Olympic Formula V – 1968
Formula V was introduced in Portugal in 1966 and, as in many other countries, it quickly generated great enthusiasm among drivers, who for the first time had the opportunity to compete in a single-seater racing category. Drivers such as Joaquim Filipe Nogueira, António Barros, Heitor de Morais, Jorge Passanha, Luís Fernandes, Rui Carvalho “Cavagnac” and Mané Nogueira Pinto became leading figures in the category. During the first years, Formula V cars were built in Portugal by Palma & Morgado, in Lisbon, and later by Garagem Aurora, in Porto. However, for the 1968 season, Nogueira Pinto, the reigning national champion and the leading Formula V driver in Portugal, acquired a German-built Olympic chassis, regarded as one of the most competitive in Europe. After acquiring the car, he competed in several rounds of the European Formula V Championship, although it was in Portugal that he achieved his greatest success, winning his second consecutive national title. In 1969, “Mané” Nogueira Pinto continued racing the Olympic, but that year’s championship was won by Ernesto Neves, driving a Palma. The car on display is the very chassis that Mané Nogueira Pinto brought to Portugal, presented in the same livery with which he won the 1968 national championship. It was later raced by other renowned Portuguese drivers, including António Borges, José Manuel Peixoto and Camilo Figueiredo.
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Model: Olympic Formula V
Year: 1968
Country: Portugal
Power: 50 hp
Displacement: 1285 cc
Weight: 400 kg (regulatory minimum, without driver)
Top Speed: 170 km/h
Engine: Air-cooled Volkswagen 4-cylinder boxer engine