Duckhams-Ford special revived

Gordon Murray’s first Le Mans car has been restored to its original form and will soon resume racing after a varied career. In 1972 the young South African designer cannibalised Main de Cadenet’s Brabham BT33-2 GP car — which Chris Craft raced in 1971 — and in two months created the Duckhams Special, a DFV-powered prototype for Craft and de Cadenet to race at La Sarthe.

Craft went off the track when lying fifth. Following repairs, organisers would only let it out for the last lap, and the team was rewarded with 12th place. Having failed to finish at Le Mans in both 73 and 74, the chassis became the Volkswagen-bodied `DFVW’ in 75, and was a star turn in SuperSaloon and Special GT events into the 1980s, whereupon it lay fallow until Ryan Hodges rescued it, sans body, more than a decade later. He has recreated all three Le Mans bodies, but will run it in 1972 short-tail form. MP