VIN: the works Alan Mann Racing Ford P68 chassis 03
History of chassis 03
During 1968, the Alan Mann Racing-built Ford P68 had shown devastating speed, but appalling reliability.
Undeterred, a third P68 was built for 1969. It was expected to race alongside the exceedingly ugly P69 (another Cosworth DFV-powered Group 6 car, but this time with an open top).
Both cars were entered for the 1969 Brands Hatch 6 Hours on April 13th.
Uprated with bigger brakes and a large rear suspension-mounted spoiler, 03 would be driven by Denny Hulme and Masten Gregory.
Hulme qualified the P68 seventh on the grid while the new P69 ran its bearings in practice and was withdrawn, never to be seen again. Frank Gardner and Jack Brabham had been set to drive the P69, but Alan Mann switched Gardner to the P68.
Jack Brabham and Masten Gregory were relieved of their driving duties for the rest of the weekend.
Hulme started in the P68. With ten laps gone, he was closing on the fourth placed Porsche of Gerhard Mitter, despite the Ford’s rear spoiler flapping about alarmingly. However, as had happened so often in 1968, the Cosworth DFV engine suddenly lost oil pressure and the car was wheeled away into retirement.
The P68 appeared just once more in 1969; at the Silverstone Martini Trophy on May 17th.
Chassis 03 arrived with a freshly rebuilt engine and Gardner took pole with a time six tenths of a second faster than his lap record from 1968.
Race day was wet, so the Alan Mann crew removed the rear spoiler as speeds were expected to be lower.
Because of the terrible conditions, drivers were permitted a handful of exploratory laps before the 120km race got underway. Rain was teeming down onto an already waterlogged track and after a couple of circulations, Gardner pulled into the pits with his engine badly misfiring.
The electrics had been completely soaked and the car did not make it to the startline.
Soon afterwards, Ford pulled out of the P68 and P69 programmes; they were no longer willing to fund development of cars that had failed to finish a race, let alone win one.
Chassis 02 and 03 were retained by Ford until the mid-late 1970s. Both were then sold to Tom Wheatcroft for the Donington Collection.
Wheatcroft later sold 03 to David Piper.
Notable History
Alan Mann Racing
13/04/1969 WSC Brands Hatch 6 Hours (D. Hulme / F. Gardner) DNF (#58)
17/05/1969 BSC Silverstone Martini Trophy (F. Gardner) DNS (#17)
Retained by Ford UK
Sold to Tom Wheatcroft (Donington Collection)
Sold to David Piper
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ford - https://www.ford.com
