1980 Van Diemen RF80 Formula Ford 1600

Van Diemen International Ltd. was a British racing car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk which built cars for a number of racing championships over the years and are probably best known for their many years of success with Formula Ford and remained at the forefront of that class of motorsport for over 20 years, becoming the largest manufacturer of bespoke racing cars in the world. The company was founded in 1973 by Ross Ambrose and Ralph Firman Sr., whose children Marcos Ambrose, Ralph Firman Jr. and Natasha Firman have since gone on to have successful racing careers. The company's name comes from the island of Tasmania, Australia, which was formerly known as Van Diemen's Land and is where Ambrose was born and lived before moving to the UK to co-found the company.

1973 saw the arrival of the Van Diemen FA73, one of which was used by Derek Lawrence to win the BRDC Formula Ford 1600 Championship that year. The '73 BRSCC Formula Ford Championship was also won by a FA73 driven by Donald MacLeod. Much more success followed with South African, Kenny Gray, taking the Scottish Formula Ford Championship in 1974 in a Van Diemen RF74 and FF Championships around the world were a happy hunting ground for these well designed cars.

The RF80 on offer here dates from 1980- a particularly good year for Van Diemen in the BRSCC Formula Ford 1600 Championship. Brazilian drivers Roberto Moreno and Raul Boesel won 13 out of 14 races and finished one and two in the standings with Jonathan Palmer, also driving a Van Diemen, taking third. Moreno went on to win the Formula Ford Festival  in October followed by Tommy Byrne, also driving a Van Diemen.

This very car took Cam Jackson to his Classic Formula Ford championship win in 2020 and 41 years after his BRSCC Championship win, Roberto Moreno, the F1 and Indycar legend, had a weekend off from coaching in the US and accepted an invitation from Jonathan Lewis, his original team manager from the 1980 FF Festival win, to return to the UK and compete in this car at the 2021 Formula Ford Festival. Remarkable, a sister RF80 chassis, same Canadian Club livery, same event, same circuit, just 41-years later. In the event things didn't go that well ( it was the FF Festival at Brands! ) however, we understand that the car performed faultlessly. https://formulascout.com/podcast-roberto-moreno-on-his-nostalgic-fford-festival-comeback/88669

Presenting today in very good condition, still in the period Canadian Club livery, and race ready. Full spec and set-up details are available from our consignor.