In the 1960s, Martin Slater owned a workshop in Slough, Surrey, in Great Britain, where he prepared racing cars, mainly focusing on junior formulas such as Formula Junior. He also actively collaborated with prestigious teams like Lola, Brabham, and March as a designer and engineer. In 1970, drawing on the experience he had gained with these three teams, Slater decided to establish his own racing team and begin building race cars independently, founding Lyncar. The first car he produced was the 001, a Formula Atlantic single-seater. This racing series originated in Canada and North America but soon became popular in Europe, leading to the creation of the British championship in 1971.
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| LUNCAR 006 |
Another key figure in the Lyncar adventure was New Zealander John Nicholson, a friend of Bruce McLaren. Nicholson's workshop prepared Ford Cosworth engines for the McLaren team in Woking. Alongside his work as an engine builder, Nicholson pursued his passion for racing, competing in the British Atlantic Championship in 1971 with a March and in 1972 with a Lyncar, for which he personally prepared the engines. His success was undeniable, and after winning the championships in 1973 and 1974, Nicholson convinced Slater to attempt building a Formula 1 monocoque chassis in aluminum. The car followed the conventional setup with a Ford Cosworth DFV engine, naturally prepared in Nicholson’s workshop, paired with a Hewland FGA400 gearbox. This partnership resulted in the creation of the Lyncar 006 in 1974, the first and only Formula 1 single-seater built by the British team. The car featured a fairly conventional design, distinguished by a front wing mounted in a cantilevered position on its wide, squared-off nose.
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| LYNCAR 006 |
With Nicholson behind the wheel, the 006 was entered only in races held on British soil. At the 1974 British Grand Prix, it failed to qualify. However, in the 1975 season, it managed to secure the 26th and final qualifying spot for the Grand Prix. Unfortunately, a technical failure forced its retirement on the 50th lap, and it finished 17th overall. This remained the only appearance of the Lyncar team with the 006 in a Formula 1 World Championship race.
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