1962 Porsche 804

I photographed this car on the approach to Waterway corner at Aintree during practice for the British Grand Prix in July 1962.

It's Dan Gurney in the 1962 Porsche 804 in which he qualified in sixth position on the grid and finished the race in ninth position. Porsche had first built a single seat racing car in 1959, the 718, using the 1½ litre flat-four boxer engine from their sports car to create a Formula 2 car. In 1961 the engine capacity for Formula 1 cars was reduced to 1½ litres and the Porsche 718 was able to compete in Formula 1 races that season. The Porsche 804 was built to compete in Formula 1 races in the 1962 season using a new Flat-eight engine of 1,494cc, and with this car Dan Gurney won the French Grand Prix and finished in third place in the German Grand Prix to end the season in fifth place in the World Drivers' Championship. His team mate Jo Bonnier's best finish was fifth place in the Monaco Grand Prix and he finished in fifteenth place in the Championship. Porsche finished in fifth place in the World Constructors' Championship. That first place in the 1962 French Grand Prix is Porsche's only Grand Prix victory.