For the majority, the evolution of the race car has been relatively predictable, but many hopeful engineers and designers have attempted to break the mould, some ideas catching on, others disappearing as quickly as the cars themselves; though no matter the era, there’s always a constant push for the science
Author: Jack Shepherdson
Lancia ECV
Maserati Tipo 61 ‘Birdcage’
Nardi 750 Bisiluro
Asymmetry is a trait overlooked in automotive design. A principle often discarded by engineers due to its awkward shape and lack of symmetrical beauty, the unorthodox form can often lead to success, as the Nardi 750 Bisiluro shows. A car sharing more in common in looks with motorcycles sidecars, Nardi’s 1955
Alfa Romeo 6C Aerodynamica Spider
Few cars can trace their lineage down to such illustrious cars as the McLaren F1 and the Lamborghini Miura, but without the Alfa Romeo 6C Aerodynamica Spider, these landmark cars may have never existed. An incredibly important piece of motoring history, the one-off experimental Aero Spider’s a car with one
Lancia D50
The home of engineering innovation within Italy has always been Lancia. A company with more mechanical claims to it name than any other, one of the company’s quirkier ideas was their 1954 Grand Prix entry, the D50. Unsurprisingly, the most striking feature of the D50 are the twin fuel tanks straddling
Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore
One engine not giving you enough grunt? Just add another. That must have been the essence of the conversation between Enzo Ferrari and the Alfa Romeo racing team when construction began on the Alfa Romeo 16C Bimotore, only with more Italian hand gestures. Built in just 4 months, the Bimotre’s chassis
Tyrrell P34
One of the most recognisable silhouettes in motor racing, the Tyrrell P34 triggered somewhat of a fad in Formula 1 of adding extra wheels. Despite dividing opinions of drivers and fans alike, the P34 proved quite competitive during the 1976 season, placing first and second in the Swedish Grand Prix. A
Howmet TX
The internal combustion engine is without doubt the most important device of the first half of the 20th century. Despite so, many ambitious engineers have attempted to do better in attempts to revolutionise the racing car. Whilst Chrysler had refined the gas turbine engine 5 years prior for road use,
