Setting up and running a successfull company means a great deal of fuss and bother. In the case of Cosworth, the period in which it was founded, was very decisive. The assistance from Lotus and Ford probably played a big role. Nevertheless, at this point, the story of the cooperation between these two men should be told, whose qualifications so complimented each other, that in the end, they developed a well known worldwide enterprise.

We're speaking about Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, from whose surnames the name of the company founded in 1958, was derived. The latter came from Blackburn, a mid-size town on the northern borders of pulsating central England, nowadays, it's more well known through Blackburn Rovers, the Premiere-League football club. Costin grew up the the north-west of London, which also sported a pretty successful football team, the FC Headstone Manor.

Keith Duckworth (*1933), was a little younger than Mike Costin (*1929), and had only an older brother, whereas Mike grew up as one of three children. Only his older brother who was in aerodynamics, had, at some time, any contact at all with vehicle-technology. Both were children from middle class families, whose fathers were both self-employed and quite successful. Duckworth is described as being shy and talented but stubborn, he was broadly supported in the areas of mechanics and electrics by his father.

Duckworth finished his schooling rather successfully. During his following military service he did not manage to become a pilot, but only made it as far as navigator. Up until his military service, Mike Costin had gathered more experience, namely, a sort of apprenticeship at de Haviland, thus also with aircraft, in addition he also became an engineer through studying at night school. They had one more thing in common: Both gained their first experiences with pretty much decrepit motorcycles.

When and how did these two people meet? It was through motor racing, Costin with a borrowed (and of course, modified) Austin 7 and Duckworth with a (sponsored by his mother) Lotu,s which he put together himself. The Imperial college increased Duckworth's interest in motor racing, thus they finally got together at Lotus, who actually played the role of midwife at the birth of the Cosworth company. Duckworth had, in this year, two slightly negative experiences. He wasn't as good a racing driver as he thought, and through illness, he could only finish college a year later that he'd planned.

In the years between 1956 and the founding of company, Duckworth went a very different way than did Costin. After finishing his exams, he applied for a position in the aircraft departments of Napier and of Rolls Royce but was only accepted by the latter as a sort of trainee. Nevertheless, the above shown, famous RR-aviation engine, would become the object of his studies concerning the four-valve engine. At the time however, he 'landed' as a constructor at Lotus.