Abandoned at birth and forgotten for decades, Kieft's grand prix contender finally hit the track in 2002. Gordon Cruikshank describes a 48-year build-up
What has a gestation period of 50 years? Cyril Kieft's grand prix car. Conceived in 1953, part-built in '54, abandoned by '55, the incomplete car was forgotten by the racing world. Until September last year, when it finally made its race debut, thanks to the dedication of one man, Bill Morris.
The stillbirth of the Kieft F1 project was a disappointment for the small firm which built it. But the legacy of this cul-de-sac was hugely significant for British motor racing. The Kieft was built around an engine which never happened – the Coventry-Climax FPE, or 'Godiva' – which could have dominated GP racing in the Fifties. Instead it was killed off – but still managed to sire a champion offspring. One bank of the V8 developed into the Climax FPF, first an F2 success and then a world championship winner for Cooper...
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