Vanwall won the first Formula One Constructors' Championship in 1958.
The title was originally called the International Cup for Manufacturers, and it was introduced in 1958, eight years after the Drivers’ World Championship began. Vanwall, entered by Tony Vandervell’s British team, finished ahead of Ferrari and Cooper in the championship standings.
Vanwall’s success came from a strong combination of chassis design, engine development and driver strength. Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks each won three championship Grands Prix for the team during the season. The Vanwall VW5 used a 2.5-litre inline-four engine and represented one of Britain’s early breakthroughs against established Italian manufacturers.
The result can be confused with the 1958 Drivers’ Championship. Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn won that title by a narrow margin over Moss, while Vanwall took the manufacturers’ crown. The modern term “constructors’ championship” is now standard, but the early championship’s official terminology and scoring rules were different.