Formula Two as a concept dates to 1948, when the FIA formally codified it as a smaller, cheaper complement to Grand Prix machinery. The category went through several iterations — a 1.5-litre era from 1957 to 1960, a brief replacement by Formula Junior in the early 1960s, and a 1.0-litre form from 1964 to 1966. It was only in 1967, when the FIA raised the maximum engine capacity to 1600 cc and introduced the European Formula Two Championship, that the series acquired its definitive identity as a structured pan-European title.
The intent was clear: with Formula One's return to power via the 3.0-litre regulations, the gap between the two categories had grown too wide, and a reorganised Formula Two was meant to restore its role as a genuine training ground. Jacky Ickx, driving a Matra MS5, won the inaugural 1967 championship by 11 points.
The dominant engine of the first period was the Cosworth FVA, a sixteen-valve four-cylinder unit based on the Ford Cortina block, producing around 220 bhp at 9,000 rpm. It was effectively the proof-of-concept for the landmark Cosworth DFV that would dominate Formula One from 1967. Other engines included a BMW four-cylinder and a Ferrari Dino V6, but neither challenged the FVA's dominance consistently.
A distinctive feature of this era was the driver grading system. Formula One drivers holding an A-grade rating were permitted to race but ineligible to score championship points. A driver could earn an A rating by scoring points in two Grands Prix, finishing in the top three of two World Sports Car events, or by winning the Formula Two championship (which granted A status for one year) or a Formula One world title (five years of A status). This meant that established Grand Prix stars frequently competed in Formula Two on non-championship weekends, sharing grids with the series' championship contenders.
Jim Clark, widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers of his era, was killed in a Formula Two race at the Hockenheimring in 1968. Gerhard Mitter died at the Nürburgring in 1969 while practising for the German Grand Prix in a Formula Two car.
French manufacturer Matra won the first three editions of the European championship, with Tecno winning the fourth.
In 1972 the regulations were revised to permit 2.0-litre production-based engines, increasing power and broadening the field of eligible powerplants. Cosworth BD units and BMW four-cylinder engines initially dominated, with BMW-powered March cars gradually establishing themselves as the chassis of choice through the mid-1970s.
In 1976 the rules were widened further to permit purpose-built racing engines. Renault developed a potent V6, and allied with Elf sponsorship, French teams briefly dominated. BMW then backed a works March effort that raised the competitive bar in the late 1970s. The Ferrari engine made a brief reappearance with minimal success. The Hart 420R (derived from the Cosworth BDA) enjoyed success in various chassis, most notably with the Toleman works team.
Dominant chassis manufacturers of the 2.0-litre era included March and Ralt, with Chevron, the French Elf and Martinis, and German Maurers also winning races.
Honda returned to the category in the early 1980s with a works V6 of considerable power. The exclusivity and cost of the works Ralt-Honda combination made competition increasingly prohibitive, and grids shrank. By the end of the era, the series was under existential pressure from dwindling entry numbers.
After the 1984 season, the FIA replaced Formula Two with Formula 3000, a category designed around cheaper regulations: Formula Two-style chassis paired with the naturally aspirated 3.0-litre Cosworth DFV V8, by then made obsolete in Formula One's turbocharged era. The flagship series became the FIA Formula 3000 International Championship.
The European Formula Two Championship between 1967 and 1984 served as the primary transition series between Formula Three and Formula One for nearly two decades. It was where established Formula One drivers went between races to stay sharp, and where the next generation of champions proved themselves under scrutiny. The unusual grading system produced mixed-grade grids that were simultaneously developmental and elite, a structure unique to this era of motorsport. Its technical trajectory — from the Cosworth FVA to the turbocharged-era pressures that killed participation — mirrors the broader evolution of European single-seater racing in that period.