Tyrrell 006 / 2 -1973 – Widescreen Gallery

Submitted by msr on October 24, 2014

It has been 60 years since the living legend we know as Sir Jackie Stewart entered the cockpit of a single-seater for the first time at Goodwood. Let’s take a look at one of the most memorable cars from the amazing career that followed…

This year’s Goodwood Revival brought together some of his most iconic cars from a driving career that spanned 13 years and included 3 Formula 1 World Championships.

We have a closer look at one of his most memorable championship cars, the 1973 Tyrrell Ford 006/2 that helped Sir Jackie steer to victory for the last time in Formula 1.

The 1970’s is often heralded as one of the most magical periods of motor racing in history. A period defined by drivers with a dedication and singular goal to win, cars that were mechanically raw, racing that was awesome and terrifying at the same time, the rise of stardom and glamour. What wasn’t to like about the action of Formula 1?

Some names will never be forgotten from this period of racing. And among those most fondly remembered will be Jackie Stewart, the “Flying Scot”.

Tyrrell Ford 006/2 was Stewart’s car for a majority of 1973 and was a development on the Tyrrell chassis 005 which Stewart had retained from 1972 for the first 2 races of the new season. The 006 was fitted with inboard brakes, but overall changes to the 005 were slight.

However, these small changes gave it an edge over its predecessor, making it more competitive with the defending champion’s Lotus 72. Furthermore, changes included the new F1 regulation for deformable crash structures to be integrated into the design for increased safety, giving the Tyrell 006 its recognisable shape.

On the other hand, perhaps one of the most notable changes was that the Tyrrell 006 became a reproduced car with numbers 006 becoming a model number rather than a chassis number.

There were three 006 cars produced, 006 and 006/3 driven by François Cevert with 006 damaged early in 1973 and 006/3 destroyed after Cervert’s tragic and fatal crash at Watkins Glen later that year.

Draped in the colours of primary sponsor and fuel company Elf, Stewart’s Tyrrell 006/2 had a large presence on the F1 grid and was even more striking at full flight, something that has gone unchanged since its glory days at the height of motor racing.

Fittingly, the memorable Tyrrell 006/2 would not only bring about Sir Jackie’s 3rd and final F1 world championship but allow him to hold a record 27 F1 victories that would remain unbroken for a further 14 years. It would also help him to hold the record as the most successful British F1 driver for 19 years until Nigel Mansell in 1992.