This 1960 Scarab Was America's First Formula One Car, and You Can Buy It

No fewer than 15 constructors have won at least one championship since 1958, and all of them hail from Europe. England leads the pack with ten manufacturers, including Williams, McLaren, and Lotus. Ferrari won 16 championships for Italy, while Mercedes-Benz scored eight titles under the German flag. The list is completed by Austria (Red Bull) and France (Renault and Matra).

But that's not for lack of trying. Various American outfits joined the series over the decades. Notable names include Team Haas, Parnelli Jones Racing, Dan Gurney's AAR, Shadow, and Team Penske. Some were somewhat successful, others failed miserably and quit after just one season. Some won at least one race and scored podiums, but none took the constructors' trophy back to the US (though Mario Andretti and Phil Hill won the drivers' championship).

With the 2024 season likely to become the 67th Formula One triumph for a European constructor, I'm here to talk about the 1960 Scarab, the first all-American F1 car.

Scarab was a short-lived manufacturer that began building sports cars for amateur racers in the 1950s. The cars were designed and built by Tom Barns and Dick Troutman for Reventlow Automobiles, a company owned by Lance Reventlow. He was the son of Barbara Hutton, the heir to the FW Woolworth fortune.

The Scarabs rose to fame in 1958 by winning the SCCA National Championship against a field of factory-backed team. Encouraged by this success, Reventlow decided to put together a Formula One team. Scarab built three front-engined single-seaters powered by inline-four engines designed by Leo Goossen of Offenhauser fame.

The team entered five of the ten events scheduled that year, with Richie Ginther, Lance Reventlow, and Chuck Daigh behind the steering wheel. The Scarabs failed to start or qualify in three events and retired during one. In the final race of the season, Chuck Daigh finished 10th at the US Grand Prix in Riverside, California.

Although its venture was short-lived, Scarab became the first American constructor to join Formula One and the first US manufacturer to finish a race. Why am I talking about a company you've probably never heard of? Well, one of the three 1960 Scarab F1 racers ever made is going under the hammer at Monterey 2024 this August.

Restored by Scarab engineers Dick Troutman and driver Chuck Daigh, this classic single-seater is a sight to behold. It looks stunning inside and out and still packs the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine it used back in the day. The car was displayed at the Riverside International Automotive Museum and was showcased at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and the Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years back.

Oh, and if Richie Ginther isn't famous enough for you, this Scarab was also driven by Stirling Moss during practice for the Monaco Grand Prix. And it's not just a display piece. This car is eligible to run in the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco, which typically takes place two weeks before the actual F1 race.

There's no pricing estimate for the auction, but the Scarab failed to sell at public auction in 2022. At the time, it was estimated at €800,000 to €1 million. If bidding exceeds the reserve (likely a seven-figure sum), this Scarab could become one of the most expensive Formula One cars sold at auction.