Hesketh 308/1 was the first car completed by The Hesketh Motor Company. It was entered in the early 1974 Formula 1 races. The car was driven by James Hunt to the team’s first victory at the 1974 Daily Express International Trophy race. Although the April event was a non-championship event, it demonstrated that the Hesketh team was cabable of winning Formula 1 races. Hesketh 308/1 was used as the team’s training car for the rest of the 1974 season. In 1975 308/1 was sold to Harry Stiller for use as a private entry for driver Alan Jones. (more…)
Lord Alexander Hesketh’s team started racing in Formula 3 in the early seventies. The team, run by Bubbles Horsley, soon moved up to Formula 2 and non-championship Formula 1. Their driver, James Hunt, raced customer cars purchased from Surtees. The team was based at Hesketh’s home, Eaton Neston, near Towcester in Northamptonshire. The estate’s stables were converted into a race shop, and a farmhouse outfitted with flats for the team’s mechanics.
As a teenager I read about the London Racing Car Show that took place every two years. Sports Car Graphic magazine would run articles and I was amazed that there could actually be a show just for racing cars. I had been to the New York Auto Show and Ford would display its Le Mans winning GT 40 and that was exciting, but a complete show dedicated to racing cars was almost beyond my imagination.