A doomed masterpiece: the Martin V8 (Upd. don't forget about the toothed belt of Glas)

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There are plenty of engineers with a soft spot for the V8 engine configuration. Yes, it is smoother and more powerful then a V6, while being less expensive and complicated than a V12. But they do eat up space. One memorable plan for a compact V8 engine came from the UK. Close to Bristol, former pilot, GM and MG engineer, OBE Ted Martin designed a compact V8 with single cam on each cylinder bank, carbs mounted in between them, forked connecting rods and toothed-belt camshaft drive (a first in industry). The late Martin (he died in 2010) designed it to fit in narrow Formula Juniors. Lack of funds spelt the end of a short-lived chequered career, although it was reborn in a number of projects, most of whom Chris Lawrence was involved with. From Deep Sanderson 303 303 to a multitude of Monica prototypes prototypes, a Lotus and Cooper based F1 racer in between. Despite being dubbed ‘Martin’s Masterpiece’ all projects were doomed. How many engines were built remains somewhat cloudy but if you dig hard enough, you may find one or two. And if that’s not enough you can buy a few parts with Silverstone Auctions too. But when we will hear/see one race again?  (Text Jeroen Booij)

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