Before we lose track

In 1970 while Stewart was racing a March 701 for Team Tyrrell and was saying, rather unconvincingly, that he thought the March had great potential, Ken Tyrrell was building his own car. With designer Derek Gardner he planned the first Tyrrell car, using a Cosworth V8 engine and Hewland gearbox, and when Tyrrell 001 was announced late in the 1970 season it was said to be a one-off specially for Jackie Stewart. At the time Ken Tyrrell made it clear that he had no intention of becoming a manufacturer of racing cars, but subsequently, to keep his team competitive, he has built twelve cars, all designed by Gardner. Four of them have been sold, but only when they became surplus to the team’s requirements, and the following list explains briefly what has happened to all the Tyrrell cars, the series starting with car number 001, progressing to 006 where the series side-stepped before the introduction this year of the 007 series.

001 — Original car introduced in 1970. Retained in dismantled form at factory.

002— Sold to the Fittipaldi brothers in Brazil.

003 — Originally on display in the Donington Collection before being given as a retirement present to Jackie Stewart.

004 — Sold to Alex Blignaut in South Africa and raced there.

005 — In use until 1974, now on tour as an Elf Team Tyrrell display car.

006 — Crashed in Canadian GP 1973 and broken up to build 006/3 at Watkins Glen.

006/2 — Sold to Tom Wheatcroft. On display in the Donington Collection.

006/3 — Virtually destroyed in fatal crash to Cevert at Watkins Glen 1973. At factory.

007/1 — 1974 prototype car. Sold to Team Gunston in South Africa.

00712 — Retained by factory. New at Monaco GP 1974.

007/3 — Retained by factory. New at British GP 1974.

007/4 — Retained by factory. New at Canadian GP 1974.