 | |
| Formerly | Automotive Grinding Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Founder | Geoff Russell |
| Headquarters | Melbourne,Victoria, Australia |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
| Products | Auto parts |
| Services | Auto parts distributor |
Number of employees | 4,000 |
| Parent | Genuine Parts Company |
| Website | repco |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| First entry | 1966 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1969 South African Grand Prix |
| Races entered | 33 |
| Chassis | Brabham,LDS |
| Constructors' Championships | 2 (1966,1967) |
| Drivers' Championships | 2 (1966,1967) |
| Race victories | 8 |
| Podiums | 25 |
| Points | 126 |
| Pole positions | 7 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
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Repco is an Australianautomotive engineering/retail company. Its name is an abbreviation ofReplacement Parts Company and was for many years known for reconditioning engines and for specialised manufacturing, for which it gained a high reputation. It is now best known as a retailer ofspare parts andmotor accessories.
The company gained fame for developing the engines that powered theBrabhamFormula One cars in whichJack Brabham andDenny Hulme won the1966 and1967World Championship of Drivers titles. Brabham-Repco was awarded the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers in the same two years.
Repco currently runs a series of stores across Australia and New Zealand specialising in the sale of parts and aftermarket accessories.
Repco was founded by Geoff Russell in 1922 and first traded under the name Automotive Grinding Company, from premises inCollingwood, Victoria.[1][2]
Repco was listed on theAustralian Securities Exchange (ASX) in 1937.[3] It was acquired byPacific Dunlop in 1988 anddelisted.[4]
In September 2001 Repco was purchased by aprivate equity consortium, before again becoming a listed company, this time as adual listed company on the ASX andNew Zealand Exchange.[5][6] Following acquisition of all shares byCCMP Capital in December 2006, Repco was again delisted.[7][8] On 1 July 2013, Repco and the entire Exego group (consisting of Ashdown-Ingram, Mcleod Accessories and Motospecs) were acquired byGenuine Parts Company.[2][9]
Since2021, the company has held thenaming rights to theBathurst 1000 andSupercars Championship.[10] It previously sponsoredGarry Rogers Motorsport andDick Johnson Racing and the1979 Round Australia Trial.[11][12] In 2024, Repco became the title sponsor of theD1NZ National Drifting Championship, a sanctioned championship under Motorsport New Zealand, the official FIA appointed governing body of motor-racing in New Zealand.[13]
In 1964 the Australian/New ZealandTasman Series was created with a 2,500 cc capacity limit applied to engines.Jack Brabham approached Repco to develop a suitable engine, and together they decided to base theSOHC design onOldsmobile Jetfire 215 ci block with six cylinder-head studs per cylinder. Combined with a short strokeflat-plane crankshaft, Repco designed cylinder heads, camshafts and two-stage chain/gear cam drive, a 2.5 L engine was built in 1965 with its cylinder head cast byCommonwealth Aircraft.
In 1963 the international motor racing body, theFIA, announced that the maximum engine capacity for theFormula One category would be doubled to three litres to start from the1966 season. Despite calls for a "return to power" having been made, few teams were prepared as the main engine supplier in the UK,Coventry Climax, decided to get out of race engine building (under licence from Coventry Climax, Repco actually manufactured the 2.5L, Coventry Climax FPFstraight-4 motor for the Australian and New Zealand racing markets).[14]
Jack Brabham used his friendship with engineer Phil Irving at Repco. He proposed they design and build a 3 L version of the 2.5 L engine by using a longer strokeflat-plane crankshaft.
The Repco board agreed to his proposal in light of the expected rival 2.75 LCoventry Climax FPFDOHC engine being of four-cylinder configuration deemed to be near-obsolete, and the plan to build theCosworth DFV (revealed at the end of 1965 byFord, its sponsor) was not known yet. A small team at Repco under Phil Irving developed the F1 engine, fitted with two valves per cylinderSOHC heads from the 2.5L version.
The first advantage of this Repco 620 V8 was its compact size and lightness, which allowed it to be bolted into an existing 1.5-litre Formula One chassis. With no more than 310 bhp (231 kW), the Repco was by far the least powerful of the new 3-litre engines, but unlike the others it was frugal, light and compact.[15] Also unlike the others, it was reliable and due to low weight and power, the strain on chassis, suspension, brakes and tyres was low.[16]
This engine being based on British/AmericanRover V8/Buick 215 block[17] is a common misconception. The Oldsmobile version of this engine, although sharing the same basic architecture, had cylinder heads and angled valve covers designed by Oldsmobile engineers to look like a traditional Olds V8 and was produced on a separate assembly line.Oldsmobile's intention to produce a higher-powered, turbo-charged Jetfire version led to significant differences from the Buick 215, primarily in cylinder head design: Buick used a 5-bolt pattern around each cylinder where Oldsmobile used a 6-bolt pattern. The sixth bolt was added to the intake manifold side of the head, one extra bolt for each cylinder, meant to alleviate a head-warping problem on high-compression versions. This meant that Buick heads would fit on Oldsmobile blocks, but not vice versa. Changing the compression ratio on an Oldsmobile 215 required changing the heads, but on a Buick 215, only the pistons, which was less expensive and simpler.General Motors later use of parts diagrams drawn forOldsmobile inBuick parts catalogue showing a six-stud cylinder block sowed further confusion.[citation needed] Later Rover versions of the aluminum block and subsequent Buick iron small blocks went to a 4-bolt-per-cylinder pattern.[relevant?]
