Obscure race and rally cars
Discussion
One of my favourite group of obscurities - the F1 six-wheelers.
Tyrrell P34. Launch in 1975 high-airbox configuration but raced - and won - in this bodywork in 1976. Later ran sleeker body, but without tyre development it fell back, despite RP to drive it. Three are currently actve in historic racing. A 1976-spec. car in the States and two in 1977 guise at the hands of Martin Stretton and Mauro Pane.
Ferrari 312T6. Along the same lines as the pre-war ERAs and Auto Unions in hill/mountain climbing. Never raced.
March 2-4-0. Based around a 761 chassis, it tested but never raced. Roy Lane ran a later version in the British Hillclimb Championship.
Williams FW08 six wheeler. Electrified crowds (including a pre-teen chevronb37) at early Goodwood Festivals in Dr JP's hands. Traction was surreal, although JP still managed to oversteer somehow...
Tyrrell P34. Launch in 1975 high-airbox configuration but raced - and won - in this bodywork in 1976. Later ran sleeker body, but without tyre development it fell back, despite RP to drive it. Three are currently actve in historic racing. A 1976-spec. car in the States and two in 1977 guise at the hands of Martin Stretton and Mauro Pane.
Ferrari 312T6. Along the same lines as the pre-war ERAs and Auto Unions in hill/mountain climbing. Never raced.
March 2-4-0. Based around a 761 chassis, it tested but never raced. Roy Lane ran a later version in the British Hillclimb Championship.
Williams FW08 six wheeler. Electrified crowds (including a pre-teen chevronb37) at early Goodwood Festivals in Dr JP's hands. Traction was surreal, although JP still managed to oversteer somehow...
Nic Jones said:
Andy Burton's Peugeot Cosworth
Superb bit of kit, but I prefer his Alfa-Ferrari!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2rROTHn5y0
[quote=chevronb37]One of my favourite group of obscurities - the F1 six-wheelers.
March 2-4-0. Based around a 761 chassis, it tested but never raced. Roy Lane ran a later version in the British Hillclimb Championship.
Yes but when it tested for the first time the gearbox was not properly developed or it was broken and it ran in only 2wd form despite having all the 4 wheels at the back. Its in the book "Story of March". It was wet during the first test and the driver was told not to "gun it" so as not to provoke wheel spin & give the game away! Despite this one of the weeklies still referred to its impressive traction!!!!
Roy Lane won hill climb events in his version but only in the wet, I think, & rebuilt it to conventional 4 wheel configuration half way through the season.
It still amazes me that these sorts of cars were built and that people like Ken Tyrrell had the balls to build them. Its a shame that currenbt rules prevent this sort of innovation.
March 2-4-0. Based around a 761 chassis, it tested but never raced. Roy Lane ran a later version in the British Hillclimb Championship.
Yes but when it tested for the first time the gearbox was not properly developed or it was broken and it ran in only 2wd form despite having all the 4 wheels at the back. Its in the book "Story of March". It was wet during the first test and the driver was told not to "gun it" so as not to provoke wheel spin & give the game away! Despite this one of the weeklies still referred to its impressive traction!!!!
Roy Lane won hill climb events in his version but only in the wet, I think, & rebuilt it to conventional 4 wheel configuration half way through the season.
It still amazes me that these sorts of cars were built and that people like Ken Tyrrell had the balls to build them. Its a shame that currenbt rules prevent this sort of innovation.
dougc said:
pah - you lot and your turbine cars.
What you want is a Ford BDA petrol engine AND a turbine like this has:
BDA makes it go, APU runs the turbo for instant lag free acceleration.
Nic Manns 'Mannic Beattie' fastest accelerating hiilcimb car in UK.What you want is a Ford BDA petrol engine AND a turbine like this has:
BDA makes it go, APU runs the turbo for instant lag free acceleration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11687nVdzdk&fea...
dougc said:
pah - you lot and your turbine cars.
What you want is a Ford BDA petrol engine AND a turbine like this has:
BDA makes it go, APU runs the turbo for instant lag free acceleration.
