Powered by a 1.8-litre Cosworth FVA engine and designed by Chevron founder Derek Bennett, the Chevron B16 made its racing debut at the Nürburgring 500 km in 1969. Success came instantly: later two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Brian Redman raced the works-entered B16 to victory at the Nordschleife.

1970 would see the B16 win races in national championships in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States, and claim the manufacturer crown in the European 2-Litre Championship after a season-long factory campaign. 

In 1971 the Chevron B16 played a supporting role in the Steve McQueen ‘Le Mans’ movie that focused on a fictional Ferrari versus Porsche battle. 

Already in 1969 Chevron began developing an open-top version of its B16 named the Chevron B16 Spyder. This car soon evolved into the Chevron B19, a car built in an attempt to keep up with the open-top sports cars that became increasingly more successful.

Although about just two dozen Chevron B16s were ever produced in its time, an armada of B16s can now be found all across the globe as Chevron brought back production of the car in the 2000s using the very same specs as its first iteration. 

Photos by Miguel Bosch.

 
 

Please consider making a donation so we can keep bringing you our best content from the racetrack.