In 1966, the Repco engine was good enough to score three poles for Jack Brabham. In his one-offBT19, it helped him get four consecutive wins and both titles in the nine-race-long season, a unique accomplishment for a driver and constructor. This was his third title.
The 2,995.58 cc V8 Repco had a bore and stroke of 3.50 × 2.375" (88.9 × 60.3 mm). Initially it gave about 285 bhp (213 kW; 289 PS). A test-bed figure of 315 bhp (235 kW; 319 PS) at 7,800 rpm with 230 lb⋅ft (310 N⋅m) torque at 6,500 rpm was obtained. In race trim, about 299 bhp (223 kW; 303 PS) was available. In 1967, the bore and stroke remained unaltered. In that year, 330 bhp (246 kW; 335 PS) bhp at 8,500 rpm was often quoted. A test-bed figure of 327 bhp (244 kW; 332 PS) at 8,300 rpm was recorded. For 1968, a 32-valve version with 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) at 9,500 rpm was planned. Only about 380 bhp (283 kW; 385 PS) at 9,000 rpm was achieved.
In 1967 the competition had made progress. Repco produced a new version of the engine, the 700 series, this time with a Repco designed block. Brabham scored two poles early in the year, but then the newFord Cosworth DFV V8 appeared in theLotus 49, setting a new pace with its 410 hp (310 kW) at 9,000 rpm, with Jim Clark and Graham Hill taking all poles in the rest of the season. As the Lotus was still fragile, the Brabham drivers scored two wins each. Brabham used new parts on his cars, which was not always helpful, so Denis Hulme collected more results and the title, followed by Brabham himself, who again won the constructors' title.
The new Ford engine, which was made available to other teams in 1968 also, convinced Brabham that more power was needed. With hindsight Brabham commented that the single cam motor's reliability may have been enough to supplant the more powerful Cosworths as late as the 1968 season. A new version of the Repco V8, with gear-driven double-overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, was produced for 1968 to maintain its competitiveness. A figure of 400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) at 9,500 rpm was targeted but only about 380 bhp (283 kW; 385 PS) at 9,000 rpm was achieved. The season was a disaster as it proved very unreliable due to insurmountable valve gear unreliability. There was also a 4.2-litre derivative for theIndianapolis 500.Jochen Rindt, who had moved to Brabham at the wrong time, managed to score two poles and two podiums that year, while Brabham himself collected only two points. The Repco project had always been hindered by the lengthy lines of communication between the UK and Australia, which made correcting problems very difficult. Repco, having spent far more money than originally envisaged and having sold very few customer versions of its engine, stopped the project.
For 1969, the works Brabham team and most of the private Brabham entries also used the ubiquitous Cosworth powerplant. A pair of older Brabham-Repcos were entered in the season opening1969 South African Grand Prix by local driversSam Tingle andPeter de Klerk, but no points were scored on the engine marque's last appearance in the world championship.
Also,LDS fitted with Repcos were used in theSouth African Grand Prix in the late 1960s, as well as in the national F1 series there.
Repco had been involved in Australian motor racing many years prior to the association with Brabham. Most famous had been development of the engine of the series of Maybach Specials in the 1950s to various wins including the 1954New Zealand Grand Prix.
The Brabham-Repco project was initially aimed at theTasman Series, whereCoventry-Climax's obsolete FPF four-cylinder engine was dominant in the mid-1960s. The 2.5-litre version of the Repco V8 was never very successful in this series, initially producing no more power than the FPF. It did, however, record one Tasman Series round win withJack Brabham driving his Repco powered Brabham BT23A to victory in the 1967 South Pacific Trophy at theLongford Circuit inTasmania.
Brabham-Repco's were also prepared and entered in the 1968 and 1969Indianapolis 500. In 1969,Peter Revson finished fifth in such a car. He also won a USAC race in the same year.
1969 sawLeo Geoghegan drive hisLotus 39 powered by the 2.5L Repco V8 to victory in the inauguralJapanese Automobile Federation (JAF)Grand Prix held at theFuji Speedway inJapan.[18] The race was run toFormula Libre regulations with 2.5L cars mixed withFormula 2 and 1.6L cars.
Further versions of the V8 engine were produced, including a 4.3-litre variant for sports car racing and a turbo-charged version intended forUnited States Automobile Club races. Neither version met with any international success, the turbo in particular being labelled 'Puff the Tragic Wagon' by its development team due to its lack of horsepower (compared with "Puff, the Magic Dragon").
