TGR Staff - 11/16/2022
Racing is often made up of people spending millions to win thousands and that is the case of Lance Reventhlow, founder of Reventhlow Automobiles Inc, builder of the Scarab race cars. Lance was the heir of the Woolworths fortune and he put that fortune to work hiring some of the finest engineers in Southern California, including Troutman-Barnes, TRACO, Phil Remington, and Kenny Howard the artistic genius better known as Von Dutch.
Launching in 1957, Scarab MKI and MKII cars were the bringing home trophies right out of the gate, eventually winning the 1958 SCCA Championship with Chuck Daigh behind the wheel. But Lance had set his sights on winning the Formula 1 World Championship in 1959, so he tapped Leo Goosen from Offenhauser to develop a 2.5-liter engine, which was laid sideways to lower the center of gravity. Development of the car would take longer than expected and it wouldn't be until the Monaco Grand Prix in 1960 that the Scarab Formula 1 car would compete. Lance Reventlow would be driving this car in Monaco, GP-2, and the other car GP-1 would be driven by Daigh. Reventlow would post a 1:48.5 and would not qualify.
1960 was a pivotal year in Formula 1 with Cooper and Lotus introducing mid-engine cars that were much more competitive. GP-2 would qualify for the Dutch Grand Prix but would be withdrawn, and the Belgian and French races would both end in mechanical failures. It would all come together in the United State Grand Prix of 1960 when the Scarab GP-2 chassis driven by Daigh would finish a race in 10th place. This car would go on to compete in Europe in the Intercontinental Formula series, where Daigh finished 8th at Goodwood before finishing 7th at Silverstone. A further Silverstone round in July resulted in Daigh having a rear-end crash on the first lap. The wreck was shipped back to RAI and stripped for parts before the chassis was scrapped. Reventlow eventually wound up RAI, renting out the Venice Beach headquarters to Carroll Shelby to launch Shelby American.
Over two decades later, the stripped parts came into the possession of Ali Lugo who commissioned the original chassis fabricator, Dick Troutman, to rebuild GP-2 using the parts assembled including engine 2E, the only remaining running desmodromic Scarab engine. Included in the rebuild was much of the original bodywork, excluding the damaged rear, and most of the suspension. Troutman passed away in 1992, but the rebuild continued with the help of Daigh. The completed GP-2 was finally tested in 1997 by Brian Redman and has since made appearances at motorsport events such as the 2001 Goodwood Festival of Speed with Redman, and Concours d'Elegance events, including Amelia Island.
More recently, GP-2 has formed part of the Riverside International Automotive Museum before joining the collection of the current owner. In historic racing, Scarabs have finally proven their potential by being consistent frontrunners in HGPCA races, victorious at the Goodwood Revival, and highly competitive around the streets of Monte Carlo. GP-2 last raced in the principality 62 years ago and it will be the next owner’s opportunity to complete Lance Reventlow’s unfinished business at a future Monaco Historique.
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