Registration No: DK07 NYA
Chassis No: B106T01FR16
MOT: T.B.A

• 1 of just 2 Chevron B1 Mk2s completed and the sole road-going example
• Built as an homage to marque founder Derek Bennett's highly successful Clubmans racer
• Road tested by the late Tony Dron for The Telegraph
• A fascinating 'what if' and correctly registered as a Chevron

Please Note: This lot has not been MOT tested in time for the auction.

A successful race preparation specialist, Derek Bennett was prompted to become a manufacturer in his own right by a commission from Brian Classick who agreed to fund the design of a Clubman Class racer. Christened the Chevron B1, Bennett’s initial creation was based around a compact tubular chassis equipped with all-round independent suspension (giving it an instant advantage over Colin Chapman’s benchmark Lotus 7 which utilised a ‘live’ rear axle). Weighing in at just 400kg and powered by a 1500cc Ford four-cylinder engine, the nominal two-seater won its debut event, a Formula Libre race, at Kirkistown on 3rd July 1965. A second example was soon completed allowing Bennett and Classick to dominate the rest of the season. Demand from fellow Clubman Class competitors saw Bennett ready a subtly revised B2 for 1966 (complete with fibreglass bodywork modelled on that of the B1).

Fast forward some forty years and the restoration of Brian Classick’s B2 inspired Chevron Racing Cars Ltd to come up with a roadgoing version of the marque’s first model. Devised by Steve Sheldon, a Chevron employee since 1968, the so-called B1 Mk2 was priced at £23,500 making it a thousand pounds cheaper than a Lotus Elise and considerably more expensive than a Caterham Seven Classic. Aping its predecessor, the newcomer featured a tubular chassis, all-round independent suspension and Ford power (a 1600cc SOHC RoCam unit) but with the advantage of a Toyota five-speed manual gearbox and GRP bodywork. Sadly, the project never took off with only two B1 Mk2s ever being completed. Road testing ‘DK07 NYA’ for The Telegraph on 8th December 2007, Tony Dron commented: “This was good old-fashioned motoring, but with the benefit of modern brakes and dampers, plus wider tyres that give far more grip than any road car knew in 1965”. Part of a private collection for the past four years, the Chevron is rated by the vendor as being in ‘very good’ (bodywork, paintwork) or ‘excellent’ (engine, gearbox, electrical equipment, interior trim) condition.

For more information, please contact:
Damian Jones
damian.jones@handh.co.uk
07855 493737