Tyrrell Ford 003 Tyrrell Racing Team sponsored by ELF - Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix 1971
Car scale model kit in 1/43 scale manufactured by Tameo Kits (ref. WCT071)

After two seasons fighting for the Formula 1 World Championship, and winning it in 1969, Matra Sports, the racing car department of the giant aeronautical company Engins Matra, was acquired in 1969 by Simca, the French arm of the American Chrysler Corporation. Naturally, Chrysler could not allow the happy Matra-Ford marriage to continue during 1970, which was a big problem for Ken Tyrrell and Jackie Stewart, who saw how Simca wanted to mount their V12 engine in the single-seaters manufactured by Matra. Both were convinced that fidelity to the Ford engine was their sure and only passport to victory, especially after conducting head-to-head tests between the English V8 and the French V12 in Albi in November 1969.
At that time Tyrrell's imminent salvation for the 1970 season appeared. March Engineering had just formed a group of professional racing experts, and they were eager to build cars for any formula and for any customer willing to pay for them. But Ken Tyrrell realized that if he wanted to remain competitive and have a chance to win races and championships, he would need to build his own chassis. So he enlisted engineer Derek Gardner to design a simple car that wouldn't require a long development phase to make it competitive. In addition, it was necessary to keep it absolutely secret, and in order to secure a new sponsor for the following season, Tyrrell demanded that the car be ready for the Gold Cup race at Oulton Park on August 22, 1970. So almost at the same time that the March 701 was presented, design and construction of the monocoque of the future Tyrrell began. Its bulbous “Coke bottle” shape resembled that of the previous year's winning Matra MS80, though the blade-like design of the engine cowl with its integral fin and shark-mouth radiator manifold were completely original designs that were tested in the wind tunnel at the University of Surrey with 1:10 scale models. The car was named Tyrrell 001 and was 45kg lighter than the March 701, and only 14.5kg above the minimum weight limit set for Formula 1.
The Tyrrell on F1 chassis 002 was built in Ockham and tailor-made for the tall Cévert with a monocoque 10 cm longer and 4 cm more wheelbase than in the case of the 001, also improving other details with respect to the design of the prototype. While the team was racing 001 and 002 in South Africa in early 1971, the second long-frame car (003) was being completed at Ockham, to 002 specification, and intended for Stewart to drive, debuting with the 003 in Barcelona in the Spanish GP. Adjustable pedals made up for the difference in height between Cévert and Stewart, and Jackie won a magnificent battle against Ickx's Ferrari giving 003 victory in his first race.
At the Monaco event Jackie took pole position, and despite some brake problems, he literally dominated the Grand Prix. It was a magnificent race, an example of how to drive a racing car, being the leader at all times and also setting the fastest lap.

This item is not suitable for children under 18 years old. SpotModel recommend this item for advanced modellers and professionals with high experience on building cars and bikes. Read carefully all instructions.