Parnelli VPJ4
The Parnelli VPJ4 was a Formula One racing car built for Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing and designed by Maurice Philippe. It competed in the 1974, 1975 and 1976 seasons. The car took cues from Philippe’s Lotus 72 design and used an aluminium monocoque chassis, double wishbone suspension (front with inboard coilover shocks, rear), a mid-mounted Ford-Cordworth DFV V8 engine of 2,993 cc, and a Hewland FG400 5-speed manual gearbox. It weighed about 578 kg and ran on Valvoline fuel (1974–75) and Castrol (1976), with Firestone tyres in 1974–75 and Goodyear tyres in 1975–76.
Racing history
- Debut and early years: The VPJ4 debuted at the 1974 Canadian Grand Prix with Mario Andretti. The team finished seventh, but overall the 1974 season produced no World Championship points.
- 1975 season: The car earned five World Championship points. Highlights included a 4th place in Sweden and a 5th in France, with other results including a 7th in Brazil and several retirements.
- 1976 season: A new VPJ4B variant appeared. Andretti finished 6th in South Africa; at the United States Grand Prix West he retired with a water leak after learning the team was leaving Formula One. Andretti then left F1, returning to Lotus. The VPJ4 family ended 1976 with one World Championship point and 13th in the Constructors’ Championship.
The VPJ4 is remembered as a bold but challenging effort by a small team, driven by Mario Andretti’s involvement and the engineering influence of Maurice Philippe.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:06 (CET).