9 Days in Summer

9 Days in Summer is a promotional documentary film made by Ford that tells the story of the development of the Ford-funded Cosworth DFV and Lotus 49, the title coming from the nine Formula One races the car took part in the 1967 Formula One season, which are also extensively featured in the film. Background After the switch to 3 litre engines in 1966 Formula One season, many F1 teams such as Lotus that had previously been using Climax V8s had to find new engines in order to be competitive. After an unsuccessful partnership with BRM and their heavy, unreliable H16 engine Chapman persuaded Ford to fund the development of a new 3 litre V8 produced by Cosworth. The Ford Cosworth DFV was an innovative engine designed to form part of the chassis of the car, and went on to become the most successful engine in Formula 1 history amassing an incredible 155 wins. Synopsis The film opens showing Cosworth designer Keith Duckworth silently working away at his drawing board, then cuts to footage of the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix, over which the credits are superimposed, incorporated into a series of stylised gauges and dials. Jim Clark is shown winning the engine's début race. Next the meeting in August 1966 at which Walter Hayes, Keith Duckworth, Colin Chapman and Harley Copp discuss plans for the new engine is shown, probably staged sometime later. The Belgian Grand Prix is then shown, Graham Hill and Clark both retiring.