Graham Hill in the Cosworth Powered Lotus 49
Taken From the Film Nine Days in Summer

Published: 253 days ago

Category: 1967, Graham Hill, Lotus

Description:

Cosworth and the de Facto Standard DFV Engine

The Cosworth company was founded by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth in 1958. The name obviously coming from a combination of the names of the 2 founders.

The company has had a long association with the Ford Motor Company and the term Ford-Cosworth is synonymous with Motor Racing and Rallying around the world.

It wasn’t until 1966 that Cosworth became involved with F1, when Lotus team principal Colin Chapman persuaded Ford to support Cosworth’s new concept for a lightweight 3 litre engine.

So the DFV engine was born. The DFV stands for Double Four Valve.

This engine went on to become the successful F1 engine of all time winning 155 Grand Prix.

Cosworth were able to sell this engine to anyone who wanted it, and fact, during the 1970s nearly the entire field were using this engine. It meant that anyone with the money to go it, could buy a de facto standard engine and (Hewland) gearbox and build a chasis around it.

So maybe a return to this idea shouldn’t sound so strange to safeguard the future of F1.