{{Short description|British engineer and car designer (1932{{ndash}}1989)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use British English|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Maurice Philippe | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|04|30|df=y}} | birth_place = Tooting, Greater London, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|06|05|1932|04|30|df=y}} | death_place = West Byfleet, Surrey, England | other_names = Maurice Phillippe | education = Latymer School | occupation = Formula One Designer <br> Aircraft Designer | years_active = 1955-1989 | employer = Team Lotus <br> Tyrrell Racing <br> March Engineering <br> De Havilland | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Maurice Philippe''' (30 April 1932 – 5 June 1989), was a British aircraft and Formula One car designer.<ref name="Obituary">{{cite web|url=http://www.oldracingcars.com/teamboss/Maurice_Phillippe|title=Maurice Phillippe|first=Allen|last=Brown|work=oldracingcars.com|accessdate=30 June 2016}}</ref>
==Early life and career== Philippe was born in Tooting and attended the Latymer School in Hammersmith. He began his career as an apprentice for De Havilland aircraft company, working on the Comet 4. De Havilland's technical department was home to other motor racing enthusiasts including Brian Hart and Frank Costin. As a member of the 750 Motor Club, Philippe designed his first car in 1955, called the MPS (Maurice Philippe Special). Later, he would build a front engined Formula Junior car alongside Hart, which was destroyed in its maiden race by Peter Warr.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maurice Philippe|url=http://motorsportmemorial.org/LWFWIW/focusLWFWIW.php?db2=LWF&db=ct&n=470|website=motorsportmemorial.org}}</ref>
==Motor racing== Between 1963-64, Philippe raced a Lotus 7, and in 1965 was approached by Colin Chapman to be his "design team" at Team Lotus. Philippe and Chapman first redesigned the Lotus 39, then produced the Lotus 43, the classic Lotus 49, the Lotus 56 gas turbine Indy car and finally the ground-breaking Lotus 72 in 1970.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Lotus-Cosworth Ford Type 49 by English Motor Racing Journalist and Historian Doug Nye|url=https://museum.revsinstitute.org/news/history-of-the-lotus-cosworth-ford-type-49-by-english-motor-racing-journalist-and-historian-doug-nye/|website=revsinstitute.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Indy 500's greatest innovations: Lotus, Brabham and Penske|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/us-scene/indycar/the-indy-500s-greatest-innovations-lotus-brabham-and-penske/|website=motorsportmagazine.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Great racing cars: 1970-75 Lotus 72|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/great-racing-cars-1970-75-lotus-72/|website=motorsportmagazine.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Adrian Newey: 'I wish I'd designed... the Lotus 72' |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-2000/84/lotus-72/ |magazine= Motorsport|location=London |publisher=Motorsport Magazine |date= August 2000|access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref>
In 1972, Philippe left Lotus and went to work for Parnelli Jones's USAC team, working on successful campaigns in the United States with drivers Al Unser Sr, Joe Leonard and Mario Andretti winning three United States Auto Club Championships and 53 Indy car races. Philippe would go on to design the Cosworth-Parnelli VPJ4 for F1, which was raced in {{F1|1975}} by Mario Andretti.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The car that led Mario Andretti to his F1 title: Parnelli VPJ-4|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/opinions/the-car-that-led-mario-andretti-to-his-f1-title-and-should-have-won-gps-parnelli-vpj-4/|website=motorsportmagazine.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Phillippe in America |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1972/27/phillippe-in-america/ |magazine=Motorsport |location=London |publisher=Motorsport |date=December 1972 |access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref>
In 1978, he replaced Derek Gardner as chief designer at Tyrrell, with the Tyrrell 008 finishing fourth in the Constructors' Championship. The 1979 Tyrrell 009 ground-effect car was less successful, only scoring four third places. In 1980, the Tyrrell 010 was introduced and was raced in modified form until 1981. He would be replaced by Harvey Postlethwaite.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maurice Philippe|url=https://primotipo.com/tag/maurice-phillippe/|website=primotipo.com}}</ref>
In 1988, Philippe was hired by March Engineering to design their March 89CE Indycar, powered by Alfa Romeo.
==Death== Philippe committed suicide on 5 June 1989.<ref name="Obituary"/>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-phimau.html Biography at www.grandprix.com]
{{Team Lotus}} {{Tyrrell}} {{Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing in Formula One}} {{March Engineering}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philippe, Maurice}} Category:Formula One designers Category:1932 births Category:1989 deaths Category:Lotus Cars Category:British motorsport people Category:Tyrrell_Racing Category:People_educated_at_The_Latymer_School