The company was founded by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth. Its name is a portmanteau of their surnames. Both were former employees of Lotus Engineering, and Cosworth initially maintained a strong relationship with Colin Chapman; initial revenues came almost exclusively from Lotus. When the company was founded in 1958, Duckworth left Lotus, while Costin — who had signed a term-employment contract with Chapman — remained. Until 1962, Costin worked on Cosworth projects in his private time while serving as a key Lotus engineer on the development of Lotus models 15 through 26 (Elan), and leading the Team Lotus contingent at foreign races, as evidenced by the 1962 Le Mans Lotus scandal.
Initial series production engines (Mk.II, Mk.V, Mk.VIII, and Mk.XIV) were sold exclusively to Lotus. Success with Formula Junior engines (Mk.III, IV, XI, and XVII) began generating non-Lotus revenues. The establishment of Formula B by the Sports Car Club of America further secured the company's financial foundation through increased sales of the Mk.XIII, a pure racing engine based on the Lotus TwinCam, which dominated its class. This allowed Cosworth to distance itself from the Lotus Mk.VII and Elan optional road engine assembly business and concentrate resources on racing engine development.
After Duckworth decided against day-to-day involvement in the growing company, he sold his stake to United Engineering Industries (UEI) in 1980, retaining his life presidency and technical involvement. UEI was later taken over by Carlton Communications in 1988. Vickers plc bought Cosworth in 1990. In September 1998, Vickers sold Cosworth to Audi. The German carmaker kept the engineering and manufacturing unit — renamed Cosworth Technology under new CEO Wayne Merry — and sold the race engine division, Cosworth Racing, and the electronics division, Pi Research, to Ford. In December 2004, Audi sold Cosworth Technology to Mahle GmbH; it was renamed MAHLE Powertrain on 1 July 2005. On 15 November 2004, Ford sold Cosworth Racing to Champ Car World Series owners Gerald Forsythe and Kevin Kalkhoven. Ford also sold Pi Research to Kalkhoven and Forsythe in December 2004, creating the Cosworth Group.
Since 2006, Cosworth has diversified into engineering consultancy, high-performance electronics, and component manufacture outside its classic motorsport customer base. On 25 February 2008, Cosworth was awarded a $5.4 million contract by the United States Navy to develop a heavy fuel engine for the RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aerial vehicle. Cosworth supplied its last premier-class racing engines in 2013 to the Marussia F1 Team.
The SCA was a 997 cc engine based on the Ford Cortina 116E block, designed for Formula 2. It featured the first totally Cosworth-designed cylinder head, with a single overhead camshaft reverse-flow configuration similar to the Coventry Climax FWE engine. The SCA initially produced 115 hp from two 40DCM2 Weber twin-choke downdraft carburettors, later replaced by Lucas fuel injection reaching 140 hp. The SCA won the first race of the new 1 L Formula 2 rules, the 1964 Pau Grand Prix, driven by Jim Clark on 5 April 1964. That race was also the inaugural round of the FFSA Trophées de France championship, in which SCA-powered cars won the series title in 1964, 1965, and 1967.
The FVA (Four Valve Type A) was an F2 engine introduced in 1966, developed under the same contract as the DFV for the new 1.6-litre rules. It featured 16 valves operated by twin overhead camshafts driven by a train of nine gears, producing 225 bhp (168 kW) at 9,000 rpm. The engine dominated the category until 1971 and was also used in sports car racing in 1.8-litre form as the FVC. A larger displacement variant, the FVD, was released for endurance racing in 1975 at 1,975 cc, producing 275 bhp (205 kW). One FVD was campaigned in the CanAm series in 1978 in the Osprey SR-1, built and driven by Dan Hartill.
In 1966, Colin Chapman persuaded Ford to bankroll Keith Duckworth's design for a new lightweight 3,000 cc Formula One engine. Cosworth received the order along with £100,000 from Ford. The contract stipulated that a four-cylinder Ford-based F2 engine (the FVA) would be developed as proof of concept, and that a pure Cosworth V8 would follow. The DFV — "Double Four Valve" — used a 90° V8 configuration on a custom Cosworth cylinder block and crankcase. It was the most successful engine in the history of Formula One, winning 167 races in a career lasting over 20 years.
The DFV won on its first outing at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, driven by Jim Clark in a Lotus 49. From 1968 it was available for purchase by any F1 team. During the 1970s, almost the entire field used it — the notable exceptions being Ferrari, BRM, and Alfa Romeo scoring wins and titles with V12 engines. It won a record 155 World Championship races, the last at Detroit in 1983, powering a Tyrrell driven by Michele Alboreto. At 410 bhp (306 kW) at 9,000 rpm, the DFV did not match some rival 12-cylinder engines in outright power, but was lighter and was made a structural part of the car by placing load-bearing arms on the block — a feature that appealed strongly to Colin Chapman.
