Description:

Some racing cars are interesting because of what they are. Others become truly special because of where they were, who drove them, and the era they belonged to. Brabham BT35/2 is very much the latter.

Delivered new in 1971 to Colin Vandervell and entered by Bell & Colvill Racing with Castrol, BT35/2 was one of the early Brabham BT35 Formula 3 cars and immediately became part of one of the most competitive periods in junior single-seater racing. This was not a quiet national category; 1971 Formula 3 was a battlefield filled with names that would go on to define an era — James Hunt, Jody Scheckter, Roger Williamson, Dave Walker, David Purley, Tony Brise and many more.

BT35/2 was right in the middle of it.

The car made a remarkable start to its career, with Colin Vandervell winning at Brands Hatch on 21 March 1971 in the Shell Super Oil Formula 3 race. From there, the car continued to appear throughout the British and European F3 season, collecting strong results, fastest laps, podium finishes and outright victories. Among its standout moments were the overall victory at Kirkistown, podium finishes at Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Castle Combe, and a dramatic Brands Hatch race in September 1971, where Vandervell finished second to Roger Williamson by the smallest of margins while also setting the fastest lap.

According to period race records and chassis research, BT35/2 was actively campaigned throughout 1971, with OldRacingCars noting 31 race appearances by the end of October 1971. This makes it a proper period-raced car, not simply a surviving chassis with a vague history.

After Vandervell, the car was also driven by Tom Belsø and, notably, Tony Brise, one of Britain’s great lost talents. Brise drove BT35/2 at Brands Hatch in late 1971, including the Boxing Day mixed Formula Atlantic / Formula 3 event. In 1972, the car passed into Swiss ownership with Jean-Bernard Mermod, who continued to race it with a Novamotor engine in the 1600cc class, including appearances at Monza, Hockenheim and Swiss events.

Technically, the BT35 represents one of Brabham’s final and most developed spaceframe junior single-seater designs. Built during the period when Brabham customer cars were still among the most respected weapons in Formula 3, the BT35 combined simplicity, balance and effectiveness. It belonged to the last generation before the sport moved more heavily into monocoque designs and increasingly modern aero-led thinking.

What makes BT35/2 particularly appealing is the completeness of its story: early Brabham engineering, proper period Formula 3 history, a strong 1971 race record, important drivers, Swiss continuation history and genuine relevance within one of the great F3 seasons. It is not just a beautiful historic single-seater — it is a car that lived the hard life these machines were built for.

In a world where many historic racing cars have become static objects, Brabham BT35/2 still carries the feeling of its time: narrow tyres, high revs, no excuses, and racing decided by courage and precision. A real Brabham, a real F3 car, and a genuine piece of early 1970s motorsport history.

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