In 1980, the Ensign team received a boost with new funds flowing into the team thanks to its new sponsor, Unipart. Morris Nunn decided to make a clean break with the past, entrusting the design of the new car for the 1980 championship to his new collaborators, Ralph Bellamy and Nigel Bennett. The new Ensign N180 was a classic ground-effect single-seater, openly inspired by the Williams FW07, which had become the benchmark for all designers at the time.
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| ENSIGN N180, Clay Regazzoni Long Beach, USA West GP 1980 |
Like almost all the cars on the 1980 grid, the N180 used the classic three-liter Ford-Cosworth DFV V8 engine paired with a Hewland FGA 400 five-speed gearbox, all assembled on an aluminum monocoque chassis featuring the typical structure with the fuel tank located behind the driver, between the cockpit and the engine, serving a structural function.
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| ENSIGN N180, Clay Regazzoni Long Beach, USA West GP 1980 |
The nose was rather rounded, while, unlike most single-seaters, the bodywork did not fully cover the rear of the car, stopping before the rear axle and leaving the gearbox and suspension exposed. The sidepods were a classic feature of early 1980s wing-cars, long and boxy, with the engine radiators positioned far forward, beneath the cooling vents.
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| ENSIGN N180, Geoff Lees Zandvoort, Dutch GP 1980 |
The hiring of the experienced Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni, who had previously raced for Ensign, was the cherry on top for a season filled with high ambitions. The start of the championship was fairly decent, with the car consistently running in the midfield, close to the top teams. However, tragedy struck at Long Beach after only four races when Regazzoni suffered a horrific accident caused by a sudden brake failure on his N180, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. This devastating loss was a severe blow to Nunn's team, which never recovered, failing to qualify for several races and achieving poor results.
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| ENSIGN N180, Tiff Needell Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1980 |
Regazzoni was initially replaced by young British driver Tiff Needell, followed by Dutchman Jan Lammers, who was occasionally joined by Briton Geoff Lees. However, none of these three drivers managed to secure results, struggling even to qualify for the Sunday races. Ironically, the only result of the season, a sixth-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix by Frenchman Patrick Gaillard, was nullified by the FIA, which excluded the race from the championship due to the ongoing FISA-FOCA dispute that dominated Formula 1 at the time.
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