Tyrrell 007
For Ken Tyrrell, the 007 was the first car of the post-Stewart era. In Ken’s plans, it was meant to be entrusted to the skilled hands of young François Cevert, who had developed quickly under the tutelage of the Flying Scot—but fate decided otherwise.
Designed by Derek Gardner, who had been with Tyrrell since the very beginning of his venture as a constructor, the 007 replaced the World Championship–winning 006 of 1973. Compared with its predecessor, the new car made greater use of aerodynamics—the front wing and air intake above the engine were notably slimmer than anything previously seen in Formula One, including the 006. Power came from the tried-and-true Ford-Cosworth V8, the reliable engine of choice for nearly all the British teams.
Drivers:
Jody Scheckter: The South African suddenly found himself promoted to team leader—and he fully justified the faith placed in him. The Scheckter of 1974 was a more mature driver than the one seen the previous season. He took the 007 to victory twice in 1974—at Anderstorp and Brands Hatch—and once more the following year, at his home Grand Prix in Kyalami. Between 1974 and 1975, he also brought Tyrrell’s car to the podium on five further occasions and scored points in four additional races. In 1975, he finished third in the Drivers’ World Championship.
Patrick Depailler: In his first full season in Formula One, the Frenchman rose quickly—proof of which came at the Swedish Grand Prix, where, in a race won by his teammate in the sister car, he claimed his first second-place finish. It would again be him who delivered the 007’s final two podiums, at the 1976 Brazilian and United States West Grands Prix.
Our model cars:
The car made its debut at the fourth round of the 1974 season, the Spanish Grand Prix, held at the Jarama circuit near Madrid. It was driven for the first time by South African Jody Scheckter, who had become team leader following Cevert’s death. From the next race onward, a second chassis was entrusted to his teammate, Frenchman Patrick Depailler.
The 007 proved to be a remarkably long-lived car. With the works Tyrrell team, it competed in the 1974 and 1975 World Championships and in the first four races of 1976, before new regulations forced a change of direction. It was also highly competitive: Scheckter fought for the World Championship title in both 1974 and 1975. Later entrusted to private teams, the car continued to race through the 1976 season and made its final appearance at the end of 1977. In total, it entered thirty-seven Grands Prix, scoring three victories, one pole position, one fastest lap, and twice finishing third in the Constructors’ Championship (in 1974 and 1975).
