The AAR Eagle Mark 3 was an evolution of the team's first Indianapolis race car, the Mark 2, built in 1966 and using the same basic design as its Formula 1 counterpart, the Mark 1. All three had been designed by Len Terry, a gifted designer and engineer who had created the Lotus 38 that had won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and placed second a year later, both times with Jim Clark driving.
The Eagle MKI, also known as the Eagle T1G, was itself an evolution of the Lotus 38, with a riveted aluminum monocoque central section, an unstressed engine placed midship behind the driver, and suspension components mounted directly to the monocoque. While the Aubrey Woods-designed Weslake V12 was not ready in time, the MKI was initially powered by a Coventry Climax 2.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Although it developed less power than the competition, the MKI with Gurney driving was able to score a fifth-place finish in the second round - the French Grand Prix. The arrival of the V12 engine made the MK2 much more competitive, although hindered due to unreliability.
The twelve-cylinder engine powering the Mark I had twin overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder and initially developed 365 horsepower at 10,000 RPM. By the close of the 1967 season, that figure had increased to over 400 bhp making it one of the most potent competitors to toe the line.
Three of the MK1 chassis received aluminum bodies, while the fourth (known as the Ti-Mag car) was built from exotic metal alloys (and highly flammable) of titanium and magnesium.
Dan Gurney would score a pair of fifth-place finishes during the 1966 season, along with a 7th place at the German Grand Prix. The following year, Gurney placed third at the Canadian Grand Prix and 1st at the Belgian Grand Prix, the first victory Grand Prix victory for an American car since the 1921 French Grand Prix with Jimmy Murphy driving a Duesenberg. At the German Grand Prix, Gurney had a 42-second lead when a broke universal joint forced an early retirement just two laps from the finish.
The Mark I's successor was the still-born MK6.
Across the pond, the team's open-wheeled Indianapolis 500 contender was the Mark 2, which also used a full-length, enclosed aluminum monocoque chassis with an aluminum body, and Girling disc brakes. Instead of the V12 or Coventry Climax engine, the Mark 2 was powered by a 4.2-liter Ford V8 with a Hilborn fuel injection system. The F1 car had a five-speed gearbox while the Indy racer used a Hewland four-speed gearbox. Both cars had a unique (and appropriate) beak-shaped air-intake at the front.
The Mark 2's inaugural outing was at Trenton where Lloyd Ruby qualified second but retired prematurely due to engine issues. Reliability issues and a first-lap accident hindered the Eagle's performance at the Indy 500. Just seven cars (total) finished the 1966 Indy 500, the fewest finishers ever at the Brickyard.
Lloyd Ruby led for the early half of the race but lost a couple of laps during a bad pit stop. When he re-entered the circuit, he was seated in the 11th position. Gurney went out on the first lap due to the accident that eliminated eleven of the thirty-three starters. Gordon Johncock, in an Eagle entered by Frank Wilseck and Sidney Weinberger, placed 6th overall. Joe Leonard, driving for AAR, placed 9th and Jerry Grand (Eagle entered by John Klug) placed 10th. The Eagle's first victory arrived two months later with Roger McCluskey at the helm.
The Mark I and Mark II were both fast and highly competitive. Reliability was among its biggest Achilles Heel, and the team hoped that further development would eliminate these teething problems. These updates, along with modifications to the suspension geometry, resulted in the Mark 3 of 1967.
Four examples of the Mark I were built (1 with the Coventry Climax engine, and 3 with the V12), 6 of the Mark II (3 used by AAR), and 6 of the Mark III (2 used by AAR).
The Eagle Mark 3
The team's experience during the 1966 Indy season, reinforced by its efforts in Formula 1, had the Mark 3 poised for success. A total of six cars were built with the AAR team entering two at the 1967 Indy 500, with the other four being customer cars. Bobby Unser drove an Eagle for Leader Card Racers, the Eagle driven by Roger McCluskey was Lindsey Hopkins, and the 'Smokey' Yunick entered Eagle was driven by Denny Hulme. Jochen Rindt drove John Klug's Pacesetter Homes Eagle. Dan Gurney and Richie Ginther drove for team AAR.
Richie Ginther made two attempts to qualify for the 1967 Indy 500 but was unsuccessful. His car was sold on May 21st to Friedkin Enterprises Racing Division for Jerry Grant after his #78 entry had been bumped by the #81 of Graham Hill. Grant qualified the #42 (Ginther's Eagle) but retired early from the race. Grant would race both #78 and #42 during the season for Friedkin Enterprises.
