, chassis B16-70-23 is said to have remained with Chevron through its eventual refurbishment in the mid-1980s before being sold to Chevron Race Cars USA in 1986. The car made vintage racing appearances in the US throughout the ensuing decades before being purchased in 2013 by its current owner, who commissioned a mechanical refresh that included overhauls of the mid-mounted 2.0-liter Ford Cosworth BD-series inline-four and the Hewland FG400 five-speed manual transaxle. Featuring fiberglass bodywork finished in red with white accents, the car is also equipped with four-wheel AP Lockheed disc brakes with custom cryogenically treated ventilated rotors, coilover independent suspension, staggered-width 13” alloy wheels, dry-sump lubrication with an upsized reservoir and an auxiliary tank, an electric oil pump, an increased-capacity oil cooler, MSD electronic ignition, an axle-driven alternator, an AGM battery, and a single seat upholstered in red. This B16 is now offered on dealer consignment with a collection of spare parts, documentation and invoices dating back to the 1980s, logbooks, and a bill of sale. Founded by Derek Bennett in Lancashire, England, in 1965, Chevron Cars Ltd. built on the success of its formula and GT race cars with the introduction of the B16 mid-engined prototype racer in 1969. Designed to contest the 2.0-liter class of the European Sports Car Championship, the B16 incorporated a steel spaceframe reinforced by aluminum and steel sheet metal wrapped in fiberglass coupe bodywork produced by Specialised Mouldings. The B16 model remained competitive through much of 1970 until keeping pace with open-roofed rivals necessitated the development of a spider variant that became the B19. Finished in red with white stripes, this example received fiberglass repairs to its rear bodywork in 1988 following an on-track incident. Various imperfections are noted in the finish including chips around the edges of the opening panels, and closeups of the finish and lenses are provided in the photo gallery below. Features include butterfly doors with vented windows, faired-in headlights, intake vents on each flank, a louvered tail panel topped by dual spoilers, fender-mounted side mirrors, and an external electrical cutoff switch. The windshield was replaced in 2017. Multipiece alloy wheels are secured by hexagonal nuts and are wrapped in Avon racing slicks measuring 9.0/20.0-13 up front and 13.0/23.0-13 at the rear. Stopping is handled by AP Lockheed disc brakes with dual master cylinders, custom cryogenically treated Coleman ventilated rotors, Performance Friction pads with titanium backing plates, and front cooling ducts. The right-hand-drive cockpit houses a single seat upholstered in red amid interior panels painted in blue. Features include a Willans four-point harness, a right-hand shifter, footwell cooling ducts, and a fire-suppressant system. The harness and fire system are expired. The quick-release MOMO steering wheel sits ahead of an MSD shift light that was added under current ownership. Instrumentation includes a Stack 10k-rpm tachometer and Racetech gauges monitoring fuel pressure, coolant temperature, oil pressure, and oil temperature. The car is not equipped with an odometer, and mileage is unknown. The Cosworth BD-series inline-four features dual overhead camshafts, a cross-flow cylinder head, dry-sump lubrication, Lucas mechanical fuel injection, and a four-into-one exhaust header. The engine was overhauled with a displacement increase to 2,003cc during a mechanical refresh completed in 2018 with cryogenically treated components including CP pistons, Crower titanium connecting rods, a micro-polished Crower billet crankshaft, Clevite anti-friction-coated bearings, Joe Hornick valve springs, and Crower titanium valve locks and keepers. Additional components include Total Seal piston rings, Crower billet camshafts, titanium valves, and a Cosworth oil pump. Modifications made under current ownership include the installation of a larger main oil reservoir, a larger oil cooler, a Piper air cleaner assembly, an AGM battery, and an axle-driven alternator as well as the addition of a second oil tank in the engine bay and a Weldon electric oil pump. A ceramic and foil heatshield material was added over the outer surface of the firewall. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Hewland FG400 five-speed manual transaxle that was also overhauled during the refresh under current ownership with gears and shafts that are said to have been cryogenically treated and micro-polished. A Tilton clutch and release bearing were also installed during the project, and axles with CV joints were fitted in place of the original giubo and U-joint setup. A collection of spare parts includes a set of wheels, eight springs, six brake rotors, and a variety of other components. The 1987 letter above from Richard Leppla of Chevron Racing Cars USA to the car’s then-owner describes the car as having been built in 1970 before being retained by Chevron. Included with the sale are two logbooks covering racing events from 1988 to 2014 and invoices dating back to the 1980s.