Nilsson was born on 20 November 1948 in Helsingborg, the second son of a local building contractor. He attended school in his home town and went into service as a submarine radio officer in the Swedish Navy. After leaving the navy, he studied engineering for four years at Stockholm University and gained a degree. It was hoped he would join the family business, but after eight months working as a supervisor in the construction industry he left to start his own business.
Together with his associate Dan Molin, Nilsson aimed to establish a transport business, which proved very successful. He continued as a partner in the company even when he became a full-time driver. Having seen the exploits of fellow Swedes Ronnie Peterson and Reine Wisell, he knew he wanted to be a racing driver.
Nilsson began racing in national events in Sweden in the late 1960s. In 1972 he acquired a RPB Formula Vee car; his first season in Formula Vee saw him race ten times, including one win at Mantorp Park. At 26, he moved to the Formula Super Vee series in 1973 with Ecurie Bonnier, driving a Lola T252 alongside teammate Freddy Kottulinsky. In his first race he finished third, and he ended the championship fifth.
Stepping up to Formula Two, Nilsson finished fourth in the Norisring-Trophäe at the Norisring in a Team Pierre Robert-entered GRD-Ford 273. He then entered Formula Three, and while racing at Nürburgring was approached by Västkust-Stugan, who offered sponsorship for 1974.
With a March 743 and Toyota engine, Nilsson contested the Polifac Formula Three Championship in 1974, scoring some second places but enduring a season punctuated by spins and minor accidents. Mid-season he was given a drive with Team Västkuststugan in their F2 March-BMW 732, and later scored a fourth place with Brian Lewis Racing in the second heat of the Preis von Baden-Württemberg und Hessen at Hockenheim. This form earned him a works March ride in the British series for 1975.
With adequate pre-season testing and growing confidence, Nilsson scored his first F3 win in the season-opener at Thruxton. He went on to win the B.A.R.C. BP Super Visco British F3 Championship, with further wins at Aintree, Ring Knutstorp, Snetterton, and Silverstone. Winning the F3 support race at the British Grand Prix meeting attracted the attention of Ted Moore of Rapid Movements Ltd., who signed Nilsson to race their Formula Atlantic Chevron. Following a fourth place in his first Atlantic race, he won the next five, four from pole position.
Nilsson's performances earned him a test in a Williams FW03 at Goodwood at the end of 1975. He was offered a contract but turned it down in favour of an F2 drive with March. After just one Grand Prix for Lotus, Peterson decided to drive for March in Formula One; as part of this deal, March offered Nilsson to Lotus, where he joined Bob Evans to help develop the new Lotus 77.
In all his Grands Prix, Nilsson drove only for Colin Chapman and Team Lotus. He got his chance when Jacky Ickx and Peterson abandoned the team after the Lotus 76 proved a disastrous replacement for the Lotus 72. The Lotus 77 was promising; Mario Andretti soon replaced Evans, and Nilsson benefited from Andretti's experience.
Nilsson made his debut at the South African Grand Prix, qualifying last of 25 drivers — attributed to a bad car that had caught fire during practice. At the non-championship Race of Champions at Brands Hatch, he started from the second row and led immediately, but retired on lap six when the Cosworth DFV shed a plug lead. At the US GP West around the streets of Long Beach, he survived a heavy first-turn accident only for his rear suspension to break at 160 mph.
His debut season included a podium at only his third Grand Prix, the Gran Premio de España, and another third place in the Grand Prix von Österreich, fifth in Germany, and sixth in Japan. The remainder of the season was marred by accidents in Belgium, Sweden, and Holland, and by car failures in Monaco, France, England, and at Watkins Glen.
Lotus retained Nilsson alongside Andretti for 1977, and the pair developed the new ground-effect Lotus 78. After Andretti took over his car for the Argentine Grand Prix, Nilsson got going at Jarama with a 5th place. Two races later, he took a win at the rain-soaked Zolder circuit. As the track dried, Nilsson suffered from a vibrating wheel nut, stopped for a tyre change, and on new rubber drove around the outside of Niki Lauda's Ferrari with 20 laps to go to take the lead and win. Further good results at Dijon-Prenois (4th) and Silverstone (3rd) followed.
Come autumn, poor qualifying efforts brought a sudden downturn; Nilsson retired from all last seven rounds. His last Formula One appearance was at Fuji, driving an Imperial-liveried Lotus 78. His relationship with Chapman deteriorated, and with Peterson having signed to return to Team Lotus, Nilsson was on the way out. He finished the season eighth overall with 20 points.
Nilsson signed to race for Arrows in their debut 1978 season, but his deteriorating health prevented him from driving. Rolf Stommelen was signed as his replacement.
Nilsson drove a BMW saloon in both the World Championship for Makes and European Touring Car Championship in 1976 and 1977. For 1977, he joined Dieter Quester in a BMW-Alpina, taking the BMW 3.0 CSL to victory at Salzburgring and Nürburgring.
Nilsson briefly sampled American oval racing in the International Race of Champions series, scoring fifth at Michigan in September 1977 and two sixth places at Riverside the following month, expressing enthusiasm for the format.
In December 1977, during a routine check-up with a London doctor, Nilsson was informed he had testicular cancer. He was treated at Charing Cross Hospital, London by intensive radiotherapy. By July 1978 he was almost unrecognisable, having lost over 30 kg and all of his hair, but still talked of a possible comeback. The cancer spread to his lymph nodes.
After resigning from Arrows, Nilsson dedicated his remaining months to founding and running the Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Foundation, linked to Charing Cross Hospital, declining pain-killing drugs so he could work as long as possible. The proceeds of a charity single released in the UK by George Harrison — including "Faster" and "Your Love Is Forever" from his 1979 album George Harrison — contributed to the fund.
His death came five weeks after that of fellow Swede, rival, and friend Ronnie Peterson, who died from complications following injuries suffered in a crash at Monza. Peterson's death deeply affected Nilsson, who attended the funeral. He died on 20 October 1978 at Charing Cross Hospital.
The Gunnar Nilsson Memorial Trophy was held in 1979, won by Alan Jones.
According to his obituary in The Times, "His rare talent had taken him swiftly to the top as No. 2 to Mario Andretti" and "he was perhaps the most naturally gifted of the new generation of grands prix drivers." Those who knew him described him as a warm, energetic character with a love of life, whose enthusiasm and confidence made him naturally persuasive. He formed a strong student-teacher relationship with Andretti, who regarded Nilsson as his first true friend among racing drivers.
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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