Chris Amon Builds His Own Car

New Zealand's Chris Amon twice entered Formula One under his own name, the second time with a car built for him, and neither attempt lasted.

Chris Amon Racing was the New Zealand driver's own team. He first used the name for a single privateer entry at the 1966 Italian Grand Prix, where his Brabham with a small BRM engine failed to make the grid. After seasons with Ferrari, March, Matra and Tecno, he tried again in 1974 with a car of his own, the AF101, designed by Gordon Fowell and backed by John Dalton.

The car was ambitious, with torsion bar suspension and a fuel tank placed between the cockpit and the engine, but it proved fragile. Amon started only one Grand Prix with it, the Spanish race in 1974, and retired. He withdrew from the next round and failed to qualify twice more before the team closed for lack of money.

Drivers

• Chris Amon