BELOW: David’ s son Julian has made a major contribution to the business for many years now, with big plans for the future …
ABOVE: David Whitehurst’ s experience in the business of building race engines goes back over 60 years.
They say that racing is in the blood. So too, it seems, is engineering. Often, those two skill sets are closely combined and that’ s certainly true in the case of the Whitehurst family, with the current father and son team of David and Julian holding up a tradition that goes back a long way …
David’ s ancestry includes John Whitehurst, a well-known 18th Century scientist, geologist and clockmaker, who also designed a hydraulic ram that was a precursor of the original steam engine and, suitably inspired, David started building steam engines at school at the age of seven.
�he ma�or in�uence, though, was his uncle, Reg Parnell, who was a highly in�uential racing dri�er of his time, immediately post-war, followed by seven Formula One championship races, as well as spells at Vandervell and BRM, racing for Aston Martin at Le Mans and later becoming team manager.
During the summer David would often help Reg at his farm, driving the farm vehicles and tinkering with engines. Indeed, at the age of just 12, �a�e bought his first car, a 1�33 Austin 7, and within a year he had rebuilt the engine entirely by himself, to begin a long career in engineering.
In 1�5� he was employed full�time by his uncle Reg in Formula One racing, with the Yeoman Credit Racing Team, where he worked as a trackside
mechanic, along with the likes of Tim Parnell, Andre Pilett and Gerry Ashmore.
�y 1�63, �a�e began working with Alan Smith Racing, eventually moving on to become Managing Director, specialising in building Cosworth and BMW engines, as well as engines for F5000 �he�ron cars�
In 1�7� �a�e took o�er the company and David Whitehurst Racing started its journey, soon developing a particular specialism for creating AC Cobra replicas, with many examples produced, including the first replica 2�2 example, endorsed by Carroll Shelby Enterprises. Indeed, the DWR workshop currently houses a Cobra replica project, now approaching the end of its journey.
With the benefit of �W��s engine building prowess it now features an impressi�e�looking 3�7 cubic inch Ford V8. Featuring a DART Iron Eagle block equipped with ��bolt main caps and Eagle steel crank, Eagle H-beam rods, JE forged pistons, fully ported Windsor iron heads, full roller bearing camshaft, steel roller rockers, Ferrea single-piece stainless �al�es and �olley 850 �F� four-barrel carb, it should certainly make all the right noises …
�hroughout the last 25 years of business, David has been joined by his son Julian, now in his early Forties and just as dedicated to the discipline as his father. Indeed, whereas his Dad’ s first build was the 750 cc straight... P
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