Bowin P3
| Bowin P3 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Bowin |
| Production | 1968 |
| Assembly | Australia |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 90 in (2,286 mm) |
| Width | 56 in (1,422 mm) |
The Bowin P3 is a monocoque racing car that was produced in 1968 by Bowin. The P3 was designed for the Australian National Formula and the Australian 1½ Litre Formula. After the capacity limit for Australian Formula 2 was increased from 1100cc to 1600cc at the beginning of 1969, the P3 found a new home in that class. The car was designed by John Joyce, founder of Bowin and assisted by Ray Parson, better known as a mechanic.
This was the only Bowin car type to come out of the Joyce-Parsons association. The project took just over 12 weeks to complete.
Three P3s were built. The first was for Queensland racing driver Glyn Scott, who fitted the car with a "spare" 1600cc Cosworth FVA engine he bought from Piers Courage after the 1968 Tasman Series. A Formula 2 version was built for Ian Ferguson and a Holden powered hillclimb car was produced for Barry Garner.
There were two major points about the Bowin Cars' construction: the chief aim of the project was to build a car that was economical enough for Australian racers to afford which was also easy to maintain – unlike most monocoques. Equally important was the fact that almost every component of the car, with the exception of the engine and transmission, was entirely manufactured in Australia.
Joyce designed his own magnesium hub carries, suspension members, wheels, steering, and so on, and fabricated them in his own workshops or had them manufactured by Australian companies. For example, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation cast the wheels and hub carriers.
Most non-local components used in the car simply could not be manufactured in Australia, although Joyce would have been willing to try local producers had they existed. Those non-Australian components include English FPT fuel cells, made of the rare material hycathane, the Girling disc calipers, fitted all round, and some other special fittings, including the lightweight aircraft battery that fits underneath the driver's knee.
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