Image: Siegfried Wessler / CC BY-SA 2.5
In F1 history, beauty has rarely been the primary goal, the most important thing is to compete at the highest level.
The cars were bold experiments that ended up diving fans, some admired the bravery, others could not look past their bizarre lines.
However, this article highlights some of the most notable F1 cars in history, and their stories that made them unforgettable.
March 711
The March 711 was unveiled in 1971, it immediately sparked controversy.
Instead of a conventional wing, its nose carried a flat, wide, oval shaped plate balanced on two thin supports.
Critics started and it was quickly nicknamed ‘tea tray’ and the look was unlike anything seen before in F1.
But things changed when it hit the track, it performed well, Ronnie Peterson drove it second in the championship.
Ligier JS5
Ligier JS5 of 1976, also appears on ‘ugliest ever’ list.
With its bulbous air intake towering over the driver’s head, in the photo it is modified, but you actually google it to see the real one, while we cannot share photos that we do not own.
However, fans called it the ‘The Flying Teapot’ and though the exaggarated intake was eventually trimmed down.
But in track it was great, the results were there, it was competitive car and even reached the podium.
Brabham BT34
Murray, the man later hailed for creating some of F1’s most beautiful cars, once gave the world the Brabham BT34.
It was nicknamed ;Lobster Claw’ it featured twin radiators mounted on either side of the nose.
The logic was aero efficiency, the result was ungainly and unbalanced to the eye.
But on track it was not that bad, but in terms of look, it never shook off its unfortunate nickname.
Tyrrell 011B
The Tyrrell 011B of the early 80s’ was a car that simply looked out of place.
While rivals embraced sweeping curves and tighter lines, the 11B lumbered onto the grid with a wide, blunt nose and boxy proportions.
Despite unattractive frame, Alboreto managed to win a race in Las Vegas.
It remains proof that even successful cars can be difficult to love visually. But back then, things were more interesting with the innovations, every year.
Tyrrell P34
It drew significant attention when it debuted in 1976 with six wheel.
Four tiny front wheels paired with normal rears gave it the stance of something of science fiction.
To some it was ingenious, to others it didn’t look like serious racing car.
But the most interesting part is that it won a race, proving its concept worked for a time, but in the history books it lives on as one of F1’s strangest looking car.
Eifelland Typ 21
Its debut was back in 1972, it is remembered less for speed and more for its ungainly shaped.
The company was known for caravans, the car had a tall, squared off nose and a cockpit framed by awkward bodywork.
Its unusual design was paired with a wraparound windscreen that made it look more like a prototype road car than F1 contender.
Sadly, it failed to impress and was quickly forgotten, aside from its place in ugly car lore.
Arrows A2
It was unveiled in 1979 with the bold promise of perfecting ground effect aero.
What they delivered was a car with oversized sidepods and handling was just as clumsy as its appearance.
Despite high expectations, it was not good on track, failed to score meaningful results.
Its ungainly design only amplified its reputation as one of the sport’s least loved creations.
Lotus 49B
It is one of the most iconic of all time, but the B-spec version introduced in 1969 lost much of its elegance.
With the bolt-on wings and add-ons that looked like afterthoughts, the 49B appeared clunky compared the clean lines of the original.
It stands out as one of the less attractive designs in the marque’s history.
McLaren M7C
The car was unveiled back in 1969, the problem was: it looked dull.
With tall and fragile looking wings, and a squared off body, the M7C had none of the sleekness fans admired in rivals like Lotus or Ferrari.
It was competitive car but visually uninspiring.
Ensign N179
In 1979, F1 ground effect era demanded radical thinking.
Ensign attempted to do something different, but instead of elegance, it didn’t look that good.
Its radiator layout gave the front end a stepped layered look, which fans compared to a kitchen appliance.
And it was not competitive and quickly forgotten, it became a cautionary tale of what happens when desperate innovation meets limited resources.
WE ARE SORRY WE DON’T HAVE ANY PHOTO TO SHARE FOR ENSIGN N179, BUT YOU CAN FIND THROUGH GOOGLE.
What can we say more.
Every one of these cars tells the same story in different ways.
F1 cars are forever chasing speed, something that will work and compete at the highest level, but sometimes that pursuit leads them down strange.
Some of these cars like Tyrrell P34 and March 711, earned a place in history of their boldness.
But others like Ensign N179 or Eifelland Typ 21, disappeared quickly.
However, in a sport that celebrates innovation, not every experiment pays off.
Yet, these ‘ugly’ cars have a charm of their own, they stand as reminders that F1 teams have always been about pushing boundaries, even if, at times, the result is something only a mother could love.
