This blog is written by Finn Blackmore, volunteer researcher and student at Warwick University.
When first founded in 1903 by Horace Pelham Lee and Jens Stroyer, it was unlikely that the pair set out for Coventry Climax to be remembered for an association with the upper echelons of motorsport in the post-war era.
Initially, the company attracted marginal fame through powering the sledges on Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914 and by the 1920s were producing car and tractor engines for customers like Morgan, Crossley and Triumph. Downturns in the 1930s forced them to branch out into industrial applications, namely water pumps like the ‘Godiva’ a firefighting pump which proved vital in combating damage from the Blitz, especially during that fateful night on 14th November 1940. Apart from establishing the company’s versatility, industrial strength and heroic significance, this pivot would be a blessing in disguise and change their trajectory forever.
In 1950, Walter Hassan (Chief Engineer and Technical director) and Harry Mundy (Chief Designer) attempted to fulfil a government objective: Create a 35 bhp, 3500 rpm engine to drive a portable fire pump. They created the FW (featherweight) Engine, as it delivered twice the volume of water at half the weight of contemporary units, which awarded them the government contract by 1952.
The racing pedigree of the FW was immediately apparent when displayed at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1953, predominantly due to its power to weight ratio. With encouragement from those in attendance, such as Cyril Kieft, a car designer in Formula Three whose creations granted Stirling Moss wins at Goodwood and Zandvoort in 1951, the FWA (Feather Weight Automotive) begun development at the end of the year, with a notable upgrade of achieving 71bhp at 6000rpm. Further confidence was seen when Kieft used the engine to power ‘a very pretty sports car’ at Le Mans in 1954.
The 1.5 litre capacity of the updated FWB gave the company a further outlet via Formula 2, where it quickly became a must-have engine by 1957. In the following year, with another update in the form of the FPF engine, the company would take the leap into Formula 1, with an inaugural victory through Stirling Moss at the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix. In the following two years, Cooper’s Jack Brabham took both drivers championships, with dominance extending into the 1960s via the Lotus team once a V8 engine was developed. In the hands of Jim Clark, driver’s championships were secured in 1963 and 1965, and in total, 22 victories were earned before the 1966 regulation changes. Afterwards, the arrival of the Cosworth DFV (which remained in F1 service until the 1980s!) ended the dominance of Coventry Climax.
Nevertheless, the story of the company highlights the historical importance of Coventry to the automotive world, maintaining a manufacturing role in various aspects for half a century is no easy feat after all. On top of this, pride can swell easily in the hearts of Coventrians more than ever, given the company both saved lives and proved its prowess on a global level within two decades.
