The announcements keep on coming for the Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival as the latest is one of the first Arrows Formula 1 chassis to compete.
Founded in November 1977 by Italian businessman Franco Ambrosio, Alan Rees, Jackie Oliver, Dave Wass and Tony Southgate, Arrows was located at Milton Keynes, England after leaving the Shadow team.
Formed and appearing on the Formula 1 grid within three months fielding Gunnar Nilsson, who was joined by Riccardo Patrese. However, there was a driver change during the season as Nilsson was diagnosed with cancer forcing him to step away as Rolf Stommelen took his place.
Controversy was never far away during its initial seasons as Shadow took Arrows to the London High Court for copyright infringement due to the design of the new team’s FA1 being an exact copy of the DN9. The verdict fell in favour of Shadow and the FA1 was never to race again.
Also, Ambrosio left the organisation due to being jailed in Italy for financial irregularities as Arrows welcomed beer company Warsteiner as major sponsor.
Due to the impending court case and highly likely loss, Arrows designed the A1 to replace the FA1 where it achieved ninth in World Constructors’ Championship.
An updated A1B was utilised until the A2 was built during the later part of the 1979 season, which will make an appearance at the Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival.
The A1B appearing in Adelaide was driven by Patrese in 1979 finishing a best of fifth at the Belgian Grand Prix on the way to repeating its 11th place in the World Constructors’ Championship.
A Cosworth DFV V8 powered the A1B making 500bhp at 10,750rpm surrounded by what was one of the first ‘ground effects’ bodies to appear in Formula 1. The B upgrade constituted a stiffened monocoque and revised side pods, which Patrese preferred due to its more predictable handling compared to the A2.
After Arrows, these chassis ended up in the UK racing in the Aurora AFX British Formula One Championships with Charles Clowe Racing in which Rupert Keegan won the title in 1979, while Guy Edwards came third the next year.
Catch this Arrows as well as a variety of other Formula 1, touring cars, GT and sportscars, open-wheelers, bikes and much more will be at the Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival on March 16-17.