Formula Junior

The Formula Junior category was introduced in Italy in 1958 by Count Giovanni Lurani, and in 1959 it became an Inter­national Formula. Shortly thereafter, in 1960, the British began to take a serious interest in the category, thus starting the rivalry between British and Italian cars.

The original FIA Formula Junior regulations defined the cars as single-seater racing cars with the mechanical components coming from a touring car of which a minimum of 1,000 units had been produced in 12 month’s time. The chassis was built within certain dimensions and to a weight minimum. The engine, gearbox, brakes, etc., had to be as derived from a production touring car. Therefore, there were a great variety of choices to be found on different cars, such as engines from BMC, Fiat and Ford, as well as gearboxes from Citroen, Renault and VW.