In 1961, Dan Gurney shipped a Chevrolet Impala to England, intent on beating the Jaguars that dominated the British Saloon Car Championship. He led the sole race entered, at Silverstone, at least until a rear wheel failed with just two laps to go. Acquired and restored in 2017-’18 by Ed Foster, deputy head of motorsport content at Goodwood, the Chevy recently made an appearance at the under-renovation Jim Clark Museum in Duns, Scottish Borders, which will reopen in expanded form in summer 2019.

Clark and Gurney may have been rivals on-track, but they were friends off the circuit. Each had a healthy respect for the other’s talents, and both raced a variety of cars in a variety of series. In the days before mega-million-dollar driver contracts, such behavior was necessary to pay the bills, and (later) to keep sponsors happy. If there was a chance to win prize money in a series, a good driver often seized that opportunity.

Such was the case in late 1960, when Gurney reasoned that an American sedan would be quite competitive in the British Saloon Car Championship.