Don Nichols and the Shadow

An American sports car team moved into Formula One in 1973, changed nationality along the way, and won a single Grand Prix with Alan Jones.

Shadow began in California in 1968, when Don Nichols founded Advanced Vehicle Systems to build cars for the CanAm sports car series. The cars were called Shadows, and with backing from Universal Oil Products the team grew stronger, dominating the shortened 1974 CanAm season. By then it had already moved into Formula One.

Nichols announced the Formula One program late in 1972, with cars designed by Tony Southgate and a base in Northampton, England. Shadow made its debut at the 1973 South African Grand Prix with Jackie Oliver and George Follmer, while Graham Hill's private Embassy team ran a third car. The team raced with an American license until 1975 and a British one from 1976, the first team to change its nationality officially. Its early years were marked by loss. Peter Revson was killed in practice for the 1974 South African Grand Prix, and Tom Pryce, his replacement, died in an accident during the 1977 South African Grand Prix, in which a track marshal was also killed.

Jean Pierre Jarier took pole at the first two races of 1975, though both ended in retirement. The single victory came at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix, where Alan Jones, who had replaced Pryce, won from 14th on the grid.

After that season Jones left for Williams, and most of the staff and the sponsor departed to found Arrows. Shadow declined, and despite experienced drivers such as Clay Regazzoni and Hans Joachim Stuck the results never returned. Its last entry was the 1980 French Grand Prix. In all, Shadow cars started 104 World Championship races, won one and reached the podium seven times.

Drivers

• Jackie Oliver
• Arturo Merzario
• Alan Jones