<< Prev Page 2 of 2 A conventional aluminium body similar to the Scarab's completed the car, and now all that was needed was a name. A Texas running bird, the Chaparral, supplied the name for Hall's new road-runner. The Chaparral debuted in a 1961 SCCA race at Laguna Seca, where Hall drove it to a stunning second place finish behind a Maserati 'Birdcage'. Coincidentally this was the last car Hall drove before switching to his own. Comforted by the Chaparral's pace, Hall ordered the construction of another example. Compared to the original car the second chassis had a slightly longer wheelbase to free up some space in the cramped cockpit. For the next race Hall's car was equipped with a small chin spoiler, quite possibly the first of its kind and a sign of things to come.
In total four complete cars were constructed and a fifth chassis, which was exported to Great Britain. Although the front engine, rear wheel drive layout quickly ran out of fashion, the Chaparral's remained remarkably competitive. The first win was scored at the 1962 Sebring 12 Hours race, where the Sharp/Hissom driven Chaparral finished sixth overall and first in class. Later that year Hall and Sharp added two more overall victories to the car's tally, both at Road America. In many other races the white cars were in contention for the top honours, but teething problems often let the drivers down. One of the biggest trouble makers were the inboard mounted rear discs, which proved to be difficult to cool. The last official outing for the first Chaparrals was the 1963 Sebring 12 Hours, where neither of the two cars entered managed to finish the race.
Hall used the remainder of the 1963 season to compete in Formula 1 for the BRP team driving a Lotus, and more importantly he spent a lot of time on constructing the first car of his own design. This would grow out to become the highly advanced Chaparral 2, which used a fiberglass monocoque chassis with a mid mounted V8 engine. It would take American road racing by force, and form the basis for a number of ground breaking racers that would give Jim Hall a place in history alongside legendary constructors like Colin Chapman and John Cooper.
Although the Chaparral 1 was not actually designed and built by Jim Hall, it was instrumental in kick-starting Hall's career as a racing car constructor. Being the last of its kind, the Chaparral may very well be the fastest of the front engined sports racers that dominated international motor racing in the 1950s and early 1960s. << Prev Page 2 of 2
Ultimatecarpage.com
> Cars by brand
> United States
> Chaparral
Racing cars
> Other Sportscars
A conventional aluminium body similar to the Scarab's completed the car, and now all that was needed was a name. A Texas running bird, the Chaparral, supplied the name for Hall's new road-runner. The Chaparral debuted in a 1961 SCCA race at Laguna Seca, where Hall drove it to a stunning second place finish behind a Maserati 'Birdcage'. Coincidentally this was the last car Hall drove before switching to his own. Comforted by the Chaparral's pace, Hall ordered the construction of another example. Compared to the original car the second chassis had a slightly longer wheelbase to free up some space in the cramped cockpit. For the next race Hall's car was equipped with a small chin spoiler, quite possibly the first of its kind and a sign of things to come.