The car driven by Rindt was wrecked during practice. The cars driven by Unser, McCluskey, Hulme, and Gurney all qualified for the 1967 Indy 500. Bobby Unser qualified in 8th place, slightly faster than his brother, Al Unser in 9th place. Bobby would finish the race in 9th place while his brother faired much better, placing 2nd behind race winner A.J. Foyt. Denis Hulme had started in 24th but worked his way through the field, placing 4th behind Joe Leonard in 3rd place. McCluskey started 22nd and finished 19th, ahead of Jerry Grand who had started 30th and finished 20th. McClusky had retired on lap 165 due to engine issues and McCluskey had retired on lap 165, also with engine issues. Dan Gurney had qualified second but retired on lap 160, placing him in the 21st position.
After Indy, Gurney turned his attention back to Formula 1, and team AAR would not enter any more championship races that season. Gurney's Eagle which he drove at Indy was sold to A.J. Foyt.
Unser and McCluskey would finish first and second in each of the Mosport races.
Bobby Unser would purchase a second Eagle MK3 and raced both during the 1968 season after his 1968 Eagle MK4 was wrecked. Unser's 1968 Eagle Mark 4, with Rislone sponsorship and entered by Leader Cards, had carried him to his first of three Indy 500 victories (1968, 1975, and 1981). It was also the first time a turbocharged four-cylinder engine won the '500.' Unser won the USAC National Champion in 1968 and again in 1974.
The Eagle MK3 was the final use of the Len Terry design, as the Eagle MK4 of 1968 employed a Tony Southgate design. Along with the Indy 500, Dan Gurney also raced twice at Mosport Park in June and at Riverside in December. He placed first on three of the four occasions, placing second at Indy behind race winner Bobby Unser. Denny Hulme placed 4th at Indy in his Olsonite-backed Eagle. Unser's car had a turbocharged Offy four-cylinder engine, Gurnye's had a Gurney Weslake Ford, and Hulmes used a quad-cam Ford V8.
by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022
The Eagle MKI, also known as the Eagle T1G, was itself an evolution of the Lotus 38, with a riveted aluminum monocoque central section, an unstressed engine placed midship behind the driver, and suspension components mounted directly to the monocoque. While the Aubrey Woods-designed Weslake V12 was not ready in time, the MKI was initially powered by a Coventry Climax 2.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Although it developed less power than the competition, the MKI with Gurney driving was able to score a fifth-place finish in the second round - the French Grand Prix. The arrival of the V12 engine made the MK2 much more competitive, although hindered due to unreliability.
The twelve-cylinder engine powering the Mark I had twin overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder and initially developed 365 horsepower at 10,000 RPM. By the close of the 1967 season, that figure had increased to over 400 bhp making it one of the most potent competitors to toe the line.
Three of the MK1 chassis received aluminum bodies, while the fourth (known as the Ti-Mag car) was built from exotic metal alloys (and highly flammable) of titanium and magnesium.
Dan Gurney would score a pair of fifth-place finishes during the 1966 season, along with a 7th place at the German Grand Prix. The following year, Gurney placed third at the Canadian Grand Prix and 1st at the Belgian Grand Prix, the first victory Grand Prix victory for an American car since the 1921 French Grand Prix with Jimmy Murphy driving a Duesenberg. At the German Grand Prix, Gurney had a 42-second lead when a broke universal joint forced an early retirement just two laps from the finish.
The Mark I's successor was the still-born MK6.
Across the pond, the team's open-wheeled Indianapolis 500 contender was the Mark 2, which also used a full-length, enclosed aluminum monocoque chassis with an aluminum body, and Girling disc brakes. Instead of the V12 or Coventry Climax engine, the Mark 2 was powered by a 4.2-liter Ford V8 with a Hilborn fuel injection system. The F1 car had a five-speed gearbox while the Indy racer used a Hewland four-speed gearbox. Both cars had a unique (and appropriate) beak-shaped air-intake at the front.
The Mark 2's inaugural outing was at Trenton where Lloyd Ruby qualified second but retired prematurely due to engine issues. Reliability issues and a first-lap accident hindered the Eagle's performance at the Indy 500. Just seven cars (total) finished the 1966 Indy 500, the fewest finishers ever at the Brickyard.
Lloyd Ruby led for the early half of the race but lost a couple of laps during a bad pit stop. When he re-entered the circuit, he was seated in the 11th position. Gurney went out on the first lap due to the accident that eliminated eleven of the thirty-three starters. Gordon Johncock, in an Eagle entered by Frank Wilseck and Sidney Weinberger, placed 6th overall. Joe Leonard, driving for AAR, placed 9th and Jerry Grand (Eagle entered by John Klug) placed 10th. The Eagle's first victory arrived two months later with Roger McCluskey at the helm.
The Mark I and Mark II were both fast and highly competitive. Reliability was among its biggest Achilles Heel, and the team hoped that further development would eliminate these teething problems. These updates, along with modifications to the suspension geometry, resulted in the Mark 3 of 1967.
Four examples of the Mark I were built (1 with the Coventry Climax engine, and 3 with the V12), 6 of the Mark II (3 used by AAR), and 6 of the Mark III (2 used by AAR).
