Mike Hewland passes away.

sportsman

Sidecar racers have the biggest cojones
Contributor
Sadly one of motorsports greatest engineers has passed away.During my racing career I used several different types of Hewland boxes and great bits of kit they were.
RIP Mike and many thanks.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101834 Mike Hewland, founder of the Hewland Engineering company that became synonymous with motorsport transmission technology, has died at the age of 89.
Formed in 1957, Hewland Engineering's first Formula 1 involvement was altering a gearbox for the British Racing Partnership team, before the company really made its name in Formula Junior.
From there, the Hewland business grew to such an extent that for much of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, almost the entire F1 field ran its gearboxes, with Ferrari the only exception for a long period. The package of a Cosworth DFV engine mated to a Hewland gearbox dominated most of the era.
Mike Hewland retired in 1991, with his son William taking over at the helm of Hewland Engineering.
 
A great loss.

For more than a decade, just about anyone could build an F1 chassis and know that, with the Cossie/Hewland combination, they were guaranteed having at least a competitive powertrain. That is how McLaren, Tyrrell, Surtees, Williams et al got their start (McLaren initially, in 1967, used the BRM v12, which was essentially a brick. The team came of age the next year with Cossie power).
 
Great shame. I'm sure this could be wrong but I'm sure I read that the Hewland F1 gearbox based on a VW Beetle one?
 
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