In F1, the Tyrrell P34 was the only car with six wheels. It was successful and one of a kind. This one-of-a-kind car won first and second place in the Swedish Grand Prix in 1977, which was a big deal. This model, which won its class in the Monterey Historic Automobile Races, is being sold at a sale in Monaco. What has six wheels and wins Formula One races? Lando Norris isn’t taking a vacation in his McLaren with a tent trailer. It’s the late-1970s Tyrrell P34 Formula One car, which is incredibly beautiful and did well in competition. The P34 is the first Formula One car with six wheels to run in real life. Two P34s finishing first and second in the 1977 Swedish Grand Prix was also strong proof of concept. The race team kept this 1977 Tyrrell P34 as a spare after building it from chassis number eight. It was made during the appropriate time era. In the mid-1990s, it was brought up to full racing standards. It made its racetrack debut at the Monterey Historics in 2008 and went on to win the 1970s Formula One Championship. The car was bought by Jody Scheckter, who drove the P34 to win in the Swedish Grand Prix. RM Sotheby’s will auction it off in Monaco. The Story of Tyrrell Tyrrell’s Formula One team began in a shed made out of wood. Having been in the Royal Air Force during WWII, Ken Tyrrell went into business as a lumber dealer. He moved up to Formula 2 racing when he was made team manager. The cars were kept in a shed at the family’s lumber business. It was also thanks to him that some hidden skills became known. Jacky Ickx drove for Ken Tyrrell and won all three Formula One world titles. Tyrrell was the first person to put Stewart in a Formula Junior race car. That success was given to a smart British man who worked in a shed. In the late 1960s, Tyrrell asked Derek Gardner, who was working on four-wheel-drive systems at the time, to build a race car. He did it in his shop. The first thing he tried was a little weak, but the 003 model Stewart drove later was the best. Gardner was a famous engineer who was always looking for ways to get ahead. For that reason, almost all Formula One teams were using Cosworth V-8 engines, Hewland gearboxes, and Goodyear tires, so the race was pretty even. Gardner had a great idea when he saw that there were no rules about what size or number of tires should be used. Based on an idea he had for an IndyCar use, he made a six-wheeled car that could fit inside the body and had four front wheels that could be turned. Having less downforce in the front made it less likely to drag because the shape was less stable, and the front tires were more visible. Based on his calculations, Gardner found that this added 40 horsepower, which was enough to give him the win. The car, which was called Project 34 (henceforth, P34), was worked on behind closed doors. People at Goodyear who worked on those tiny 10-inch tires in front didn’t say a word, so the drivers didn’t know. Denis Jenkins, a well-known racing writer, was shocked when Tyrrell asked him to check out the P34. He writes in his book Jenks: A Passion for Motorsport, “I rode my motorcycle over to Ken’s house in West Clandon. After a warm cup of coffee, he said, ‘Come out into the garden.'” “I followed him outside to the lawn, but I had no idea what was going to happen.” My mouth dropped open in shock, and I looked like I was going to pass out. Ken’s sudden laughter caught me off guard. At the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix, Tyrrell showed off the P34 to a shocked crowd. The only driver was French racer Patrick Depailler in the P34 car, while Scheckter was in a more common Tyrrell 007. Scheckter got in as the 14th best. Adélaïde put the P34 in third place. After that final blow in Sweden in 1977, the P34 project was over. Tire development played a part in the problem since Goodyear made famous F1 tires for several teams but didn’t invest in R&D for the special 10-inch tires. The P34 was and still is a winning car and one of the most interesting and unique cars to ever race in Formula 1. It was also the first car to win a race and put its driver on the podium. If you keep this race-ready car in your shed, you’ll own a piece of Formula One history. The sale is set for May 11, which is this coming Saturday.
