1987 AGS JH22 Fabre

Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives (AGS) was a small French racecar constructor founded by ex-racing driver and mechanic Henri Julien in Gonfaron in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. AGS raced in smaller formulas since 1969, and progressed to F1 in 1986. For the 1987 season the JH22 model designed by Christian Vanderpleyn was built. The car had been fitted with a normally-aspirated Ford-Cosworth DFZ V8 engine and Goodyear tyres. It also carried a 1970s-style airbox, although this was replaced with a smaller and more conventional air intake as the season progressed. The team was sponsored by Italian shoe and clothing company El Charro and the car was painted in red and white livery with large rose above the nosecone and on the sidepods. French Pascal Fabre, who drove previously for AGS in F2, was signed as a single team’s driver.  Obviously, the small-budget car powered by normally-aspirated engines and driven by novice driver was not competitive compared to the top teams. AGS, as one of four teams running normally-aspirated engines (the others being Tyrrell, March and Larrousse), contested the one-off Colin Chapman Trophy in addition to the regular Constructors’ Championship, while Fabre contested the drivers’ equivalent, the Jim Clark Trophy. Fabre usually qualified at the back of the grid but regularly finished in the races because the car proved to be quite slow but reliable. The only point for AGS in 1987 was scored by Roberto Moreno, who replaced Fabre for two last rounds of the championship. The Brazilian finished 6^th  in the last race of the season in Adelaide. At Monaco, the JH22 was given a new livery which was used throughout the rest of the season. The car’s sidepods were now festooned with red stripes that joined in a V-shape on the nose. In Monaco Fabre qualified slowest of all and  was seven times lapped by the winner Ayrton Senna on the way to another race finish, this time in 13th place.

Season	Series	Event
1987	F1WC	Monaco GP
Driver	No.	Entrant
Pascal Fabre	14	Team El Charro AGS
Scale	Manufacturer	Collection
1:43	Tameo Kits
Cat. No.	Quality	Rarity
TMK059
built kit