Craziest F1 car EVER goes up for auction

F1 News

Craziest F1 car EVER goes up for auction

Tyrrell's most famous F1 car has gone up for auction

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 10 May 2024 23:12

F1’s craziest car the 1977 Tyrrell P34 has gone up for auction at RM Sotheby’s for a value that is expected to be between £385,000 and £550,000.

The F1 car is famously known as the ‘six-wheeler’ and has been offered from The Jody Scheckter collection.

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It is fitted with a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine and Hewland gearbox, and is eligible for historic racing events.

Scheckter drove the P34 to victory at the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix with team-mate Patrick Depailler finishing 2nd to complete a one-two for Tyrrell.

This is a 1977 Tyrrell P34 “Six-Wheeler,” it’s one of the most famous Formula 1 cars of all time and it’s undeniably one of the most distinctive open-wheel racing cars of the 20th century.https://t.co/ArnIPmwlA0 pic.twitter.com/93lHBIqGyp
— Silodrome (@Silodrome) April 8, 2024

Jody Scheckter (Tyrrell-Cosworth P34) Monte Fuji 1976 pic.twitter.com/CoVDPhoPTw
— wxat gp500 (@wxatgp500) November 3, 2022

Who was behind Tyrell’s six-wheeler?

According to Sotheby’s the Tyrrell P34 was designed by Derek Gardner after he discovered that “four small front wheels would offer a significant reduction in the aerodynamic drag generated by two standard wheels” the equivalent to having an “extra 40 brake horsepower”.

When it was unveiled to the world some thought the six wheeled car was a joke, but they were promptly proven wrong when the car was seen out on track.

The P34 qualified P3 on its debut at the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix, with team-mate Scheckter down in 14th without the new six wheeled car.

Gardner left the team in 1977 and following his departure Tyrrell returned to four wheels in 1978.

Whilst Scheckter failed to win a world title with Tyrrell's famous six wheeler, he did eventually achieve his first and only world title in 1979 with Ferrari.

Sir Jackie Stewart in his Championship winning Tyrrell 006! ? pic.twitter.com/AgReVTr7Kr
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 9, 2023

Tyrrell has enjoyed championship success with legend Jackie Stewart, achieving all three of his world titles with the team- his 1969 world title was under the guise of Matra International.

Renowned drivers have all raced with Tyrrell including Jos Verstappen, Martin Brundle, Ronnie Peterson and Francois Cevert.

Daniel Ricciardo Jody Scheckter