The Eagle Mark 3
The team's experience during the 1966 Indy season, reinforced by its efforts in Formula 1, had the Mark 3 poised for success. A total of six cars were built with the AAR team entering two at the 1967 Indy 500, with the other four being customer cars. Bobby Unser drove an Eagle for Leader Card Racers, the Eagle driven by Roger McCluskey was Lindsey Hopkins, and the 'Smokey' Yunick entered Eagle was driven by Denny Hulme. Jochen Rindt drove John Klug's Pacesetter Homes Eagle. Dan Gurney and Richie Ginther drove for team AAR.
Richie Ginther made two attempts to qualify for the 1967 Indy 500 but was unsuccessful. His car was sold on May 21st to Friedkin Enterprises Racing Division for Jerry Grant after his #78 entry had been bumped by the #81 of Graham Hill. Grant qualified the #42 (Ginther's Eagle) but retired early from the race. Grant would race both #78 and #42 during the season for Friedkin Enterprises.
The car driven by Rindt was wrecked during practice. The cars driven by Unser, McCluskey, Hulme, and Gurney all qualified for the 1967 Indy 500. Bobby Unser qualified in 8th place, slightly faster than his brother, Al Unser in 9th place. Bobby would finish the race in 9th place while his brother faired much better, placing 2nd behind race winner A.J. Foyt. Denis Hulme had started in 24th but worked his way through the field, placing 4th behind Joe Leonard in 3rd place. McCluskey started 22nd and finished 19th, ahead of Jerry Grand who had started 30th and finished 20th. McClusky had retired on lap 165 due to engine issues and McCluskey had retired on lap 165, also with engine issues. Dan Gurney had qualified second but retired on lap 160, placing him in the 21st position.
After Indy, Gurney turned his attention back to Formula 1, and team AAR would not enter any more championship races that season. Gurney's Eagle which he drove at Indy was sold to A.J. Foyt.
Unser and McCluskey would finish first and second in each of the Mosport races.
Bobby Unser would purchase a second Eagle MK3 and raced both during the 1968 season after his 1968 Eagle MK4 was wrecked. Unser's 1968 Eagle Mark 4, with Rislone sponsorship and entered by Leader Cards, had carried him to his first of three Indy 500 victories (1968, 1975, and 1981). It was also the first time a turbocharged four-cylinder engine won the '500.' Unser won the USAC National Champion in 1968 and again in 1974.
The Eagle MK3 was the final use of the Len Terry design, as the Eagle MK4 of 1968 employed a Tony Southgate design. Along with the Indy 500, Dan Gurney also raced twice at Mosport Park in June and at Riverside in December. He placed first on three of the four occasions, placing second at Indy behind race winner Bobby Unser. Denny Hulme placed 4th at Indy in his Olsonite-backed Eagle. Unser's car had a turbocharged Offy four-cylinder engine, Gurnye's had a Gurney Weslake Ford, and Hulmes used a quad-cam Ford V8.
by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2022
1967 AAR Eagle MK3 Vehicle Profiles
Recent Vehicle Additions
Related Automotive News
McLaren Racing Inducted Into Canadian Motorsports Hall Of Fame
Two-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford accepts honour on behalf of the team
TORONTO, Ont. — On February 12, McLaren Racing was inducted into the International Category of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of fame. The honour was accepted...
Emerson Fittipaldi to be honored by RRDC in Long Beach
Firestone returns as presenting sponsor for eighth consecutive year
HILLIARD, Ohio (March 2, 2017) - Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who also won a pair of Indy 500s, will be honored by the Road Racing Drivers Club...
Gurney Eagle Indy 500 Car Sets the Pace at Russo and Steele Monterey '14!
Gurney Eagle Indianapolis 500 Car Driven by Speedway Legend Roger McCluskey to Set the Pace at Russo and Steeles Monterey 14 Auction
Scottsdale, Arizona (June 6, 2014) – In keeping with our tradition of attracting some of the finest...
OFFENHAUSER HEROES AND MERCHANTS OF SPEED SEMINARS OFFER FANS A BACKSTAGE PASS TO AMERICAN MOTORSPORT
A pair ofthe Amelia Island Concours dElegances popular seminars will offer backstage passes to the history and the business of American motorsport.
On Friday March 7, 2014 the celebration of Offenhauser-powered vehicles will begin in the Talbot...
RK MOTORS ADDS 'LEGENDS OF MOTORSPORTS' COLLECTION OF HISTORIC RACING MACHINES TO UPCOMING AUCTION
Charlotte, N.C. – October 14, 2013— Only weeks after revealing plans to auction the 1977 McLaren M26 that James Hunt drove to his final F1 victory, RK Motors Collector Car Auctions (RKMCCA) today announced that four additional iconic racing...