Gallery: Six-wheeled F1 oddities at Retromobile
A pair of 1977 six-wheeled Grand Prix racers helped to form part of a small display of highly unusual Formula 1 cars at this year’s Retromobile.
The infamous Tyrrell P34 – the only six-wheeled GP car to contest Formula 1 races, as driven by Ronnie Petersen and Patrick Depailler during the 1977 GP season - shared Retromobile stand space with the March 761, better known as the 2-4-0.
Unlike the Tyrrell, the March was never driven in anger in a Formula 1 race, its fame being found subsequently in hillclimbing, where its four wheels at the rear afforded the car extraordinary grip, vital for success in this against-the-clock motor sport discipline.
The Tyrrell ran a different format to the March, with four tiny wheels at the front to improve turn-in and agility, or so went the theory at least! As an interesting aside, the special small tyres for the front of the P34 proved to be much in demand with Italian Fiat 500 tuners and modifiers, as they fitted perfectly under the widened wheel arches of local-built Abarth 695 SS and Giannini-inspired look-alikes.
These two extraordinary six-wheelers were joined by the wonderfully odd ally-clad 1969 Cosworth F1 4WD, as driven by Trevor Taylor and Jackie Stewart in period.
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