The sports car engine (increased in size to 5.0 litres) was, however, dominant domestically, powering cars to several wins in theAustralian Sports Car Championship and its predecessor theAustralian Tourist Trophy, most notably powering theMatich sports cars built and raced byFrank Matich, andElfin Sports Cars built and raced byGarrie Cooper.
WhenJack Brabham began building racing cars in England he named his cars Repco Brabhams,[19] the result of a sponsorship deal between Brabham and Repco.[20] This name was applied regardless of the engine used,[21] and the arrangement existed through to the end of the 1960s.[22] The agreement saw Repco's international marketing of its automotive parts and service equipment supported by Brabham's racing achievements.[21]
Repco also developed and built the Repco-Holden Formula 5000 engine forFormula 5000 racing. Repco used the block and head castings of theHolden 308 V8 engine as its basis,[23] but it featured many modifications includingLucasfuel injection, dual-coilBosch ignition and more than 150 special components designed by Repco.[24] The engine first tasted success in the1970 Australian Grand Prix that was won byFrank Matich driving a Repco-Holden poweredMcLaren M10B.
The engine was then used extensively in racing vehicles including cars competing in theTasman Series, theAustralian Drivers' Championship, theAustralian Sports Car Championship and theAustralian Sports Sedan Championship.
By 1976, power for the 4.9 L (4,940 cc) Repco-Holden V8 (a slightly smaller cubic capacity than the base 5.0 L (5,044 cc) Holden) was rated at approximately 500 bhp (373 kW; 507 PS). This compared to approximately 520 bhp (388 kW; 527 PS) for the 5.0 L (4,958 cc)Chevrolet V8 and 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS) for the 4.9 L (4,931 cc) Repco Leyland V8.
Due to the success of the Repco-Holden V8,Holden enlisted Repco to carry out the development work (on thedynamometer only, according toHolden Dealer Team bossHarry Firth) on Holden's 308 engine for itsTorana SL/R 5000 that was released in 1974. Firth believed that developing the engine on the dyno and not on the race track saw continual problems for the engine such as oil surge—especially in touring car racing. He also claimed to have already cured the oil problems while developing the still-bornTorana GTR XU-1 V8 in1972 and that Holden ignored his warnings about the Repco engine.
The list of Repco-Holden's Formula 5000 engine race, championship and series wins includes:
Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Sports Car Championship
Australian Sports Sedan Championship
After the initial success of the Repco Holden engine, Australian racer John McCormack began looking for a cheaper and lighter alternative to the Holden and Chevrolet engines. In 1974, he and formerRepco Brabham engineerPhil Irving found what they were looking for in the 4.4L alloy blockRover V8 engine that powered theLeyland P76. In its standard form, the 4.4 L (4,414 cc) engine produced approximately 200 bhp (149 kW; 203 PS). After being highly modified by Repco to be upsized to 4.9 L (4,931 cc), and after much development over three years, the Repco-Leyland V8 eventually produced around 470 bhp (350 kW; 477 PS) at its peak in 1977, which although a fair bit less than the power on offer from the Repco Holden and Chevrolet engines, was offset by the fact that it weighed only 160 kg (352.7 lb) compared to the cast iron blocks of the Holden (220 kg (485.0 lb)) and the Chevrolet (231.5 kg (510.4 lb)) engines.
In 1976, McCormack had purchased the1973British Grand Prix winningMcLaren M23 (Chassis No. M23-2)[26] from South African racerDave Charlton and modified the car for Formula 5000 racing (the car was bought with all spares, but Charlton kept theCosworth DFV engine). The Leyland was primarily chosen because its weight was comparable to that of the 168 kg (370.4 lb) DFV that the car had originally been designed to use and thus wouldn't upset the more finely tuned handling of the formerFormula One race winner as would the much heavier Chevrolet or Holden V8s.
While McCormack would win the1977 Australian Drivers' Championship with the Repco-Leyland, the engines themselves were known to be on the brittle side and often lacked the reliability of the Chevrolet and Holden V8s.
The list of Repco-Leyland's Formula 5000 engine race, championship and series results includes:
| Year | Team | Driver | # of GPs | WC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Brabham-Repco | Jack Brabham | 9 | World Champion |
| Brabham-Repco | Denny Hulme | 7 | 4th | |
| 1967 | Brabham-Repco | Denny Hulme | 11 | World Champion |
| Brabham-Repco | Jack Brabham | 11 | 2nd | |
| Brabham-Repco | Guy Ligier | 5 | ||
| 1968 | Brabham-Repco | Jochen Rindt | 12 | 12th |
| Brabham-Repco | Jack Brabham | 11 | 23rd | |
| Brabham-Repco | Silvio Moser | 4 | 23rd | |
| Brabham-Repco | Dan Gurney | 1 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | Dave Charlton | 1 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | John Love | 1 | ||
| Brabham-Repco | Kurt Ahrens Jr. | 1 | ||
| LDS-Repco | Sam Tingle | 1 | ||
| 1969 | Brabham-Repco | Peter de Klerk | 1 | |
| Brabham-Repco | Sam Tingle | 1 |
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)
