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The Brabham BT3 is a Formula One racing car. It was the first Formula One design to be produced by Motor Racing Developments for the Brabham Racing Organisation, and debuted at the 1962 German Grand Prix. The Brabham BT3 was the vehicle with which team owner – then two-time World Champion – Jack Brabham, became the first driver ever to score World Championship points in a car bearing his own name, at the 1962 United States Grand Prix.〔 The following year Brabham also became the first driver ever to win a Formula One race at the wheel of an eponymous car, again driving the BT3, at the 1963 Solitude Grand Prix.〔 The BT3 design was modified only slightly to form the Tasman Series-specification Brabham BT4 cars. ==Design== The BT3's design followed on from Motor Racing Developments' two previous Formula Junior cars. Although the monocoque-chassied Lotus 25 had been introduced by Team Lotus earlier in the 1962 season, designer Ron Tauranac erred on the side of strength and safety in the BT3's design and kept to established Formula One practice in almost all technical specifications.〔 Tauranac based the car around an exceptionally stiff,〔(【引用サイトリンク】url= http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/65/Brabham-BT7-Climax.html )〕 steel-tubed spaceframe chassis, which he reasoned would be easier to repair than a monocoque, and was closer to what MRD were selling to customers at the time.〔 Also in contrast to Lotus practice were the BT3's internal dimensions, which provided a comparatively comfortable and spacious driving environment for the pilot,〔 with oil and water cooling pipes run outside the cockpit to keep heat to a bearable level. The chassis was clothed in a fibreglass body shell, which was painted in a bright turquoise shade with a metallic gold stripe running down the centre. Behind the driver, the engine bay was sized to accept Coventry Climax's ''FWMV'' V8 engine, introduced the previous year. In 1962-specification this engine developed around , which increased to around in its 1963 form.〔 Transmission was through an Alf Francis-designed Colotti six-speed gearbox which, although technically advanced, would be the BT3's Achilles heel as it proved to be somewhat fragile.〔 Wheel location was by fully independent double wishbone suspension arrangements at all four corners, with smaller than usual wheels. Braking was initially by diameter disc brakes on each wheel, but these were increased to at the front following the car's second race. Only one Formula One specification, FWMV-powered BT3 chassis was produced, numbered F1-1-62, although its design was the template used for the Intercontinental Formula and Tasman Series Brabham BT4 cars, fitted with 2.5 and 2.7 litre Climax FPF straight-4 engines. Only minor engine bay modifications, to accommodate the FPF engines, smaller fuel tanks and a switch to conventional wheels were made between the BT3 and BT4 designs. The BT4 found much favour as a customer car in Australia and New Zealand, with examples sold to Scuderia Veloce and Bib Stillwell for the 1963 season. Lex Davison also later acquired an ex-works BT4. The BT3 was used as a prototype mule for the development of its Formula One successor, the Brabham BT7, and modifications made prior to the 1963 season included lowering of the chassis, shedding of of weight, and a switch in livery to what would become Brabham's racing colours for the remainder of the decade: dark green and gold.〔 At the end of the 1963 season the BT3 was sold to Brighton-based privateer Ian Raby, and he refitted the car with a BRM V8 engine in place of the Climax unit. In turn, when Raby sold BT3 to David Hepworth in 1965, the BRM engine was replaced by a Chevrolet V8, and the car ran in the Formule Libre class at hillclimb events during 1966. The unique Brabham BT3 still exists. It was later restored to its original, 1962 Formula One specifications, complete with the correct turquoise-and-gold livery, and for many years resided in the Donington Grand Prix Exhibition museum collection. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Brabham BT3」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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