Formula Ford 1600 is a number of championships which cater to 1600cc, Ford Kent powered Formula Ford racing cars. These are cars that were disbanded when the UK national Formula Ford category adopted the 1800cc Zetec engines in 1993. However, has been running as several regional club championships ever since and has recently enjoyed renewed success. Several cars constructed to Zetec rules have been converted to accept a Kent engine, as well as the Duratec powered cars that followed. There have also been several recent purpose-built kent cars which have enjoyed successes. Founded by Alex Francis and Bill Harris, Alexis first made an impact in Formula Junior racing in the early 1960s, building cars for its in-house Team Alexis. Allan Taylor replaced Harris as designer in 1965 and the firm moved on to produce cars for both F2 and F3. Usually among the also-rans, Alexis achieved just one major victory, at the F2 Eifelrennen in 1965 when Paul Hawkins triumphed in a Cosworth SCA-engined Mk7. The company’s Formula Ford effort though, was in a different league entirely, proving an outstanding success both competitively and commercially. The firm’s first FF design was the ‘Russell-Alexis’ (retrospectively known as the Mk14) following a deal struck to supply cars for the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, hence the name. The first Formula Ford race was held at Brands Hatch on 2nd July 1967 and the Alexis Mk14 went on to win more races in the succeeding 12 months than any other contender, comfortably eclipsing its main rival, the Lotus 51. By the time the association with Russell was dissolved in October 1968, 57 examples of the Mk14 had been made. The Russell-Alexis evolved into the Alexis Mk15 late in 1968 and this model was the firm’s frontline FF contender for the 1969 season. This Alexis Mk15 was restored in 2003/2004 and comes with related invoices. The car retains its original chassis and boasts an engine rebuilt around a new block, ’head and internals a mere 100 miles
