FATHER OF THE RBE620
By the time Phil Irving returned to Australia in 1949, the 47-year-old was already a world-renowned motorcycle engineer with Vincent HRD, and author of Tuning for Speed.
Throughout the ‘50s he tuned Vincent Lightning engines for Reg Hunt and Lex Davison, while engaged as the chief engineer of the Rolloy Piston Co in Port Melbourne.
In 1954 Charlie Dean engaged him to assist in the construction of Repco Research’s Maybach 3, raced by Stan Jones. This morphed into the design of the Repco Hi-Power cylinder head which made road and race Holden Greys sing. In his spare time he was a leading light in the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club’s development of the great circuit we continue to enjoy today.
Irving remained in touch with the international scene with annual visits abroad. He was Dean’s logical choice for the detail design of the Repco-Brabham 2.5 litre Tasman Formula V8 which then morphed into a 3 litre F1 engine.
In essence, Jack Brabham concepted and sold to the Repco board a SOHC, two-valve, fuel-injected V8 based on a production block – GM’s F85 Oldsmobile.
Phil Irving then designed and drew the 1966 F1 championship-winning ‘RBE620’ engine. All of it, every single drawing. John Judd later wrote that it was probably the last time an F1 engine was designed by one man.
Irving was either fired or walked in mid-1966, after differences of view about his irregular working hours with Repco-Brabham General Manager Frank Hallam.
Redemption was at hand in 1969. Phil was welcomed back to the fold to design, together with Brian Heard, the very successful GP and Gold Star winning Repco-Holden F5000 V8.
He died in 1992, aged 89. Motor Sport Australia’s Phil Irving Award is its highest engineering accolade.
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