93 replies to this topic

[Graham Clayton]

I thought I might start a thread about ugly non-F1 open-wheelers. Here are some nominations, taken from David Hodges' "A-Z of Formula Racing Cars" (Bay View Books, England, 1990)

1. 1986 Anson SA6 F3 - square and boxy sidepods

2. 1968 BMW Lola T102 F2 - ugly aerodynamic sponsons used on fast tracks

3. 1960 Dolphin Formula Junior - dumpy and offset cockpit

4. 1960 Elpark Formula Junior - Ford 105E engine fully exposed behind rear axle line

5. 1953 500cc Leston Special - whitewall tyres and scruffy appearance

6. 1960 Mitter Formula Junior - nose treatment

Are there any other ugly non-F1 open-wheelers worth remembering?

[Cirrus]

The "Miereneter" (Anteater) is a strong contender



Picture from the fascinating Dutch Racing History site http://www.racehistorie.nl/

The FF1600 Prowess deserves a mention, also



Actually, I rather like the Prowess...

[biercemountain]

The current generation of IRL cars.

That nose is an abomination.

[f1steveuk]

Read the thread title, and the words, "Erskine Staride" popped into my head...

[alansart]

Originally posted by Cirrus

The FF1600 Prowess deserves a mention, also



Actually, I rather like the Prowess...

Hugo Spiers creation. What ever happened to it?

[KWSN - DSM]

Prowess from the side

http://users.pandora..._pics/FFord.jpg

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by alansart
Hugo Spiers creation. What ever happened to it?

As the car's name was an anagram of the constructor's surname, there seems to be something wrong here
But sorry, I don't know what happened to the car

[rdmotorsport]

or Hugo ?

[paulsenna1]

Hugo Spowers

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=79146

[rateus]

Originally posted by biercemountain
The current generation of IRL cars.

That nose is an abomination.

Couldn't agree more. Not that ugly Indycars are anything new - here's one that Hodges described as 'outstandingly ugly', the McNamara.
http://www.flickr.co...N04/3006699758/

[RStock]

Originally posted by Cirrus
The "Miereneter" (Anteater) is a strong contender

Good Lord ! That may be the ugliest race car I've ever seen .


Not sure if this one is ugly or just weird looking . Featured at 1:07 minutes .

[Milan Fistonic]

We discussed this topic previously in a thread about strangest looking cars.

I posted this picture from Motoring News on that thread.

[ian senior]

The Anteater actually makes the Deep Sanderson Formula Junior car look quite attractive. Sorry, I don't have a picture, but I 'd bet someone does....

How about the Chevron B18 in F3 form, without the front wing of the F2 and Atlantic version that took the edge off the gaping square hole that passed for an air intake?

[Tony Matthews]

Originally posted by REDARMYSOJA
Not sure if this one is ugly or just weird looking . Featured at 1:07 minutes .

Why do sprint cars always remind me of leaf-cutter ants?

[Tim Murray]

No-one's yet mentioned the Eagle Flyer-Chevy which Ken Hamilton entered for the Indy 500 in 1982 (I think it just about qualifies as an open-wheeler).

Originally posted by Herbert in the 'USAC, CART and Champ Car history' thread

[Andretti Fan]

Originally posted by Tim Murray
No-one's yet mentioned the Eagle Flyer-Chevy which Ken Hamilton entered for the Indy 500 in 1982 (I think it just about qualifies as an open-wheeler).

This looks like something my son would build with Legos.

[RStock]

Originally posted by Tony Matthews


Why do sprint cars always remind me of leaf-cutter ants?

While some of them can look good , particularly in an aggresive , exuding speed sort of way , sprint cars by nature are not good looking cars , in my opinion .

[RStock]

Originally posted by Milan Fistonic
We discussed this topic previously in a thread about strangest looking cars.

I posted this picture from Motoring News on that thread.

I may have to change my opinion about the ugliest race car I've ever seen . Did it ever compete ?

[alansart]

Originally posted by paulsenna1
Hugo Spowers

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=79146

That's the one

[Duc-Man]

I just found this one in, on(?) a brasilian blog. I have no idea about the portuguese language but F5000 appears in the text a few times. So i guess it's a F-5000 build by Antonio Carlos Avallone.



By the way: that Eagle Flyer-Chevy is imho not that ugly. It just looks like some fighter spacecraft from a SciFi movie and not like a race car.

[sterling49]

Originally posted by Duc-Man
I just found this one in, on(?) a brasilian blog. I have no idea about the portuguese language but F5000 appears in the text a few times. So i guess it's a F-5000 build by Antonio Carlos Avallone.

Is my memory playing tricks with me, or did I see Carlos Avallone race in F5000 at Brands Hatch?

[Tom Glowacki]

Don't forget the Antares Indy cars of the early 1970's.

[Cirrus]

The Avallone car looks like a Lola T142 in fancy dress...

No wonder he's got his head in his hands!

[MCS]

Originally posted by sterling49


Is my memory playing tricks with me, or did I see Carlos Avallone race in F5000 at Brands Hatch?

Very possibly, Sterling. He raced a Lola in the very early years of F5000 and was subsequently rumoured to be racing all manner of other cars along the way. He "bought' the rights to the McLaren M25 F5000 project at one point (allegedly)...

Originally posted by Cirrus
The Avallone car looks like a Lola T142 in fancy dress...

No wonder he's got his head in his hands!

I'd put money on it being a F5000 Lola.

