March Engineering

Former Formula One constructor

March, the Racing Car Factory

Four founders built a customer car business that reached every category at once and won three World Championship races in its own chassis.

March Engineering began in 1969, and its name came from the initials of its four founders. Max Mosley handled the business side, Alan Rees ran the racing team, Graham Coaker managed production at the factory in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and Robin Herd designed the cars. For 1970 March launched customer cars for Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Three, Formula Ford and Can Am all at once, and ran works teams as well.

Its first Formula One season brought an early success, though not for the works team. Ken Tyrrell, between Matra and his own chassis, bought March cars for Jackie Stewart, who won the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix. Ronnie Peterson finished as runner up in the 1971 championship in the distinctive 711, and a young Niki Lauda drove for March in 1972.

The works team's own victories came later. Vittorio Brambilla won the rain shortened 1975 Austrian Grand Prix, and Peterson returned to win the 1976 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the team's second and last win of its own. That same 1975 season Lella Lombardi became the first woman to score a championship point. At the end of 1977 March sold its Formula One assets to ATS and concentrated on other categories, where it thrived, winning the Indianapolis 500 five times in a row from 1983 to 1987.

March returned in 1987 with backing from the Japanese company Leyton House, and Adrian Newey designed its cars from 1988. The team raced as Leyton House in 1990 and 1991, reverted to the March name in 1992, and made its final appearance at the 1992 Australian Grand Prix. In all, March cars started 197 World Championship races and won three.

Drivers

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