Lance Graf von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow (24 February 1936 – 24 July 1972), better known as Lance Reventlow, was a British-born American racing driver, entrepreneur and automotive pioneer. The only child of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, Reventlow inherited extraordinary wealth but chose to pursue a career in motorsport rather than simply enjoy a life of privilege. Although his Formula One career was brief, he is best remembered as the founder of Scarab, the first American team to design and build Formula One cars.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Paddington, England, UK |
| Born | 24 February 1936 |
| Died | 24 July 1972 |
| First Grand Prix | 1960 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1960 British Grand Prix |
| Current/Last Team | Scarab, Privateer: R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper |
Early Life
Reventlow was born at Winfield House in London to Danish nobleman Count Kurt von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow and American heiress Barbara Hutton, one of the richest women in the world after inheriting the Woolworth fortune.
His early years were marked by family upheaval. Following his parents’ divorce in 1938, he became the centre of a lengthy custody dispute, spending time with both parents before ultimately returning to live with his mother in 1945. He remained largely estranged from his father until the Count’s death in 1969.
Motorsport entered his life at an early age when his mother married racing driver Prince Igor Troubetzkoy, winner of the 1948 Targa Florio. Inspired by his stepfather and surrounded by high-performance machinery, Reventlow developed a passion for fast cars that would shape the rest of his life.
Racing Career
During the mid-1950s, Reventlow began competing in sports car racing in the United States. After gaining experience with Mercedes and Cooper machinery, he travelled to Europe, where he briefly raced Formula 2 cars and purchased a Maserati, and survived a serious accident at Snetterton without serious injury.
Back in California, Reventlow channelled both his ambition and considerable resources into creating his own racing operation. He established Reventlow Automobiles Inc. in Venice, California, appointing legendary engineer Phil Remington to lead development of a new generation of American-built racing cars under the Scarab name.
The project quickly proved successful. Alongside drivers including Chuck Daigh and Carroll Shelby, Scarab became one of the leading American sports car teams of the late 1950s. Daigh scored a landmark victory at the 1958 Riverside International Grand Prix, defeating a field of international competitors that included Ferrari and future Formula One World Champion Phil Hill. Shelby also claimed victories for Scarab, including a record-breaking win at Continental Divide Raceways in Colorado.
Formula One
Determined to challenge Europe’s established manufacturers, Reventlow expanded Scarab into Formula One, creating what was widely recognised as the first Formula One car designed and built in the United States.
The team relocated part of its operation to Britain for the 1960 World Championship, but the front-engined Scarab proved outclassed by the new generation of rear-engined Formula One machinery. Reventlow entered four World Championship Grands Prix during the 1960 season, making one race start after qualifying for the United States Grand Prix. His Formula One campaign also included entries with Cooper machinery, but he failed to score championship points.
Never content to stand still, Reventlow commissioned the development of a rear-engined Scarab Formula One car that promised to be far more competitive. However, by the time the project neared completion, his enthusiasm for racing had faded. In 1962 he closed the Scarab programme, leased the California workshop to Carroll Shelby and retired from motorsport.
During its lifetime, the Scarab project produced eight racing cars, including sports cars and Formula One machines. The team’s engineering achievements helped demonstrate that American constructors could compete on the international stage and laid important foundations for future American involvement in Grand Prix racing.
Personal Life
When he turned 21, Reventlow was given the choice of British, Danish or American citizenship. He chose to become an American citizen, later joking that the decision took him “about 20 seconds.”
Away from racing, Reventlow’s private life attracted considerable public attention. He married actress Jill St. John in 1960, although the marriage ended in divorce three years later. In 1964, he married former Mouseketeer Cheryl Holdridge in a lavish Hollywood ceremony attended by hundreds of guests. His mother gifted the couple an impressive five-bedroom estate in Benedict Canyon as a wedding present.
Reventlow also counted actor James Dean among his close friends. On 30 September 1955, he and racing driver Bruce Kessler were among the last people to speak with Dean before the actor’s fatal road accident later that day.
Death & Legacy
After stepping away from racing, Reventlow focused on business interests, including property development in Aspen, Colorado.
An accomplished pilot himself, he was travelling as a passenger in a hired Cessna 206 on 24 July 1972 while surveying land for a proposed ski resort. The aircraft, flown by an inexperienced pilot, entered a blind canyon during a thunderstorm and crashed while attempting to turn around. Reventlow and the three other occupants were killed. He was just 36 years old.
Although his Formula One record was modest, Lance Reventlow’s greatest contribution to motorsport came through Scarab. His determination to build and race American-designed Grand Prix cars was decades ahead of its time, securing his place as one of the sport’s most ambitious and innovative figures.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 4 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 2 |
| Best Race Start | 15th |
| Best Race Finish | – |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 4 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Reventlow Automobiles Inc. | Scarab F1 | Scarab 2.5 L4 | ARG | MON DNQ | 500 | NED DNS | BEL Ret | FRA | NC | 0 | ||||
| R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T51 | Climax FPF 2.5 L4 | GBR PO† | POR | ITA | USA |
