British motor racing engineer Derek Bennett has aptly been described as “an ordinary man with an extraordinary talent”. He set out repairing road cars in a lock-up garage in the back streets of Salford, and progressed from there to prove himself one of the world’s leading racing car constructors.

The success story of his Chevron marque became closely entwined with that of Derek Bennett’s many customers worldwide, buying and racing their Chevron cars most notably in 2-litre sports car competition but also in single-seater Formula 5000, Formula 2 and Formula 3 form. No fewer than six former Chevron drivers went on to achieve World Champion status. Chevron shone for 13 years under Derek Bennett’s direction until his tragic death following a hang-gliding accident in 1978 but the sheer engineering quality and racing competitiveness of the cars he created has guaranteed their widespread popularity throughout the Historic racing world today.

In 1969 he had introduced the exquisitely beautiful Chevron B16 Coupe for FIA International Group 5 racing, and this model was subsequently cut down into open-cockpit Spyder form to contest the emergent European 2-litre Championship Group 6 series. Engines as diverse as the 1790cc Cosworth-Ford FVC, 1598cc Cosworth-Ford FVA, and 2-litre BMW and Mazda engines were utilised in these cars, and the B16s first outright victory was a suitably major one, in the 1969 Nurburgring 500 Kilometres classic, driven by Brian Redman. In 1970 Redman won in the B16 Spyder, this time at Spa-Francorchamps in the European Championship’s Belgian qualifying round. For 1971 the further developed Chevron B19 superseded the B16 models, 35 of these cars being produced, and for 1972 the latest variant B21 attracted 28 orders.

This particular 2-litre series Chevron is being offered here by the order of county court sheriffs. The car has been reassembled from a bulk purchase of cars and parts made by a Norwegian enthusiast while he was working in Angola in 1985. We understand that the following claimed history relates to the car now presented here, which is thought to have begun life as a 1970 Chevron B16 purchased and raced contemporarily by well-known British privateer Roger Heavens. It is believed to have been shared by Mr Heavens and RAC scrutineer-cum-racing driver Mike Garton at Brands Hatch, Monza, the Nurburgring, Osterreichring, Barcelona, Montlhery and Casablanca.

The car was subsequently updated to virtual B21 specification at the start of the 1972 season, finishing 16th overall driven by Heavens/Garton at Spa-Francorchamps, and 15th at the Nurburgring, then being shipped to southern Africa where it won at Luanda, Angola, shared by Heavens/Carlos Santos, and was subsequently co-driven by Heavens and Guy Tunmer in the Springbok Championship series, at Cape Town, Laurenco Marques, Goldfield and Pietermaritzburg – where it finished third. Returned to Europe for 1973 we are informed that the car was then further updated with B23 bodywork, and appeared at Vallelunga, Monza, the Osterreichring and Nurburgring before a second trip south to the sun – excelling once more at Luanda, Angola. The car was then sold and raced in Angola and southern Africa driven by Carlos Santos and Guy Tunmer. As Angola was engulfed by civil war the car was abandoned in the Santos workshop in Luanda together with an Alfa Romeo T33. The car was eventually purchased by its new Norwegian owner from the Santos family in 1985 and was shipped back to Europe in 1991.

This car is understood to be largely complete with engine, gearbox and suspension but is in need of restoration/assembly. The lot is sold strictly as viewed.