Nic Manns 'Mannic Beattie' fastest accelerating hiilcimb car in UK.What you want is a Ford BDA petrol engine AND a turbine like this has:
BDA makes it go, APU runs the turbo for instant lag free acceleration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11687nVdzdk&fea...
chevronb37 said:
shirt said:
If memory serves, the Howmet actually qualified second for a Group 6 race at Oulton Park in about 1968. Is anyone more of a geek than me and can confirm this? Great thread idea Lord Croker !
I mentioned Minardi Subaru earlier ...so here is the Coloni Subaru which was used in active competition.
& here is a very rare livery (only raced once , Estoril 86) Rosberg in the McLaren MP4 2C
in Marlboro Lights colours (see the standard Marlboro red on his helmet)
I mentioned Minardi Subaru earlier ...so here is the Coloni Subaru which was used in active competition.
& here is a very rare livery (only raced once , Estoril 86) Rosberg in the McLaren MP4 2C
in Marlboro Lights colours (see the standard Marlboro red on his helmet)
snowen250 said:
From memory not a nice car to race, but stunning to look at!
Cheers for the BGT Westfield stunning car!
Simon
Ford 3LCheers for the BGT Westfield stunning car!
Simon
Bruce McLaren qualified it 2nd on its debut at the BOAC 500 (where the pic is from I imagine) and it lead in the hands of Mike Spence until the car failed
Car was also on pole at Spa but despite pace it never finished a single race!
Rude-boy said:
I was looking for a suitable Rondeau to post up but found this instead, which is much more in keeping i feel
Apparently it is an Ardex S80 - BMW M88 L6 3497 cc N/A
I remember seeing this car in the Paddock at Lemans that year, it failed to qualify (or maybe even failed to even try). It had a front mounted BMW 6 alongside the drivers legs (IIRC) with no firewall so the driver was exposed to all the heat, fumes etc, the exhaust was routed out of the passenger side door. Just looked frightening!Apparently it is an Ardex S80 - BMW M88 L6 3497 cc N/A
Edited by Rude-boy on Monday 9th February 14:14
The oddest entry I can remember from the period though must have been the Sambo Turbo which was either a Saab engined Lambo or a Lambo engined Saab, Cannot think why anyone would want to enter anything other than a Lambo engined Lambo but what the heck. Despite searching for this car for 2 years I never found it and even now cannot find even a picture of it on the net.
Edited by eastlmark on Tuesday 10th February 21:52
chevronb37 said:
johnfelstead said:
chevronb37 said:
BRM P351. Developed at the end of Group C. It failed to qualify for Le Mans in Wayne Taylor's hands, was powered by a development of the Weslake V12 which Dan Gurney used in 1966 and 1967!
Dan's GT40 was a V8, not a V12. Chassis 33 said:
Shamelessly ripped from the December 2001 edition of Motorsport...
The Chapparral 2E with its rear wing air brake, operated as your released it pedal with the left foot in order to hit the wheel brakes pedal
Regards
Iain
The Chaparral 2E didn't have an air brake, that is a proper downforce generating wing mounted directly to the rear suspension uprights. The car was a 2 speed Auto, so you used the clutch foot to alter the angle of attack of the wing, flat for the straights, higher angle of attack for downforce through the corners. You can see it in action here http://www.canamfilm.com/The Chapparral 2E with its rear wing air brake, operated as your released it pedal with the left foot in order to hit the wheel brakes pedal
Regards
Iain
johnfelstead said:
chevronb37 said:
johnfelstead said:
chevronb37 said:
BRM P351. Developed at the end of Group C. It failed to qualify for Le Mans in Wayne Taylor's hands, was powered by a development of the Weslake V12 which Dan Gurney used in 1966 and 1967!
Dan's GT40 was a V8, not a V12. As well as the 2E, which raced in Can Am, Jim Hall also campaigned the 2F in European events and Phil Hill claimed his last ever international sportscar victory in one at te Brands Hatch BOAC 500 in 1967; beating a certain J Y Stewart in a Ferrari 330P4 into second place in the process. I had to write in to C & S C magazine to correct them on the results of that race a few months ago. They outlandishly claimed that Amon/Stewart won the race. They didn't so much as print it in their "Pedant of the month" column, nor send me one of the smashing hats with the same caption. Gutted.
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