The front-engined "s*** beetle" that was born obsolete

Sixty years ago, an ambitious American Formula 1 effort named after an insect proved to be a flop, not helped by an antiquated engine layout. After a best finish of tenth, the refusal of its owner to adapt its engine to the new 1.5-litre regulations for 1961 condemned Scarab to a legacy of failure

Published Mar 31, 2020, 3:00 PM

In Ancient Egypt, the scarab beetle's likeness was particularly emblematic, and adorned numerous artefacts, jewellery and hieroglyphs in its heyday. But after the Romans invaded and the title of Pharaoh was subsequently dispensed with, the Ancient Egyptian symbolism of scarabs and sarcophagi disappeared between the sands of time.

That was until the 1950s, where Scarabs briefly made an appearance in the lexicon of American motorsport. Resplendent in a metallic baby-blue scheme, the reign of the Scarab was short-lived but successful in the field of sportscars, starting out in the amateur competitions and culminating in victory at the Riverside International Grand Prix, thanks to the efforts of mechanic/racer Chuck Daigh.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.