After a long apprenticeship as a constructor in lower categories, Morris Nunn was persuaded by Formula 1 driver Rikky von Opel to attempt an entry into the top open-wheel racing series. This led to the founding of the British team Ensign, based in Burntwood, Staffordshire, England. The team debuted in 1973 with von Opel as its driver, fielding the N173, a car designed by Nunn himself and featuring advanced aerodynamics. The following year, von Opel left the team to join Brabham, and Nunn reworked the N173, renaming it the N174. However, it was only in 1975 that Ensign built a completely new single-seater, the N175, the third car designed by Morris Nunn, although technically the fourth Formula 1 chassis constructed by the British team.
 |
| ENSIGN N175, Gijs van Lennep Nürburgring, German GP 1975 |
The new Ensign N175 was not merely an evolution of the MN174 from the previous season, despite maintaining a very conventional mechanical layout. It featured the classic 3-liter Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine paired with a five-speed Hewland FG 400 gearbox. The wheelbase measured 2565 mm, and the car weighed 595 kg.
 |
| ENSIGN N175 Roelof Wunderink Watkins Glen Internationa, USA GP 1975 |
Aesthetically, compared to the 1974 car, the N175 abandoned the snowplow-style front nose in favor of a more traditional low nose with two side winglets. The sidepods were quite short, with radiators mounted laterally to the engine, while above the driver’s head sat the characteristic air intake. For the 1975 season, the British team secured sponsorship from HB Bewaking, a Dutch security systems company, which insisted on having Dutch driver Gijs van Lennep at the wheel of the only car entered in the championship. He shared driving duties with fellow Dutchman Roelof Wunderink.
 |
| ENSIGN N175,Chris Amon Monza, GP d'Italia 1975 |
On two occasions, a second car was also fielded, driven by New Zealander Chris Amon. The N175 holds a special place in Ensign's history, as it was the first car from the British team to score a World Championship point, thanks to van Lennep’s sixth-place finish at the German Grand Prix.
Comments
Post a Comment