Most unusual looking GP cars

[The Rumble Strip]

Although before my time, how about the high rear wing on the Lotus 49.

[mossman]

If you want a weird looking car how about the wingless Arrows A2 of 1979. Or how about the flying teapot Ligier of 1976?

On the flipside my votes for most beautiful F1 car would be the last Tyrrell JYS drove, the 1976 Ferrari after the regs change outlawed airboxes, the first PH designed Williams, the Dart shaped Brabham BMW Turbo driven by Piquet Sr

[The Rumble Strip]

A recent article carried a similar feature to this and as well as the Eifelland, included March's 1975 rear wing side plates, McLaren's 1978 additional front wing, Ferrari's 1982 twin rear wing, Tyrrell's 1984 boomerang rear wing and Arrows' 2001 nose wing.

[Anfield5]

I once wrote an article for a local mag when I was working for a newspaper.
For what it's worth I included

1. Bugatti 251 (first WCGP attempt a rear engined car)
2. March 711 (known as the 'Spitfire" or the "Tea Tray")
3. Lotus 56B (gas-turbine car)
4. Eifeland EF1 (3 versions were tested and/or raced, all were wierd)
5. Lotus 74 (bi-plane rear wing)
6. Ligier JS5 (the "Flying Teapot")
7. Tyrrell P34 (6 wheeler)
8. Arrows A2 ("Cigar Tube")
9. Brabham BT56 (fan car)

plus other cars that never made the grid such as
11. Cosworth F1
12. Ferrari Spazzaneve
13. Ferrari 312T6 (twin rear wheels on single axel)
14. March 0-2-4 and Williams FW07D (both 6 wheelers with 4wd)
15. Lotus 88 (Chapmans last great gamble, twin chassis ground effect car, a work of shear genius that was unfortunately banned)
_________________
Movable body panels - welcome to the Wacky Races

[timomajoro]

For me it has to be the Lotus 56B turbine car. As it approached Becketts corner (I can't remember the year) in the Daily Express Trophy Race. It was just a shimmering silent giant ghost. Emerson Fittipaldi's driving techique, apparently, to combat almost 2 seconds throttle response delay, was to use the cars massive brakes nearly all the way around the corner whilst holding the power on and releasing them when he got to the exit! The heat generated from the brakes, let alone the turbine, was immense, hence the shimmering. As the car exited via Chapel Curve there was the whistle of the turbine. Fascinating stuff. I last saw the car at the Donington museum, a huge whale of a thing, with giant wheels and brakes painted in gold and black (World Wide Racing colours?) with body work still bearing the blistering of all that heat.

Great fun!

Timomajoro

[SkidMarks]

[Gary]

I have long felt that French designers place more priority on unconventionality that most. They brought us the gear lever emerging from the dashboard on the passenger's side and different wheelbases on either side

They were also responsible for one of only two supercharged 750cc F1 cars and an odd looking thing it was. Can't imagine too many people have an instant mental picture of the 1954 DB Monomill F1 car so I think it might be worth searching out a picture of it. My overwhelming impression is that the shape of its air intake predates Wallace's mouth (as in Wallace and Gromit) by some 35 years.

Under the skin it is odder yet. Transverse leaf spring front suspension and front wheel drive!! The only car ever to enter an F1 race with traction avante!

Incroyable!

[Anfield5]

[crunchyfrog555]

Further to the Ligier teapot, I'd have to say that the Ligier JS21 deserves special mention.

Front of the car ... fine. The rear ... a mess.