Chaparral Cars was a United States automobile racing team which built race cars from 1963 through 1970. Chaparral cars was founded in 1962 by Hap Sharp and Jim Hall, a Texas oil magnate with an impressive combination of skills in engineering and race car driving. The combination of the last names of the two founders resembled the Spanish word "Chaparral" (Roadrunner) so it was chosen. Despite winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1980, they left motor racing in 1982. Chaparral cars also featured in the SCCA/CASC Can-Am series and Endurance racing.
Chaparral was a leader in effective designing of air dams and spoilers. Their high point being the 1966 2E can-am car. The 2J is the first "ground-effects" car. The unique use of a semi-automatic transmission beginning with the Chaparral 2 is a major reason for their early success. Tires weren't good enough yet to be able to use all the power the 327 Chevy engine could make in 1964, so the torque converter allowed for better traction.