1974 Tyrrell 007

Tyrrell 007

In 1974, Tyrrell signed two drivers making their full debut at the sport’s highest level: Frenchman Patrick Depailler and young star Jody Scheckter, who had impressed in 1973 with his remarkable pace in the Works McLaren M23.

Initially, the old 006 model was used for the opening "fly-away" races in Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa. However, a brand-new Tyrrell, painted in the iconic Elf colours, was unveiled at the Spanish Grand Prix. Designed by Derek Gardner, the Tyrrell 007 was elegantly simple, featuring a key upgrade from the 006: a longer wheelbase, championed by Jackie Stewart to improve drivability compared to the previous twitchy model. Its front-end design marked a visual departure with a more streamlined nose, though some features, like the inboard front brakes, were carried over, emphasizing evolution over revolution.

Powered by the reliable Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, the 007 proved competitive immediately. Scheckter secured third place in Belgium, followed by a second at Monaco, then claimed victory in Sweden—leading a Tyrrell one-two with Depailler. Scheckter continued his winning form with a victory at the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, keeping him in the fight for the Drivers’ World Championship until the season’s final race.

Chassis 007-3 was used as a spare car for the British, German, Austrian, and Italian GP’s and was raced by Jody Scheckter at the Canadian GP after qualifying 3rd he crashed out of the race. Subsequently chassis 3 was returned to Tyrrell in the UK where it was used as a show car for the team. More recently rebuilt the car returned to historic racing with Nick Colyvas who raced the car for 20 years in the USA. Now back in the UK, the car has been re-prepared for racing and is in excellent condition.