Vanwall - official Conway Stewart booklet

A Great British Story Photographs by Peter Harholdt for Revs Institute

Dear Vanwall Enthusiast, The UK hosts seven out of ten of the current race teams competing globally in Formula One which is truly remarkable.

When the question is raised of why so many teams are based in Britain, several famous names get quoted - Lotus, Williams and McLaren to name a few - but it could arguably be said it all started with Vanwall.

1950’s Britain was struggling to find its identity in the emerging post-war world. Despite Britain being one of the world’s leading automotive producers in that period, the Italians, Germans and French led the way in Formula One. The racing green cars were usually just amongst the field, rarely atop the podium.

This irked the British industrialist Tony Vandervell to distraction.

Tony was considered a ‘Churchill’ in the business world; ruthless, restless, often irascible, a great patriot, and a fine intuitive brain. He made his fortune from the production of bearings by his company Vandervell Products Ltd. He was also on the board of BRM which was formed to put pride back into Britain’s Formula One efforts. Things were going too slowly for him with their plans; he wanted winning cars built here and now, not tomorrow. He resigned from BRM to ‘get on with it’ and lose the ‘mere garagistas’ tag with which British teams were labelled.

Tony’s first race cars were resprayed Ferraris, bought from Enzo himself and competing as ‘Thinwall Specials’, named after the Vandervell company’s bearings. Behind the scenes he was developing his own cars which emerged in 1954. The next three seasons the team, now known as Vanwall, learned their craft. By sheer determination, persistent refusal to accept defeat, and the use of the finest technical skills and resources, Vandervell made his dream come true.

By 1958, Vanwall had developed a winning formula. The best six results for the season counted and Vanwall had a perfect eight

points per race score, giving 48 out of a possible 48. Few teams since in the ‘World Constructors Championship Trophy’ have ever had a ‘maximum possible’ in a season.

The 1958 Vanwall is arguably the most important race-car ever created in Britain. Packed with innovations, it featured a spaceframe chassis by Colin Chapman and aerodynamics by Frank Costin. Vanwall’s brilliant drivers – Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans - dominated the season. Vanwall bestrode the racing world. Tony Vandervell and his British team had won.

In conclusion, Vanwall was not only the first post war British Formula One winner, but a team created by one man’s passion to win, using brilliant young engineers, Peter Harholdt designers and drivers that went on to create the British motorsport mind-set that endures today.

Vanwall is arguably the key reason why so many Formula One teams are based in Great Britain.

I have been a Vanwall fan all my life and have had a dream to help jump-start new life into Vanwall, to make it as well known today as Lotus, Williams and McLaren.

Hopefully this little booklet will give you more insight into this Great British success story.

For more on Vanwall, and our exciting plans for the future, please follow on Instagram @Vanwall_official, or visit the website www.vanwallgroup.com Yours truly

Iain Sanderson

Director - Vanwall 1958 Ltd

Vanwall is a registered trademark

Introduction Vanwall was a motor racing team and racing car constructor that was active in Formula One during the 1950s. Founded

by Tony Vandervell, the Vanwall name was derived by combining the name of the team owner with that of his Thinwall bearings produced at the Vandervell Products factory at Acton, London. Originally entering modified Ferraris in non-championship races, Vanwall constructed their first cars to race in the 1954 Formula One season. The team achieved their first championship race win in the 1957 British Grand Prix, with drivers Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, earning the team the distinction of constructing the first British-built car to win a World Championship race. Vanwall won the inaugural Constructors’ Championship in Formula One in 1958, in the process allowing Moss and Brooks to finish second and third in the Drivers’ Championship standings, winning three races each. Vandervell’s failing health meant 1958 would be the last full season; the squad ran cars in a handful of races in the following years, but finished racing in 1961.

However, Tony Vandervell had achieved his objective, restoring pride in British motorsport. Many believe that Vanwall catalysed Britain’s prominence in modern Formula One. The 1958 Formula One season In 1958, the owner of Vanwall, Tony Vandervell, waited until the second race to enter his team for the inaugural World Championship series. The first had been in Argentina, a country he considered too far away from London to travel to with a full team. During the 1957-1958 winter months the race cars had undergone much detailed work, for example with new wheels designed, better exhaust systems and enhanced body streamlining.

