ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (July 17, 2026) – Jusitn Gurney, the son of motorsport legend Dan Gurney, today unveiled the Eagle that never got a chance to fly, the “Stillborn Eagle.”

Frequently praised as one of the most stunning and impactful Formula One machines in history, the AAR Eagle Mk 1 (also known as the Eagle T1G) holds a legendary status in racing. The iconic vehicle was envisioned by motorsport pioneer Dan Gurney, with early backing from Carroll Shelby.

By 1968 the original Eagle was showing its age as aerodynamic development moved fast. Tony Southgate, who’d taken over as chief designer from Terry the year before, set to work on its replacement, sometimes called the Mark 6. The new design called for a more reclined seating position and suspension geometry built to limit camber change and eliminate bump-steer. Its magnesium monocoque had a double-curved, onion-shaped cross-section meant to keep the center of gravity low, a flat nose housing the water radiator, and construction almost entirely in magnesium and titanium. It was designed around the newest Gurney-Weslake V12 rather than the Cosworth DFV.

The car was never finished. Gurney’s F1 funding dried up in September 1968, forcing him to abandon the program and redirect his focus to USAC racing, leaving the magnesium bodywork incomplete on the shop bench. Thus, this new Grand Prix prototype, dubbed Eagle Mark VI and referred to these days as the “Stillborn Eagle,” had remained shrouded in mystery.

After gathering dust for decades, Justin Gurney, along with a team that included original Eagle designer Tony Southgate, embarked on a multi-year dedicated restoration of the Stillborn Eagle. On April 13, 2024—on what would have been Dan Gurney’s 87th birthday—the chassis plate was finally attached to the unique Mark VI Formula One frame. Meanwhile, its Gurney Eagle V12 was undergoing a rebuild at Jim Stokes Workshops in the U.K.

Now complete, the no-longer-stillborn Eagle Mark VI was unveiled to the public at Road America, eight years after waking from its nest.