With his resources, Reventlow did more than fantasize about being a race car driver. The Scarabs were immediately successful in the hands of Reventlow and his driver, Chuck Daigh. Between them, they won the majority of the major sports car events of that era. The cars were raced by Daigh, Reventlow and on one occasion by Richie Ginther, in all 10 Formula 1 races that year. By 1962, Reventlow had lost interest in race car building and closed the Scarab operation. Shelby, who had raced Scarabs on occasion, leased the building, producing the first of his famed Shelby Cobras there.

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