[onelung]

Motor Museum, Reims.
[IMG]http://img258.images...img8563a.th.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img258.images...img8564a.th.jpg[/IMG]

[Pete Lyons]

"Yeah, but if she wins on Sunday, she'll look f***in' BEAUTIFUL."
-- Denny Hulme's voice from the back of the derisive crowd surrounding the just-revealed Chaparral 2J "sucker" Can-Am car at Watkins Glen 1970

[GD66]

.... and the TNF knowledge vault just got wider and deeper....;) welcome aboard, Mr Lyons

[macoran]

TNF has just gained a volume of knowledge ! A warm welcome to you Mr.Lyons.

[Paolo]

No-one's yet mentioned the Eagle Flyer-Chevy which Ken Hamilton entered for the Indy 500 in 1982 (I think it just about qualifies as an open-wheeler).

I love that car. Seriously. It is fascinating.
Still I cannot understand what were they thinking. Has anyone knowledge of some story of the project?

[Paolo]

Story found!

http://petrolheadblo...aircraft-flyer/

[Thundersports]

That Eagle "thing" looks like a very early 90s Interserie car!!!

[tinkerwinker]

March 792, another car that would have looked better if they'd taken it out of the box it came in

[Tony Matthews]

March 792, another car that would have looked better if they'd taken it out of the box it came in

In that photo it does look less than beautiful, but the colour scheme doesn't help, nor the fact that the front wings have been removed. With them in place, a better colour scheme and a different angle it could look pretty cool!

[Michael Ferner]

Totally agree with Toni Matthäus here, that colour scheme sucks big time! I always liked the 792!

[But then, I also liked the Wolf Mk2! ]

[tinkerwinker]

Totally agree with Toni Matthäus here, that colour scheme sucks big time! I always liked the 792!

[But then, I also liked the Wolf Mk2! ]

No, can't agree, this is definitely a "pup", look even the roll hoop is shaped to fit the box

[MCS]

Whilst unsuitable for this thread perhaps, but do you have any shots of the works Chevrons seen at the back of that last picture, tinkerwinker?

[tinkerwinker]

Whilst unsuitable for this thread perhaps, but do you have any shots of the works Chevrons seen at the back of that last picture, tinkerwinker?

I do have pics of Bobby's car somewhere, may take a little time to find, but readily accessible are pics of Alan Docking's car for Huub Rothengatter, notice the days when driver and team owner were seen oushing their own cars around. Definitely not one of the ugly cars, although not as pretty as the previous Chevrons

[f1steveuk]

I do have pics of Bobby's car somewhere, may take a little time to find, but readily accessible are pics of Alan Docking's car for Huub Rothengatter, notice the days when driver and team owner were seen oushing their own cars around. Definitely not one of the ugly cars, although not as pretty as the previous Chevrons

That's a baby Arrows FA1 isn't it??!!

[tinkerwinker]

That's a baby Arrows FA1 isn't it??!!

Sort of, Tony Southgate was the consultant designer for Chevron after Derek's death

[ray b]

indy cars are ugly in their current form

BUT they do run nose to tail far better then F-1 and PASS

what makes them able to do so that F-1 canNOT

[tinkerwinker]

Whilst unsuitable for this thread perhaps, but do you have any shots of the works Chevrons seen at the back of that last picture, tinkerwinker?

Finally found the pics I have of the works Chevron from 1979





Even managed to get Bobby standing behind the car

[MCS]

What with the F5000 pictures and these, you've made my night. To your very good health, sir!

[tinkerwinker]

Glad you like them, will keep posting as I find them, lots more from the 70's

[paulsenna1]

Oh yeah, superb images! Many thanks for posting them.

[stevewf1]

I love that car. Seriously. It is fascinating.
Still I cannot understand what were they thinking. Has anyone knowledge of some story of the project?

(old fogey mode) The "good 'ol days", when folks could actually try stuff...

Edited by stevewf1, 23 June 2010 - 22:49.

[tinkerwinker]

No-one's yet mentioned the Eagle Flyer-Chevy which Ken Hamilton entered for the Indy 500 in 1982 (I think it just about qualifies as an open-wheeler).

Just found an article on the guy who built this car. The project only gets a brief mention, but there is a picture of the car being built.

http://www.avidflyer.....an Wilson.pdf

[Terry Walker]

"Strewth, who built that??"
"Vin did."

Hence the car's name, the Vindid.

Vin Smith had a front engined, de-dion-rear-axle single seater called the Alpha. Come the rear engined revolution, he moved the engine back as far as it could go, put the driver's seat and wheel in the former engine bay, draped his legs over the top tube of the VW based front suspension, and bingo: rear engined racer. It lasted one season, then he built a proper rear-engined from scratch. (It show's Vin's lateral thinking - his new car had a VW gearbox, but instead of swing axles, he sourced the box from a Tempo Wagen, which used VW engine and box to drive the front wheels - and got a proper IRS on the cheap, drive shafts and all.

[Ray Bell]

That's the third car I've heard of with a Tempo Matador gearbox...

Which is nothing like a VW box, Terry. It's much plainer to look at and it's built to go in the location you described above. The VW has the engine behind the box, the Tempo Matador has it in front of the box. I know that VW gearboxes can be turned upside down, but the Matador box could be used in that position without fiddling. I suspect it's a lot stronger too.

[arttidesco]

Just found an article on the guy who built this car. The project only gets a brief mention, but there is a picture of the car being built.

http://www.avidflyer.....an Wilson.pdf

I must have a perverse sense of humour but I wouldn't call the Alpha ugly by any stretch of the imagination :-)

Thanks for posting :-)

[tinkerwinker]

I must have a perverse sense of humour but I wouldn't call the Alpha ugly by any stretch of the imagination :-)

Thanks for posting :-)

I agree with you Re. Alpha, not conventional, slighly out of proportion layout, but far from ugly, has flowing lines, nice effort for the time and place