Beschreibung:

Brainchild of Count Giovanni Lurani, Formula Junior started in 1958 in Continental Europe, where the FIAT-engined Stanguellini quickly established itself as the car to beat. Styled like a Maserati 250F, the Stanguellini employed a tubular ladder-frame chassis and was powered by a tuned FIAT 1100 engine, mounted in the orthodox position ahead of the driver. Formula Junior’s elevation to international status for 1958 helped swell Stanguellini’s order books, and the cars dominated European racing throughout 1958 and 1959. Almost two full seasons passed before British manufacturers took a serious interest in the class, their arrival coinciding with the dropping of Formula 2 in 1960, a decision that elevated Formula Junior to the status of ‘official’ Formula 1 training ground. Many followed Cooper’s lead and produced mid-engined cars, relegating the Stanguellini and other front-engined designs effectively obsolete. Although the British are widely credited with starting FJ’s mid-engined revolution, one Italian manufacturer - Aquilino Branca - beat them to it, introducing his own mid-engined car for the 1959 season. Born in Buscate, Italy in 1924, Aquilino Branca had started out with a 500cc Formula 3 car, which was followed by designs for the Italian 750 formula that preceded Formula Junior. Branca’s first FJ effort was front engined, but early in 1959 the mid-engined version arrived. Two of the latter contested that year’s first-ever Formula Junior support race at the Monaco Grand Prix, driven by Aquilino Branca himself and ‘Madero’. The cars were entered under the name ‘Moretti’, Aquilino Branca having (apparently) used Giovanni Moretti’s premises and/or resources to build these early examples. (Giovanni Moretti had built the first Moretti motorcycles, light cars and vans in the late 1920s and in 1945 established Fabbrica Automobili Moretti SpA in Turin as a motor manufacturer. By the early 1960s it had become apparent that manufacturing was no longer sustainable and the firm turned exclusively to specialist coachbuilding, reorganising itself as Moretti Fabbrica Automobili e Stabilimenti Carrozzeria SAS). Following a split between the two men, subsequent cars were known by a variety of names: ‘Moretti Special’, ‘Branca FIAT Special’, ‘Branca Moretti Special’ or just plain ‘Branca’. Branca’s mid-engined Formula junior was constructed around a tubular spaceframe chassis, featuring wishbone/coil spring independent suspension, and powered by a FIAT 1100 engine driving via an inverted FIAT 600 gearbox. Only a tiny handful (perhaps five or six) of this type was built before Branca switched his attention to the newly introduced Formula 3 for 1964. Although competitive at Italian Championship level, Branca’s F3 offerings made little impact on the international stage and the marque faded away in the late 1970s. Chassis number ‘020’ is known to have been campaigned by one J M Bert in European Formula Junior and hill climb events during the 1961 season. (The car is pictured on page 1 of its FIA papers in action at Mont Ventoux that year). As well as Mont Ventoux, Bert raced this car at Lake Garda, Madrid, Rouen, Monza, Nogaro and Cadours in 1961 (full results list available). The vendor bought ‘020’ from Didier Marty of Toulouse, France in the 1980s. The car is recorded in the accompanying FIA papers as having been completely restored to original condition in 1985/86, while we are advised that it underwent further restoration circa 2000 and that the FIAT 1100 engine has not been run for the past five years. Noteworthy features include aluminium bodywork, Amadori magnesium wheels and Nardi steering wheel, while a half-engine, FIAT 600 gearbox, Weber 40mm carburettor and two spare Amadori wheels (one for the rear and one for the front) are included in the sale. The car also comes with a copy of folder containing period and restoration photographs, race reports and other assorted Moretti-Branca information. One of only two of its kind known to