F1 Retro: Tyrrell’s first F1 car – built in a shed

F1 Retro – august 2003

The famous Tyrrell Shed will see an official launch at its new Goodwood home during the Revival this month, with famed team alumni Jackie Stewart and Martin Brundle on hand to break the champagne (figuratively).

Tyrrell’s first Formula 1 car as a constructor, 1970’s 001, was put together in said shed. It may not have been a winner, but it started a design dynasty.

The only hitch was that Derek Gardner, the man commissioned in top secrecy by Ken Tyrrell to oversee it, hadn’t penned a car before – as he told Paul Fearnley in 2003.

“I had no background in monocoques,” Gardner remembered. “Ken provided me with some information, but there wasn’t much contact between us.”

It remained that way until star driver Stewart was spirited away from a Goodwood test for a seat fitting.

“I wanted a strong, safe car underneath me that I could stretch like elastic if I needed to,” he said.

Stewart would use the 001 for four F1 world championship races, scoring one podium – South Africa in 1971 – before moving to the all-conquering 003, but the Scot knew his team was onto something.

“It was a very good package: neutral, well-balanced and driveable. Derek and the team had done an incredible job.”

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