Lot 217: 1984 Gebhardt-Cosworth JC843 Group C2 Endurance Racing Coupé

The brothers Gunther and Fritz Gebhardt built some of the most tidy and effective-looking C2 Championship cars during the mid-1980s. All of them were derived from an original 1983-built prototype created by former German SuperVee Champion Gunther Gebhardt and Bill Harris using an aluminium-skinned monocoque chassis structure. The car was known as the JC83, it was powered by a 2-litre Toyota engine and carried all-enveloping bodywork. It made its racing debut in the Norisring 200-miles in Nuremberg. Gebhardt rapidly built a reputation for excellent preparation and a variety of engines powered their cars, including the Cosworth-Ford V8 – as originally powered this JC843 car offered here – Formula 2 BMW 2-litre and even an Audi turbo unit. Drivers included Frank Jelinski and Stanley Dickens.

The Gebhardt brothers had achieved success in manufacturing high-speed conveyors before establishing Gebhardt Motorsports at Silverstone, England, in 1983 and producing their first prototype. In 1984 the JC842 and JC843 followed, the former fitted with a 2-litre BMW engine and this car with the full 3-litre Group C2-specification Cosworth-Ford DFV V8, employed within the car as a fully-stressed chassis member. Jelinski proved the faster of their drivers and with 22 points the new marque took sixth place in the relevant 1984 Group C2 World Championship of Makes.

In 1985, the British ADA Engineering company purchased JC843 and modified the car in preparation for the Le Mans 24-Hours classic, in which the driving team of John Sheldon/Steve Earle/Ian Harrower co-drove the car home into a fine second place in class. Two months later the works Gebhardt JC853 finished 6th overall at Mosport Park in Canada and in the season-ending Selangor 800kms at the Malaysian Shah Alam circuit the ADA Gebhardt JC843 with 3.3-litre Cosworth-Ford DFL power finished sixth overall, in the hands of Harrower/Piper/Clements, also winning their C2 class.

The ADA Engineering company had been founded by the Anglo-Dutch-American trio of Leon Smith, Gerard Sauer and Woody Harris before being acquired by race engineer Chris Crawford and driver/accountant Ian Harrower in 1977. After acquiring their Gebhardt JC843 in 1985 they had continuously developed this car on the tightest of budgets through 1986, to considerable effect – consistently out-performing the latest factory Gebhardt. The driving team of Harrower/Clements/Dodd-Noble drove the car home to yet another meritorious class win and 8th place overall in that year’s Le Mans 24-Hours race.

Going into the final round of the 1986 World Championship competition at Fuji in Japan, the ADA team led the C2 teams’ table. However, they ran out of luck there as low on fuel, but uncertain of the true position due to the absence of a relevant gauge, they fell back to finish third in the title-chase behind Spice and Ecosse.

ADA subsequently built the lessons they had learned with the Gebhardt into their own new-built ADA 02 and 03 cars. Into the late 1980s Gebhardt became a marque seen most regularly in the German Supercup race series.

This example of the Gebhardt-Cosworth JC843 is offered here complete with invoice, customs documents and shipping papers. It has been preserved upon public display for many years by its last owner prior to the current vendor and we recommend that qualified engineering inspection and careful preparation should be carried out before any attempt is made to start or run the car.

Group C cars are recognised today as an increasingly attractive Historic racing proposition, not only here in the UK and Europe but also in the United States. This Gebhardt is an imposing example of a marque which is rare yet – in period – quite successful. Cosworth-Ford V8 engine spares and service are commonly available, and with its huge ground-effect aerodynamic underfloors and much other sophistication this is a most attractive ‘C2’ indeed.