The DFY, introduced in 1982, was a further evolution with a shorter stroke, producing 520 bhp (388 kW) at 11,000 rpm, but was unable to match the turbocharged cars of the day. In 1986 Cosworth prepared the DFV for the newly created Formula 3000, installing a compulsory 9,000 rpm rev limiter; the DFV remained in that class until 1992, the DFY until 1995. A new DFV-based design for the 3,500 cc normally aspirated rules appeared in 1987: the DFZ as an interim, followed by the DFR in 1988, which soldiered on in F1 with smaller teams until 1991, scoring its last points — including a pair of second places by Jean Alesi — with Tyrrell in 1990.
In 1968, Cosworth created the DFW, a 2,500 cc version of the DFV for the Tasman Series, achieved by substituting a short-stroke crank and longer connecting rods.
In 1975, Cosworth developed the DFX by destroking the DFV to 2,650 cc and adding a turbocharger. The DFX became the standard engine in IndyCar racing, ending the reign of the Offenhauser, and held that position until the late 1980s. Ford later backed a new interim design, the DFS, merging DFR technology into the ageing DFX.
The DFV also competed in endurance racing, though its flat-plane crank led to destructive vibrations. Despite this, it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice in 3.0-litre form — for Mirage in 1975 and Rondeau in 1980. The DFL endurance variant, developed for 1982, came in 3,298 cc and 3,955 cc versions; the 3,298 cc variant was adapted to the Group C C2 class from 1984 and achieved five class wins at Le Mans during the latter half of the 1980s.
In 1969, Cosworth developed a DOHC 16-valve inline four-cylinder engine for road use in the Ford Escort. With Duckworth occupied on the DFV, the project was assigned to Mike Hall, who created the 1601 cc BDA on the Ford Kent engine block. The camshafts were driven by a toothed belt developed for the Fiat 124 — hence the name BDA, meaning "Belt Drive, A type." It was designed for FIA Group 2 and Group 4 in rallying and touring car racing.
In 1970, the 1701 cc BDB was created for the Escort RS1600. The BDA series was adopted for Formula 2 in 1972, progressing through the BDE (1,790 cc), BDF (1,927 cc), and BDG (1,975 cc). The BDG received a new aluminium block originally designed by Brian Hart in 1971 and re-engineered by Cosworth. The iron block spawned smaller variants including the 1599 cc BDD for Formula Atlantic in 1970. Cosworth-powered cars (Ralt RT4 and Tigas) won the Australian Drivers' Championship from 1982 to 1986, and the Australian Grand Prix from 1981 to 1984 — including victories by Alain Prost and Roberto Moreno — before that event joined the Formula One World Championship in 1985. The New Zealand Grand Prix was won by Cosworth-powered cars each year from 1982 to 1988.
The turbocharged 1778 cc BDT was created in 1981, powering the never-raced RWD Escort RS1700T. The 1803 cc version debuted in the 4WD Ford RS200 in 1984 for Group B rallying. In 1986, Brian Hart built a 2137 cc version using a bespoke aluminium block for the RS200 Evolution, just as Group B was cancelled by the FIA; this BDT-E produced over 600 bhp (447 kW) at rallycross boost levels.
The YB series, based on the Ford T88 engine block at 1,993 cc, was introduced in the road-going Ford Sierra RS Cosworth in 1986. Racing versions of the RS Cosworth produced around 370 hp, with the limited-edition Sierra RS500 — fitted with a larger T4 turbo — eventually approaching 550 hp in full racing trim. The RS500 dominated touring car racing from 1987 to 1992, claiming the following championships and major race wins from the corpus:
Championship wins: World Touring Car Championship (1987 Entrants title); Japanese Touring Car Championship (1987, 1988, 1989); Australian Manufacturers' Championship (1988, 1990); Australian Touring Car Championship (1988, 1989); European Touring Car Championship (1988 Entrants title); Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (1988); British Touring Car Championship (1990).
Major race wins: Bathurst 1000 (1988, 1989); Spa 24 Hours (1989); Fuji InterTEC 500 (1987, 1988, 1989); RAC Tourist Trophy (1988); Sandown 500 (1988, 1990); Guia Race of Macau (1989).
A fuel-injected, belt-driven DOHC GA V6, based on the 60-degree Ford Essex block at 3,412 cc, was used in Ford Capris raced in Group 2 in the early 1970s. Commissioned by Ford in May 1972, it was designed by Mike Hall when Ford found the existing Weslake OHV V6 engines could yield no more performance. In race tune the engine produced around 462 bhp (345 kW) at 9,000 rpm. It proved highly successful in the 1973 European Touring Car Championship season with the Ford Capri RS 3100. Ford Motorsport also sold 100 GA V6 engines, most ending up in Formula 5000 cars.
