Hesketh 308
Lord Hesketh's unsponsored, rubber-sprung racer that gave James Hunt his first Grand Prix win.
About the Hesketh 308
Harvey Postlethwaite designed the 308 for Hesketh Racing to replace the team's March 731, loosely basing it on the March and powering it with the Cosworth DFV. Looking for simple, light progressive springing, Postlethwaite adopted rubber springs made from a special non-creep rubber developed by the Malaysian Rubber Producers Association, fitted from the 1975 Argentine Grand Prix. James Hunt put it on pole on its debut at the 1974 Race of Champions and won that year's non-championship International Trophy at Silverstone, though transmission failures blunted its first season. Updated as the 308B, it carried Hunt to victory in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the team's only win, and Hesketh finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship before running out of money at the end of the year.
Hesketh 308 specs
| Make | Hesketh |
|---|---|
| Model | 308 |
| Years | 1974–1976 |
| Type | Race car |
| Body style | Open-wheel single-seater |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Production | About 4 built |
| Engine | 3.0L naturally aspirated V8 (Ford Cosworth DFV) |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 2,993 cc (3.0 litres) |
| Induction | Naturally aspirated |
| Transmission | 5-speed manual (Hewland FG400) |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive |
Typical figures for the standard car; options, markets and model years vary. Where our specs come from
Hesketh 308 rarity in CarSpot
The Hesketh 308 is a Unicorn card in CarSpot, with a rarity score of 100 out of 100. The rarest tier: hypercars, one-offs and cars built in tiny numbers, typically fewer than about 500. A Unicorn card is worth 320 XP.
Each model's tier starts from a 0–100 score based on its value plus its power or production numbers. Once enough players have spotted a model, how often it is spotted can move it up or down one tier. How CarSpot rarity works
Rarity is a collectible game mechanic, not an assessment of real-world scarcity or value.
Hesketh 308 fun facts
- Lord Hesketh originally planned to fund a V12 engine for the car, but it was never built and the team used the Cosworth DFV throughout.
- In 1976 Guy Edwards raced a 308 with sponsorship from Penthouse magazine, which gained the team considerable exposure.
- Four chassis were built across the three seasons the design raced.