The biggest challenge had been changing the 4 -cylinder engines to run on 130 octane Avgas in place of the alcohol

based fuel used previously, this being a new 1958 F.I.A regulation.

Without the cooling properties of alcohol the Vanwall engines were running much hotter, temperatures Peter Harholdt around the valve seats being up by as much as 20 degrees Celsius. This called for significant development to be done on valves and pistons to cope with these higher temperatures.

Another challenge was the 1958 engine required a weaker mixture on full throttle which necessitated complex linkages.

Whilst there was plenty of work to do on the engines alone, the chassis and components were also undergoing many detail changes. The front hubs were redesigned to carry an alloy wheel which contained roller races, there being no actual hub, while alloy rear wheels were designed to have a splined hub pressed in. Finally a change-over was being made from Pirelli to Dunlop tyres, necessitating much track testing to improve handling.

One thing VanwaIl team did not have to worry about was driver choice, the 3 from 1957 remaining with them, Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans.

Vanwall photographs by Peter Harholdt for Revs Institute.

Photograph by Peter Harholdt

The Monaco Grand Prix, May 18th Three cars started in the Monaco race, all of them having the new alloy disc wheels, short radiator cowlings, steel tube bumpers across the radiator and cut-down Perspex screens.

The cars were the equal of any of the opposition, but the race was poor for Vanwall. Stirling Moss retired when leading due to ignition failure, Tony Brooks had a sparking plug unscrew, Stuart Lewis-Evans had an over-heating problem. To complete the teams problems, a spare engine being flown out to Monaco from London was destroyed when the plane carrying it crashed.

The Dutch Grand Prix, May 26th Zandvoort and things improved for all 3 cars which were on the front row of the grid, after complete command of practice.

The front alloys were changed for wires on Moss’s car, he

retained the rear ones. The front brake discs were distorting due to the solid wheel interrupting air flow and causing a wide temperature difference on each side of the discs resulting in grabbing brakes. The cars had reverted to their long streamlined nose cowlings and full wrap-round windscreens after Monaco. Stirling Moss drove an impeccable race and won with ease.

The Belgian Grand Prix, June 15th At Spa, the team had a strong challenge in practice from Ferrari with only Moss getting to the front row of the grid. On the opening lap, while in the lead, Moss missed a gear-change which caused over-revving, he was forced to retire. Brooks stepped into the breach and drove an immaculate, fast race to notch up Vanwall’s 2nd victory of the season with LewisEvans 3rd.

The French Grand Prix, July 6th From Spa to Reims, for the French Grand Prix. Here the cars were running on full throttle for longer than ever before. Oil temperatures were running high despite the fitting of new tanks, mounted directly behind the radiators.

In the search for ever improved road-holding Moss had bracing struts fitted to his car, running from the top of the kingpin diagonally back to the chassis frame, while Brooks tried his car fitted with new rear hubs that gave vertical wheel position instead of the normal 2 degrees of lean-in, or negative camber.

Both drivers were satisfied with their own experiments, but not convinced about the others. A tough race with Moss securing 2nd place whilst Brooks and Lewis-Evans both retired.

The British Grand Prix, July 19th A race to forget for the team. Stirling Moss retired and Brooks finished way down in 7th. Lewis-Evans put in a great stint to secure 4th. It was not the day the British public sought but matters were about to considerably improve.

The German Grand Prix, August 3rd Only 2 cars were entered and after a strong showing in practice and whilst well in the lead, Moss was forced to retire with a Magneto issue. This was a chance in a million, a completely unforeseeable happening. Brooks then came into his own, driving superbly and won the race in the most convincing manner. Vanwall were now in serious contention to win the constructors championship.

The Portuguese Grand Prix, August 24th Following Brooks’ magnificent win at the Nurburgring, Moss had an even more convincing 1st place at Porto, while LewisEvans finished 3rd. The cars were now greatly improved and more reliable. Brooks was running well when he spun and stalled his engine, being unable to restart as outside assistance was forbidden.

Photograph by Peter Harholdt for Revs Institute

The Italian Grand Prix, September 7th From Portugal the team went by road direct to Monza. In practice Moss tried an aerodynamic experiment in the form of a completely enclosed cockpit, the normal wrap-round Perspex screen having a top clamped on of the same material.

