Formula 1 has quite a number of innovations that have come to life over the years, but few if any are as controversial as the Brabham BT46B, more popularly known as the “Fan Car.” Legendary engineer Gordon Murray engineered this marvel to become one of the most brilliant devices by pushing the boundaries of possibility in motorsport- and the not-so-impressive demonstration of just how far teams would go to ensure that competitive edge, even going so far as to build a car that would be banned outright after just a single race of competition.
Brabham unleashed Fan Car into the States during the 1978 season. As such, they could match this first and new kind revolution against the Lotus 79, the car that made the entire sport import great cleft and act in transforming ground-effect aerodynamics to push their track. Lotus’s brainwork-perfecting built such an underbody airflow sucking at stratospheric speed to create phenomenal downforce that kept their vehicle glued on the track. But then, Murray brought out the innovative answer.
A big fan found at the back of the BT46B was powered very simply by the engine. The function of that huge fan was actually to cool the engine needed for the Alfa Romeo flat-12 power unit. But the real purpose went quite a distance beyond that: sucking air from the underside of the car created a tremendous downforce that relatively just glued the car to the track. A result was that the BT46B had extraordinary corner grip-stability that just wasn’t really possible to beat.
The BT46B immediately attracted attention following its entry in the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. Other rival teams were left casting aspersions on the legality of the car, while Brabham team owner Bernie Ecclestone declared that the fan was legal because its primary function was cooling the engine. The car built up a huge lead early on with Niki Lauda leading home victors. Fan Car competitors were awash in a feeling of awe-and frustration.
The very BT46B raced into imprints of history, yet she hardly had time to soak in the glitter of success. The other team protested in no uncertain terms that the car breached all the regulations as well: an unfair advantage. Although it had a technical fence around its setting up, it was still subjected to scrutiny owing to the cloud of controversy surrounding the very design itself. In a matter of days, the car was voluntarily removed from the hands of Brabham after one race under the pressure of the rival teams and F1 authorities under which it was.
The history of the Fan Car would stand as an interesting episode in F1: how the magic of Gordon Murray’s engineering applies to the ever-elusive goal of speed, and how far a team goes to innovate. The banning of the car also narrowed down the fine but clear line between genius and controversy in that world called Formula 1.
The memory today of BT46B is represented as a character of invention, a car daring to challenge the norm and succeed–if for only one glorious race. This story demonstrates the intermittent tussle between creativity and regulation in the sport as well as how the ultimate pursuit of perfection leads to remarkable moments of innovation.
