Formula libre (1962-1974): March

[allenbrown]

I'm back!

I've had to break this project into two parts: up to the end of 1974 and then 1975 onwards. For now, let's see what we can solve in the pre-74 period. To start with, March.

Listed below are all the major runners to use March cars in libre up to the end of 1974. I've included "Formula Ireland", the 2000cc formula that they used prior to moving to Atlantic.

Can anyone help to identify the unknown cars?

1. John Smith March 722 - 1800 - 0 wins (25 Mar 1972 - 23 Sep 1972)
2. Chris Meek March 712M - Ford-BRM - 4 wins (1 Apr 1972 - 27 May 1972)
3. Gerry Birrell F2 March 722 - Ford 1900 - 2 wins (14 May 1972 - 17 Sep 1972)
4. John Calvert March 722 - - 0 wins (14 May 1972 - 24 Sep 1972)
5. Mike & Kim Mather March 712M - Ford-Hart - 2 wins (1 Jul 1972 - 9 Sep 1972)
6. Sonny Rajah March 712M - - 0 win (30 Jul 1972)
7. Vern Schuppan March 722 - Ford-Richardson - 1 win (6 Aug 1972)
8. Stephen Choularton March 73B - Ford-Autovita - 1 win (3 Mar 1973)
9. Patsy McGarrity March 723/722 - 1800 - 4 wins (31 Mar 1973 - 8 Jul 1973)
10. Roy Courtney March 722 - - 0 wins (31 Mar 1973)
11. Kim Mather March 722 - Ford-Hart - 1 win (14 Apr 1973)
12. Ray Mallock March 73B - Ford-Swindon - 1 win (28 May 1973)
13. Allen Karlberg March 712M - - 0 wins (28 May 1973)
14. Jim Crawford March 73B - Ford-Autovita - 1 win (10 Jun 1973)
15. David Purley March 722 - - 0 wins (1 Jul 1973 - 12 Aug 1973)
16. Jas Patterson March 722/73B - - 0 wins (12 Aug 1973 - 11 Aug 1974)
17. Stan Matthews March 73B - - 0 wins (18 Aug 1973)
18. David Lambe March 723/722 - 1600 - 0 wins (27 Aug 1973)
19. Charles Lucas March 73B - - 0 wins (9 Sep 1973)
20. Geoff Friswell March 73B - Ford-Hart - 2 wins (23 Sep 1973 - 24 Mar 1974)
21. Wes Dawn March 73B - - 0 wins (8 Sep 1974)
22. Ronnie Mackay March 722 - - 0 wins (13 Oct 1974)

The ones I have spotted in the Chassis Archie are:
1. John Smith - March 722 [18]
6. Sonny Rajah - March 712M [7]
16. Jas Patterson March 722 [24] updated to 73B spec.

I've seen contradictory information for the Patsy Mcgarrity car, an Autosport report said it was the ex-Williamson 723 uprated to 722 spec but then an advert called it 722-41.

Allen

[David McKinney]

1. Smith 722 - entered by M Templeton - number unknown
2. Meek 712M-17
3. Birrell 722-1
4. Calvert 722-29
5. Mather bros 712M-9
6. Rajah 712M - ??
7. Schuppan 722-40
8. Choularton 73B - ??
9. McGarrity 722-41
10. Courtney 722-4
11. Mather 722-29
12. Mallock 73B - ??
13. Karlberg 712M-17 - ex-Meek via Malcolm Wayne
14. Crawford 73B - ?? (same as 8 above)
15. Purley 722-10
16. Patterson raced the ex-Gublemann 72B - same car?
17. Matthews 73B - ??
18. Lambe 722-41
19. Lucas 73B - ??
20. Friswell 73B - ??
21. Dawn 73B - ??
22. Mackay 722 - ??
e & oe

[allenbrown]

Thanks David - great list. The breadth of your knowledge never ceases to amaze me. You're covering 1970s Marchs here and discussing the noses of early 1950s HWMs in the other place. I wouldn't know an HWM if it ran me over!

I see there's a difference of opinion on the Mather bros car. Adam Ferrington observed 712M-12 on that car, which agrees with reports of it being ex-Coaker. The same post that identified 712M-12 (quoting from one of Adam's annotated programs) also identified Rajah's car as 712M-7.

Thanks

Allen

[Dan Rear]

Kim M told me himself that Mike's 712M was the ex-Coaker car. Was his '722' a different one again, ie 722-29??

[Bryan Miller]

Allen,

Chequered Flag magazine in Australia identified Rajah's car as 712M/732-7 when it ran here in the Van Heusen Series.

Bryan.

[Chris Townsend]

1. Smith 722 - entered by M Templeton - Smith says this was 18 - he now owns the car once more.
2. Meek 712M-17
3. Birrell 722-1
4. Calvert 722-29
5. Mather bros 712M-[12] 722-29 acquired at start of 1973
712M-9 plate was on Colin Andrews’s car.
6. Rajah 712M - ?? 712M [7]
7. Schuppan 722-40
8. Choularton 73B [1]
9. McGarrity 722-41
10. Courtney 722-4
11. Mather 722-29
12. Mallock [712M-5 kitted as 73B]
13. Karlberg 712M-17 - ex-Meek via Malcolm Wayne; subsequently taken to USA
14. Crawford 73B [1] in 1973; 1974 73B may be a different car
15. Purley 722-10
16. Patterson 722 [24] but later 1973 may have a 73B as well
17. Matthews 73B - ?? Actually a 723
18. Lambe 722-41
19. Lucas 73B - ??
20. Friswell 73B - ??
21. Dawn 73B - ?? [Allegedly has plate 742-14 [car is now in California] but probably 73B-14]
22. Mackay 722 - ?? I wish I knew!!!

Chris

[allenbrown]

Hi Chris

Thanks for this. I need to make a confession. As I was leafing through Autosports on my libre quest, I saw a note of someone in an ex-Matthews 723. Before I could write it down the phone rang or the children fell out or something and next time I remembered it was just now. Irritated with myself, I've just taken a rapid look through the Nov/Dec 1972 period, as that's when I felt it was, but found nothing.

Sorry!!

Allen