Team story
Origins
The young American Hugh Powell’s purchase of Emeryson’s assets generated the Scirocco-Powell project. Tony Settember, a driver and engineer, worked on the new car with Hugh Aiden-Jones and John Tojeiro. The SP appeared in the American racing colours of white and blue, but emerged from Britain’s small racing workshops.
The Formula 1 journey
Its first World Championship start came at Spa in 1963. Settember was listed eighth despite having retired: that number does not describe a finish at the chequered flag. Ian Burgess drove the other car.
The most important result came instead at Zeltweg, where Settember was second behind Jack Brabham in a non-championship Formula 1 race, not a Grand Prix counting towards the points.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Scirocco
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · Belgian Grand Prix
Tony Settember · Belgian Grand Prix 1963. The recorded position is P8; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Belgian Grand Prix
Tony Settember · Belgian Grand Prix 1963. The recorded position is P8; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · Belgian Grand Prix
André Pilette · Belgian Grand Prix 1964. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
A BRM V8 powered a conventional single-seater with a tubular frame. Buying a competitive engine solved neither the mechanical problems nor the lack of funding. Powell ended the works effort after 1963; one car passed to the Belgian André Pilette, who used it with a four-cylinder Coventry Climax.
What remains
Pilette gave the Scirocco name a final continuation in 1964, returning to Spa before further qualifying difficulties. Its history therefore does not coincide solely with the Powell team’s year. Second place at Zeltweg demonstrates a successful day, but must remain separate from the World Championship record, in which Scirocco took neither podiums nor points.