Alexis Cars

Alexis Cars
IndustryAutomotive
GenreRacing cars
Founded1959
FounderAlex Francis
Bill Harris
Defunct1976
Headquarters
Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire
,
England
Key people
Allan Taylor
Doug Christie
ProductsSingle-seater racing cars

Alexis Cars was a British constructor of racing cars. It was formed in 1959 by Alex Francis and Australian Bill Harris. They built cars for Formula Junior, F100, Formula Ford, Formula 3, Formula B, Formula Atlantic and Formula 2 racing classes.[1]

Alex Francis, originally a building contractor, was a trials car builder. Bill Harris was a speedway rider, racing mechanic, and racing car designer from Australia. The company was established in Ward End, Birmingham, where Francis lived. When Bill Harris returned to Australia in 1965, Allan Taylor took his place. Alexis operation remained small, usually building a few racing cars for its own racing team and selling them at the end of the season, until the late 1960's when Formula Ford was born and became popular.

By winning the first Formula Ford championships in England and Scotland with Mk.11 in 1967, Alexis gained a reputation as a racing car constructor. Mk.15 (Formula Ford) and Mk.18 (Formula Ford and Formula 3) became a big success, firmly establishing the financial foundation.
Disliking running the larger-scale company, Alex Francis sold the ownership to Allan Taylor in 1968; and Doug Christie, who was responsible for the engine shop, joined Taylor as the co-director. In 1970, the company moved to Hallaughton Farm, an old cheese dairy in Sutton Coldfield, on the outskirts of Birmingham.[2]

Cars

Year Model Racing class Notable engines used Notes[2][1] Drivers
1960-1961 Mk.1 - Mk.3 Formula Junior Ford Anglia 1L Front engine. Drum brakes. Steel space frame. Aluminium body
1962 Mk.4 Formula Junior Cosworth Mk.IV Midship engine. All-disc brakes, Hewland Mk.III
1963-1964 Mk.4 Formula 2 Cosworth Mk.III Hewland Mk.III, 7th(Hawkins) at 1964 Pau Grand Prix Paul Hawkins
Formula 3 Cosworth Mk.III Converted to F3 spec, Hewland Mk.III
Mk.5 Formula Junior Cosworth Mk.IV Fibreglass body John Ampt[3]
Formula 3 Cosworth Mk.III One car sold to DAF, Variomatic transmission, raced in 1964-65[4] Henk van Zalinge [5]
For Team Alexis, 2nd (Ampt) at Eifelrennen in 1964 John Ampt[6][a]
Terry Ogilvie-Hardy
Formula 2 Cosworth Mk.III Team Alexis, 6th (Hawkins) at Eifelrennen in 1964 Paul Hawkins[6][a]
Mk.6 Formula 3 Cosworth Mk.III Designed by Bill Harris for both F3 and F2, Hewland Mk.IV John Ampt[1]
1965 Mk.7 Formula 2 Cosworth SCA Converted Mk.6. Paul Hawkins won Eifelrennen Paul Hawkins[7]
Mk.8 Formula 3 Holbay-tuned MAE Shorter spaceframe version of Mk.6, new uprights, Hewland Mk.VI. 10th (Smith) at Halle, 4th (Maglia) and 7th (Blokdyk) at Monza George Smith[8]
Alexis-tuned MAE Jacques Maglia[9]
Trevor Blokdyk[9]
1966 Mk.9 Designed by Allan Taylor, Hewland Mk.VI
1967 Mk.10 Formula Ford Ford Pre-Crossflow Designed by Allan Taylor, Hewland Mk.VI. Formula Ford proof of concept for John Webb, the founder of Formula Ford
Mk.11 Ford Crossflow Bourgoignie won the first Formula Ford championship in England. Walker won Scottish Championship Claude Bourgoignie[b]
Dave Walker
Mk.12 Formula 3 Novamotor[c]-tuned MAE Hewland Mk.VI, 7th (Ogilvie-Hardy) at non-championship Chimay[1] Terry Ogilvie-Hardy[10]
Alexis-tuned MAE Hewland Mk.VI Ken Crook[11]
1968 Mk.14 Formula Ford Ford Crossflow About 60 examples for Jim Russell Driving Development School at Snetterton
Mk.15 About 70 units sold
1969-1970 Mk.17 Formula 3 Alexis-tuned MAE Hewland Mk.VI Ken Crook[1]
Holbay-tuned MAE Hewland Mk.VI Ken Bailey[12]
Mk.18 MAE various tuners 50 cars sold. Hewland Mk.VI
Formula Ford 1.6L Ford Crossflow 24 units sold. Hewland Mk.VI
F100 1.3L Ford Crossflow 2 cars sold. Hewland Mk.VI
1971 Mk.20 Formula 3 Vegantune[d]-tuned MAE Tubular monocoque. Side radiators. Hewland Mk.VI
Formula B Cosworth BDD Tubular monocoque. Side radiators. Hewland FT200
Formula Atlantic

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Alexis". www.f3history.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "The Story of Alexis Cars and the Alexis GT that Didn't Officially Exist!". Total Kitcar. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  3. ^ "John Ampt". Driver Database. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  4. ^ "DAF". F3 History. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  5. ^ "I Zandvoort Trophy 1964". The Fastlane. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b "XXVII Internationales ADAC-Eifelrennen 1964". The Fastlane. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  7. ^ "XXVIII Internationales ADAC Eifelrennen 1965". The Fast Lane. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Meisterschaft DDR, Round 1". The Fastlane. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b "XIV Trofeo Bruno e Fofi Vigorelli 1965". The Fastlane. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  10. ^ "II Les Leston Championship Rd 5, 1967". The Fast Lane. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Driver Information". Driver Database. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Ken Bailey". Old Racingcars. Retrieved 13 August 2025.

Notes

  1. ^ a b This referenced website lists Cosworth Mk.III incorrectly as Cosworth MAE
  2. ^ https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/claude-bourgoignie
  3. ^ https://www.novamotor.it
  4. ^ https://www.totalkitcar.com/2023/05/25/the-story-of-george-robinsons-vegantune-vta-twin-cam/
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