Too noisy and hot it was rejected as there was no apparent performance gain.

All 3 cars were running perfectly and made the grid front row very green. In the race Moss retired and once more Brooks stepped into the breach left by the retirement of the team leader and won the team’s 5th victory of the season.

The Grand Prix of Morocco, October 19th The final race of the season and and the Vanwall team were there in strength to win.

A new type of front wheel was tried on Brooks’ car, wire-spoked but having the hub and roller-races integral with the wheel.

The Dunlop tyres were proving 100 per cent reliable, with no need for a wheel change. Moss drove one of the best races of his season and won, making the total number of victories for the 1958 Vanwall team 6. This secured the inaugural World Constructors Championship Trophy. Stirling Moss missed the drivers by just 1 point as Hawthorn secured 2nd in the race and a sufficient total to win. Tragically, Lewis-Evans had a crash during the race and succumbed to his burns 6 days later when back in Britain.

Peter Harholdt

Summary

The score for the whole season, in which the Vanwall team competed in 9 races, was 6 wins, a 2nd place, two 3rd places, a 4th and a 7th place. Vanwall could be justifiably proud securing the World Constructors’ Championship title. In this brief review of the Vanwall 1958 season, tribute is due to Tony Vandervell for creating these most incredible cars, the 1st Grand Prix Constructors Champion and the most successful Grand Prix car from Britain to date, one which turned the tide for British based teams.

1958 was a year to remember, when Tony Vandervell and his Vanwall team put the ‘Great’ back before Britain, the culmination of so many years commitment.

Photograph by Peter Harholdt for Revs Institute

Photograph by Peter Harholdt

The Conway Stewart Vanwall Pen has been engineered to the highest standards to celebrate the Vanwall British Grand Prix Formula 1 racing team of 1958.

The Conway Stewart Vanwall Pen The famous racing drivers Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks won many races in the iconic green cars, one per race with a distinctive yellow nose cone. As you unscrew the cap of this Vanwall Pen, you will see the yellow nib holder band to reflect the heritage.

A young Colin Chapman and Frank Costin designed their winning cars using the best materials, and the Vanwall Pen is made from a beautiful marbled green acrylic resin which changes colour from dark green to black to iridescent olive green.

The Vanwall logo is engraved on the barrel with ‘Made in Great Britain’ that reflects the origin of the pen and the Vanwall cars.

This marbled green is an iconic colour used by Conway Stewart for decades and on the Vanwall Pen it is complemented with 9ct gold fittings – a narrow ring on the barrel end, and a wider cap band which has the edition number of the pen engraved into the gold. This wider gold cap band is stamped with the English Hall-marks showing the quality and purity of the material.

This is a Limited Edition pen, and only 270 pens will be made worldwide. Each comes in a large luxury green leather style box and includes a booklet on the fascinating history of Vanwall, a pen polishing cloth, a user manual, and a bottle of British Made green ink to fill up your Vanwall!.

The Conway Stewart Vanwall pen holds true to the classic 1920s styling which made Conway Stewart famous, yet has a freshness that makes it a joy to hold and use. It has a slight taper to the barrel end and a gently rounded cap top and weighs in at a hefty 54 grams. It is a delight to write with as it is fitted with one of the acclaimed Conway Stewart 18ct gold nib, available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium or Broad.

The blind end of the barrel unscrews to reveal a goldplated knurled top of the twist filler which is used to fill the pen with ink - a very lovely hidden feature, and one that makes this Vanwall Pen so very special.

Each pen is supplied with a certificate showing the edition number of the pen.

For information about any of our products, please go to:

ConwayStewart.com Tel: +44 (0)333 006 4646 Email: sales@ConwayStewart.com Follow us:

@ConwayStewart1905

@BespokeBritish1

Bespoke British Pens Ltd Unit 11C, The Wren Centre, Westbourne Rd, Emsworth, Hampshire, PO10 7SU United Kingdom Vanwall car photography by Peter Harholdt for Revs Institute of the original VW5/11, part of the Miles Collier Collection at Revs Institute.

@Conway_Stewart