Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson (February 27, 1939 – March 22, 1974) was an American

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

, who competed in

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

between and . Revson won two

Formula One Grands Prix Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing series managed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name alludes to a series of FIA ...

across five seasons. Born and raised in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, Revson was the nephew of Charles Revson and heir to

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

company

Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it remains. Revlon was founded by brothers Charle ...

. Revson won the Canadian-American Challenge Cup in

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

, and finished fifth overall in the

World Drivers' Championship Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which a ...

in and with

McLaren McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...

. He was also runner-up to Al Unser in the

1971 Indianapolis 500 The 55th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was a motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Saturday, May 29, 1971. Al Unser Sr. won for the second consecutive year, dominating most of the race. Unser became th ...

. Revson, along with

Dan Gurney Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of motorspo ...

, was one of two drivers to win races in

IndyCar IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...

Can-Am The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or Can-Am, was an SCCA/ CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974, and again from 1977 to 1987. The Can-Am rules were deliberately simple and placed few limits on the entries. This led to a wide variet ...

, and

Trans-Am The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of ...

. His champagne-spraying celebrations in victory lane earned him the nickname "Champagne Peter". Revson was inducted into the

Motorsports Hall of Fame of America The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is a hall of fame that honors motorsports competitors and contributors from the United States from all disciplines, with categories for Open Wheel, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles ...

in 1996.

Background

Peter Revson was born in New York City, the son of Martin Revson and Julie (née Phelps) Hall. Martin had been a founding partner (along with his brother Charles Revson) of

cosmetics, but had parted ways in 1958 and become chairman of Del Laboratories in 1963. His mother had been a nightclub singer at the time Martin met her. Revson's full name was Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson, his middle name a nod to his family's business. As a young man, newspaper articles commonly referred to him as Peter Revlon Revson. A young, handsome bachelor described as a "free spirit", Peter passed up an easy life for one of competition and danger, including driving in both the

USAC Championship Car From 1956 to 1978, the United States Auto Club (USAC) sanctioned Championship Car class featured the top teams and drivers in American open-wheel car racing, U.S. open-wheel racing. Until 1971, races included road racing, road courses, oval track ...

and

circuits, piloting a ChrisCraft boat, and courting some of the most beautiful women in the world. At the time of his death, he was engaged to the recently dethroned 1973

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

Marjorie Wallace Marjorie Wallace (born January 23, 1954) is an American actress, television host, model and beauty queen. In Miss World 1973, 1973, she made history as the first woman from the United States to be crowned Miss World, but just 104 days later, pa ...

Early life and racing career

Peter Revson spent his childhood in White Plains, New York, attending prep schools. He had two sisters, Jennifer and Julie Ann, as well as a younger brother Doug, who was killed in a race in Denmark in 1967. Revson never finished his college education after attending

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

, and the

University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. In 1960, while attending the University of Hawaii, he bought a Morgan and entered into

sports car racing Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing that uses sports cars with two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be either purpose-built Sports prototype, sports prototypes, which are the highest level in sports car racing; or grand to ...

. In his first race, Revson placed second, then won his next race. His family withdrew their financial aid when he turned his attention to competitive racing full time, relying instead on his savings and education funds. Teaming with Cornell classmate

Timmy Mayer Timothy Andrew Mayer (February 22, 1938 – February 28, 1964) was a racecar driver from Dalton, Pennsylvania in the United States. He participated in one World Championship Formula One Grand Prix, on October 7, 1962. He retired with ignition ...

and friend Bill Smith, and managed by Teddy Mayer under the Rev-Em Racing banner, Revson competed in

Formula Junior Formula Junior was an international single-seater auto racing, motor racing category that existed between 1958 and 1963. Devised by Italian motorsport promoter Count Giovanni "Johnny" Giovanni Lurani, Lurani, the formula was created as an ac ...

in 1962. In 1963, after limited successes and with

(F1) aspirations, Revson took the remaining money he had, around (), and moved to the United Kingdom. There he was able to buy a Formula Junior Cooper T56 and a Ford Thames van. He then began barnstorming around mainland Europe competing and winning against the likes of future F1 stars

Denny Hulme Denis Clive Hulme (18 June 1936 – 4 October 1992) was a New Zealand racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Bear", Hulme won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Brabham, and won eight Grands Pri ...

and

Jochen Rindt Karl Jochen Rindt (; 18 April 1942 – 5 September 1970) was a racing driver, who competed under the Austrian flag in Formula One from to . Rindt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Lotus, and remains the only driver to ...

