Mike Costin with Rob Wilby, General Manager Operations, ANZPAC Oils Ltd
- Eoin Young was the first employee of Bruce McLaren’s racing team, and he was the media relations director for Gulf Oil Corporation in the 60s and 70s, which meant he got to know a fair few people in the motorsport industry – one of those people was Mike Costin.
Mike Costin, who together with Keith Duckworth, founded Cosworth Engineering, a producer of Ford-based and Ford-sponsored engines. Mike’s engineering skills were a key part of Cosworth success, and when he was recently in Christchurch, Eoin organised for associates of Gulf Lubricants to lunch with him and hear him speak about his life, and the iconic company.
The company shot to fame when drivers like Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet won the Formula One World Championship using Cosworth engines during the 1970s; the name Cosworth has subsequently become renowned in motorsport circles.
David Read of DCH Motorsport, who maintain the Gulf GT40 and BMW, was one of three dozen people who attended the lunch. “We had a bit of a question and answer session which was really interesting. It was great to meet the man behind the name and learn the history of the famous motorsport brand – we are still using Cosworth parts to this day,” said David.
