The adventure of the small French team AGS continues, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it truly begins, in 1987, considering that in 1986 they had merely tested the waters of the world championship by competing only in the Italian Grand Prix and the Portuguese Grand Prix. Entry into the two 1986 races had taken place under the banner of the Italian team Jolly Club, which also provided its driver, Ivan Capelli, to take the wheel of the JH21. For the 1987 season, Julien Henri took a further step forward by entering his team for the full season, now without any external support and using solely the name Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives (AGS).
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| AGS JH22, Roberto Moreno Adelaide, Australian GP 1987 |
His partner and technician Christian Vanderpleyn remained the technical director of the new AGS JH22, which was conceived as a simple evolution of the previous JH21 but with one key difference: it was no longer powered by the turbo engine from the Italian company Motori Moderni. Like other small teams, AGS opted from the outset to switch to the classic naturally aspirated Ford-Cosworth engine, specifically the new DFZ version with a 3494 cc displacement. This choice offered significantly lower operating costs and was easier to fine-tune compared to the new turbo engines, which, while capable of delivering high power, were still thirsty for fuel and required the use of very expensive electronic management systems to control consumption.
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| AGS JH22, Pascal Fabre Spa-Francorchamps, Belgian GP 1987 |
The chassis of the new JH22 was the same aluminum and carbon fiber monocoque derived directly from the 1983 Renault RE40, already used on the JH21. The suspension system also remained the same, featuring push-rod design both front and rear. The wheelbase increased slightly this year, reaching 2870 mm, while the adoption of a naturally aspirated engine led to a significant weight reduction, bringing the car close to the 520 kg mark.
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| AGS JH22, Pascal Fabre Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1987 |
Chief designer Michel Costa crafted a sleeker body for the JH22, with a pointed nose and sidepods that tapered off sharply toward the rear. However, the most distinctive feature of the JH22 was its T-shaped air intake, reminiscent of 1970s design, positioned between the fuel tank and the engine. This solution was soon abandoned in favor of a less conspicuous and more aesthetically pleasing design.
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| AGS JH22, Pascal Fabre Hockenheimring, German GP 1987 |
For the 1987 season, French driver Pascal Fabre was selected, a familiar face for the AGS team, having already competed in Formula 2 for Julien Henri. However, the car’s limited competitiveness and the young driver's inexperience prevented the team from achieving any notable results. Toward the end of the season, things worsened considerably with a series of failures to qualify, leading to Fabre being replaced by Brazilian driver Roberto Moreno. Moreno managed to secure a points finish in the final race of the season in Adelaide, giving Julien Henri and his small AGS team the first world championship point in their history.
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