. Revson caught the attention of Reg Parnell, from whom Revson rented workshop space, and was offered a spot on Parnell's planned F1 team for the season. Revson made his F1 debut at a 1963 exhibition race at the Gold Cup in

Oulton Park Oulton Park is a hard surfaced Race track, track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England, from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection a ...

, England, finishing ninth. In 1964, Revson teamed with fellow Reg Parnell Racing drivers

Chris Amon Christopher Arthur Amon (; 20 July 1943 – 3 August 2016) was a New Zealand racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win a Formula One Grands Prix, ...

and

Mike Hailwood Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from to , and Formula One between and . Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was ...

, referred to as the Ditton Road Flyers, who received more attention due to their antics and wild parties than their performances on the track. Revson also raced that year, closely associated with Reg Parnell Racing, under his own Revson Racing banner. Both teams were uncompetitive due to a number of factors, including the sudden death of Reg Parnell, financial troubles, and the poor performance of the Lotus 24 car. Revson raced in four of the ten F1 World Championship races that season, completing only two; his best finish was 13th at the 1964 Italian Grand Prix. He also competed in five non-championship races that season, where his best finish was a fourth place at the 1964 Solitude Grand Prix, in West Germany. Revson accepted an offer to race in the United States in 1965. Focusing mainly on sports car racing, including the

and

Trans-Am Series The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of ...

, he was able to build his reputation as a capable driver. He also competed in

American open-wheel car racing American open-wheel car racing, generally and commonly known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2025, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar a ...

, including the top level

series. In that series, he qualified for the 33rd and final starting position at the

1969 Indianapolis 500 The 53rd International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was an auto race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Friday, May 30, 1969. It was the third round of the 1969 USAC Championship Car season. Polesitter A. J. Foyt led the rac ...

; despite completing only 197 of the 200 laps, he finished in 5th place in an underpowered Brabham BT25. He returned to the Indianapolis Raceway Park track later in the 1969 USAC Championship Car season, where he finished third in leg one of the Indianapolis 200, followed by his first Champ Car win in the second leg. His 1969 success at Indianapolis Raceway Park earned him an invitation to race for the

team at the 1970 Indianapolis 500, after his friend Chris Amon was dropped by the team for failing to qualify; Revson qualified 16th, but retired from the race due to mechanical reasons after 87 laps. That same year, while teamed in a Porsche 908/02 with

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...

, the duo finished second overall in the

12 hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race for Sports car racing, sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in S ...

, and first overall in the 3-liter class, just a few seconds behind the 5-liter Ferrari 512 driven by a trio led by

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...

. McQueen received credit for driving with a broken foot, which also meant that Revson drove the bulk of the race. Revson also the finished the

1970 Can-Am season The 1970 Canadian-American Challenge Cup was the fifth season of the Can-Am auto racing series. It consisted of FIA Group 7 (racing), Group 7 racing cars running two-hour sprint events. It began June 14, 1970, and ended November 1, 1970, after ...

in 8th, driving a Lola T220 for Carl Haas Racing. The 1971 racing season was a major breakthrough in Revson's career. Driving at the

for McLaren Racing, he qualified in the pole position in a McLaren M16, and finished the race in second place. As a member of the McLaren Racing team in the 1971 Can-Am season, Revson drove his McLaren M8F to five wins and three other podium finishes in the 10-race season, winning the championship. His success earned him an invitation to race in Formula One, at the season ending 1971 United States Grand Prix, for the

Tyrrell Racing The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell (1924–2001) which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the e ...

team; he started 19th, but retired after one lap due to mechanical issues with his

Tyrrell 003 The Tyrrell 003 is a Formula One (F1) racing car which was designed by Tyrrell Racing, Tyrrell's chief designer, Derek Gardner (motorsport), Derek Gardner and used in the and F1 seasons. It was driven by Jackie Stewart to the 1971 Formula One ...

