1971 March 701

I photographed this car at Deer Leap during the HSCC Seldon Pre '71 Single Seater Championship race at the Historic Sports Car Club's Spring Historic Race Meeting at Oulton Park in May 1986.

It's the 1971 March 701 of Brian Tyler with a 2,993cc V8 Cosworth DFV engine, and is chassis #701-11. March Engineering was started in 1969 by Max Mosley, Alan Rees, Graham Coaker and Robin Herd, 'March' being formed using the initials of their names Mosley, Alan Rees, Coaker, Herd. The 701 was their first Grand Prix car, designed by Robin Herd, and eleven were built, three as the March Team's cars and eight for sale to customers. In the 1970 season Chris Amon and Jo Siffert drove the works cars, Chris Amon finishing in eighth place in the World Drivers' Championship but Jo Siffert didn't manage to finish in a points-scoring position in any of the thirteen races that counted towards the Championship. The most successful of the March drivers was Jackie Stewart who drove a March 701 for Ken Tyrrell's team for the first ten races until the Tyrrell 001 was available from the eleventh race onwards. Jackie Stewart finished in fifth place in the Championship, winning the Spanish Grand Prix and gaining two second place and a third place finish, all with the March 701, and retiring in the three races with the Tyrrell 001 - although he did take pole position with the car in its first race, the Canadian Grand Prix.