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British F1 icon Vanwall returns with reborn 1958 racers

historic formula One outfit Vanwall is back, and it’s planning a continuation series of six track-only racers, built to the same specification as the 1958 formula One world championship winning VW 5 driven by the great Sir Stirling Moss.
The continuation models will be powered by a reproduced version of Vanwall’s very own race engine of the time. The British firm has sourced its original 1950s blueprints and will faithfully replicate its 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit, which will have the same 270bhp output.

Our tribute to the legend that is Sir Stirling Moss

The unit was designed in the 1950s by an engineer from the Norton motorcycle company and, essentially, it was four single-cylinder Manx motorbike engines with a shared cooling system and a custom-made cylinder head. The engine was introduced for the 1954 formula One season, but its tiny 2.0-litre capacity meant it struggled to keep up with the competition.
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Vanwall steadily improved the design of its engine over the coming years, gradually increasing its capacity and reliability until it became a competitive 270bhp 2.5-litre unit. It was still down on power against the likes of the V6-engined Ferrari 246 or the straight-six powered Maserati 250F – but the Vanwall’s superior chassis helped secure the victory.
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The racer’s respectable road holding was the work of Colin Chapman, who designed the Vanwall’s suspension and chassis – and eventually went on to found Lotus Cars. Unlike most of its contemporary competitors, Vanwall also shunned the usual drum brake setup for a set of in-house designed discs, which helped Moss out-brake the Ferraris.

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