- Ford Cosworth DFV. His success in 1971 earned Revson an offer from the McLaren Formula One team for 1972, headed by his long-time friend Teddy Mayer. Revson entered the 1972 season as a driver for McLaren's Indy Car, Can-Am, and Formula One teams. His champagne-spraying celebrations in victory lane earned him the nickname "Champagne Peter".

Formula One career

During the F1 season, Revson finished 5th in the Driver's World Championship, helping McLaren finish 3rd in the World Constructors' Champion Championship with its McLaren M19A / M19C. Running 9 out of the 12 races, Revson finished on the podium four times with three third-place finishes and a season-best second-place finish at the 1972 Canadian Grand Prix. As part of his contract with McLaren, Revson was required to drive a McLaren Indy team entry in the Indy Car Triple Crown of 500 mile races for the 1972 USAC Championship Car season. At the 1972 Indianapolis 500, he started from 10th on the grid, but retired due to mechanical issues after 23 laps. He also retired due to mechanical issues, after 7 laps, at the Pocono 500 and finished 23rd at the California 500. During the F1 season, Revson won two races in his McLaren M23, the 1973 British Grand Prix and the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix. He added two other podium finishes, with a third place and a second-place finish, helping McLaren finish 3rd in the World Constructors' Champion Championship. Despite Revson's successes, Teddy Mayer was not satisfied and McLaren opted for the 1972 champion and 1973 runner-up

Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi (; born 12 December 1946) is a Brazilian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Fittipaldi won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Team ...

. Revson again drove a McLaren Indy team entry in the Indy Car Triple Crown for the 1973 USAC Championship Car season. At the 1973 Indianapolis 500, he qualified to start from second on the grid, but retired after brushing the wall on the third lap. He qualified in the pole position for both the 1973 Pocono 500 and the 1973 California 500, finishing 21st and 23rd, respectively. For the F1 season, Revson signed with the one-year-old Shadow Racing Cars F1 team. Driving the team's new Shadow DN3, Revson retired from the first race after an accident in the second lap, and retired from the second race due to overheating of his Ford Cosworth DFV engine after 10 laps.

Death

Revson was killed during a test session on 22 March 1974, before the

1974 South African Grand Prix The 1974 South African Grand Prix (formally the XX Lucky Strike Grand Prix of South Africa) was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 30 March 1974. It was race 3 of 15 in both the 1974 World Championship of Drivers and the 1974 Interna ...

Kyalami Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit (from ''Khaya lami'', ''My home'' in Zulu language, Zulu) is a motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa, just north of Johannesburg. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix motor racing, Grand ...

. His Shadow DN3 suffered a front suspension failure and crashed heavily into the Armco barrier on the outside of "Barbecue Bend". The car stood on its nose, wrapped itself around the barrier and caught fire, and although safety workers and other drivers managed to pull Revson from the wreckage, he was already dead. Tony Southgate, designer of the DN3, in a 2012 interview with ''

Motor Sport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific terms ''automobile ...

'', said: He was the second Revson to lose his life racing; his brother Douglas was killed in a crash in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

in 1967. Peter and Douglas Revson are interred together in a crypt in the community mausoleum at

Ferncliff Cemetery Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is a cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, United States, about north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian. Ferncliff has columbariums, a crematory, a small chapel, and a main office loca ...

Hartsdale, New York Hartsdale is a hamlet located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of New York City. History Hartsdale, a CDP/hamlet/post-office in the town of Gre ...

. Revson's autobiography, ''Speed with Style'', co-written with Leon Mandel, was published posthumously by Doubleday & Company in 1974. Revson was replaced by Tom Pryce, who died three years later at the same Grand Prix.

Awards

Revson was inducted into the

Peter Revson
at the

in 1996 in the sports car category.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Non-Championship Formula One results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete USAC Championship Car results

Indianapolis 500 results

Complete Canadian-American Challenge Cup results