Cosworth has an important role to play at the 2025 Revival

DFV stands for ‘Double Four Valve’, and it was a truly game changing engine that transformed the landscape of Formula 1. Funded by Ford, this 3.0-litre V8 became the dominant force within the sport, a powerhouse that even the likes of Ferrari could not overcome.

The Cosworth DFV claimed 155 Grand Prix victories between 1967 and 1983, beginning with its first ever entry at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, and powered teams and drivers to an astonishing 22 World Championships.

Cosworth-powered cars won every single race in both 1969 and 1973, and it was that ’73 season in particular that highlighted the engine’s quality, as Lotus, Tyrrell, McLaren, Brabham and March — all powered by the DFV — claimed the top five positions in the Constructors’ Championship.

But it wasn’t just in F1 that the DFV proved successful. It was also victorious in the most unexpected of circumstances at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1975, as rule changes worked in the engine’s favour to see Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx take a remarkable victory with the Mirage. A second triumph in 1980, this time in the back of a Rondeau M379 in spite of a superior Porsche outfit, confirmed it was no fluke.

Several examples of the legendary V8 will be showcased across the 2025 Revival, most significantly as part of the weekend’s tribute to 1963 and ’65 World Champion Jim Clark. The original DFV-engined Lotus 18 will be accompanied by a Lotus 49 as Goodwood celebrates the 60^th anniversary of the great Scot’s most successful season.

But there will be an opportunity to get a far closer look at the inner workings of those legendary cars, as Cosworth will also be putting the DFV on display so we can all revel in its mechanical splendour.

It’ll be joined on Cosworth’s stand, located inside the Earl’s Court Motor Show, by two other of the brand’s creations. Firstly, the SCA, a pioneering piece of engineering that was the first to feature the company’s alloy cylinder head. It was based on the 1.0-litre four-cylinder 116E block from a Ford Cortina and deployed to devastating effect in Formula 2 as Jim Clark dominated the 1964 and ’65 seasons with the Lotus 32 and 35.

That F2 engine was succeeded by the FVA in 1966, a new 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, 16-valve that was equally successful over a near-ten-year period. The FVA was also the test bed for what would eventually become the DFV in 1967.

Cosworth’s enduring success can be attributed to the bravery and genius of its two founders, Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, who instigated a new mindset to engine building that pushed the boundaries of engineering to new heights.

It’s this legacy that has ensured the endurance of Cosworth, which is now busy producing engines for the likes of Gordon Murray Automotive, Aston Martin’s Valkyrie programme, and the Bugatti Tourbillon.

Ahead of the Revival, Florian Kamelger, CEO of Cosworth, said: “When it comes to celebrating Cosworth’s unequalled global motorsport and road car engineering heritage, there is simply nowhere better than the Goodwood Revival — a wonderful event and a true highlight of the global classic and historic motorsport season.

“Cosworth was forged in motorsport. Our founders, Keith Duckworth and Mike Costin, knew that there was no more challenging environment on the planet to prove oneself, one's company, and one's products. They shared a passion for precision that still drives everyone at Cosworth today.

“We are delighted to be able to share that passion and our heritage with motor racing enthusiasts at Goodwood Revival this weekend.”

The Duke of Richmond added: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Cosworth, a company that has contributed so much to global motorsport through the engineering genius of founders Keith Duckworth and Mike Costin and their successors, as a partner to the Goodwood Revival. Having the British-based company join us this year is particularly poignant as we celebrate the life of double Formula 1 Champion and current Goodwood lap record holder, Jim Clark.

“No commemoration of the iconic Scottish driver would be complete without the presence of Cosworth, a brand that had such a profound effect on his career. A Cosworth-tuned engine powered Jim Clark to his first-ever win at Goodwood Motor Circuit with victory in the Chichester Cup on Easter Monday 1960 in a works Lotus Formula Junior car. And when Cosworth’s DFV, the most successful engine in the history of Formula 1, won first time out at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1967 in a Lotus 49, once again it was Jim Clark at the wheel.”

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Images courtesy of Getty Images.