Cosworth settled on a new turbocharged 1,500 cc V6 badged as the Ford TEC (internally the GB-series), with development history dating to the 1984 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch. The GBA was designed by Keith Duckworth and Geoff Goddard. Initial attempts to develop a turbocharged BDA 4-cylinder failed due to incurable crankshaft vibration; Duckworth and Goddard then designed an all-new 120° V6, the same configuration as the Ferrari V6 turbo used from 1981 to 1986. The engine was first road-tested on 21 February 1986 by 1980 World Champion Alan Jones at the Boreham Circuit in Essex. Its Formula One debut came with Jones driving the Lola THL2 for Haas Lola at the 1986 San Marino Grand Prix. Jones and teammate Patrick Tambay scored the engine's first points with 4th and 5th places in the Austrian Grand Prix. Producing approximately 900 bhp (671 kW), it is the most powerful Formula One engine Cosworth has built. In 1987, Benetton used the V6; Teo Fabi took the engine's first podium with third in Austria, and Thierry Boutsen scored its last podium with third in the final race of the season in Australia.
The HB series — designed by Geoff Goddard as a 75° V8 at 3,498 cc — replaced the DFV/DFZ/DFR family. It debuted with Benetton midway through 1989 at the French Grand Prix, winning the Japanese Grand Prix that year. Benetton maintained exclusivity through 1990. Customer units were supplied to Jordan Grand Prix in 1991 and Lotus in 1992. In 1993, McLaren received customer HB units after losing their Honda V12 supply; using the HBA7 and HBA8, McLaren won five Grands Prix with triple World Champion Ayrton Senna. The factory HBA8 produced approximately 700 bhp (522 kW) at 13,000 rpm by 1993. A Jaguar-badged version, developed by Tom Walkinshaw Racing at 650 bhp at 11,500 rpm, was fitted to the successful Jaguar XJR-14 for sports car racing.
The HB evolved into the 3,498 cc EC V8 for 1994, badged as Ford Zetec-R and producing approximately 740 bhp at 14,500 rpm. Michael Schumacher won the Drivers' World Championship with Benetton using this engine in 1994 — the last Ford-powered F1 title. For 1995, a 2,992 cc ECA variant was used exclusively by Sauber, whose best result that year was Heinz-Harald Frentzen's third place at Monza.
The JD 72° V10 (2,992 cc) was designed for 1996, producing about 670 bhp at 15,800 rpm for Sauber, further developed into the VJ and VJM reaching 720 bhp. The VJM's best result included Rubens Barrichello's second place at Monaco, the first points finish for the newly formed Stewart Grand Prix team.
The Stewart Grand Prix team became Ford's de facto works team, using Cosworth CR-1 engines from 1997. Ford bought the team and renamed it Jaguar Racing for 2000. Ford withdrew from F1 at end of 2004; the team, bought by and renamed Red Bull Racing, continued on Cosworth V10 engines before switching to Ferrari for 2006. Williams used Cosworth V8 engines from 2006, with the CA2006 2.4-litre unit producing approximately 755 bhp at 19,250 rpm. In 2010 Cosworth returned to supply Williams and three new teams — Hispania Racing, Lotus Racing, and Virgin Racing — with the CA2010, re-tuned to the 18,000 rpm limit.
For IndyCar and Champ Car racing, Cosworth developed the X-series from 1992. The XF, developed for 2000, became the spec engine for the Champ Car World Series in 2003. The 2,650 cc XFE quad-cam 90° V8 continued as spec engine through the 2007 season with a rev limit of 12,000 rpm, rated at 750 hp at standard boost and 800 bhp on push-to-pass. It weighed 120 kg and was 539 mm long. In 2003, Cosworth supplied the 3.5 L V8 XG badged as the Chevrolet Gen 4 to IRL teams; Sam Hornish Jr. won three races with the XG that season. The Champ Car World Series merged into the IRL IndyCar Series prior to the 2008 season.
In 1969, Cosworth attempted to design a complete Formula One Grand Prix car. The car, designed by Robin Herd, used an original four-wheel-drive transmission designed by Keith Duckworth and was powered by a magnesium version of the DFV. Planned to race at the 1969 British Grand Prix, it was quietly withdrawn. When Herd left to form March Engineering, the project was cancelled. The car's external structure used Mallite sheeting — a wood-aluminium laminate composite — a technique Herd had pioneered on early McLaren single-seat cars, including the McLaren M2B of 1966.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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