Sign in

Keith Duckworth

British mechanical engineer (1933–2005)

David Keith Duckworth (10 August 1933 – 18 December 2005) was an English mechanical engineer. He is most famous for designing the Cosworth DFV (Double Four Valve) engine, an engine that revolutionised the sport of Formula One.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Keith Duckworth (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Aug 10, 1933, died Dec 18, 2005.1

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedImperial College London3
  • Date not recordedGiggleswick School3

Duckworth was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, and was educated at Giggleswick School.

Duckworth served his two years of national service with the Royal Air Force, during which time he briefly trained to become a pilot but was grounded for dangerous and incompetent flying and was reclassified as a navigator. Duckworth claimed that allergy to medication he was receiving caused his flying problem - in civilian life he became a keen light aircraft and helicopter pilot.

After completing his tour of duty, which he finished as a navigator, Duckworth studied engineering at Imperial College London, earning a BSc degree in 1955.

From Wikipedia’s article on Keith Duckworth (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: car designer, engineer.6

After university he began working for Lotus as a gearbox engineer. Given the task of fixing the 'Queerbox's' unreliability problems, he fell out with Chapman who would not support the cost of the fix that Duckworth felt was needed.

From Wikipedia’s article on Keith Duckworth (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornAug 10, 1933, Blackburn7
  • DiedDec 18, 2005, Northampton8
  • CitizenshipUnited Kingdom9

Awards

  • 1998President's Medal10

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12