Formula Funky: The Tyrrell P34 6-Wheelerillustration by john lawson (illustration by john lawson)illustration by john lawson (illustration by john lawson)One of the hottest and coldest experiments ever to rock up to the Formula 1 grid was the Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler. Jody Scheckter, in his third race with the car, won the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix; teammate Patrick Depailler took second. But the duo’s podium finishes didn’t make up for the P34’s mechanical woes. That’s one reason why Tyrrell killed the six-wheeler after only two seasons.This story originally appeared in Volume 35 of Road & Track.Because of the car’s short life span, not many P34s still exist. But Britain’s Front Row Racing, run by brothers Alistair and Jay Bennett, built two highly accurate replicas a few years ago for a client who wanted to drive the car in historic F1 racing events. Front Row obtained both the blessing of the Tyrrell family and a trove of reference documents.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe P34 went through significant changes during its two seasons on the grid. Naturally, Front Row’s version most closely replicates the Swedish GP–winning car. The car’s original master, Derek Gardner, designed it to reduce the lift created by a four-wheeled F1 car’s large front tires. That in turn allowed for a slippery front wing. With the Tyrrell’s tiny tires tucked behind the wing, airflow disruption was kept to a minimum. Four tires made up for the consequent lack of contact patch and braking force.Click on the gallery below for more informationA.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonTiny 10-inch front wheels meant tiny front brakes. Tyrrell tried to improve cooling by running four hoses, one to each of these wheels, from NACA ducts in the front wing. But that resulted in less air on the nose and reduced downforce. Some of this was brought back via nose end plates and a Gurney flap–like lip just ahead of the front tires “to try to hold a precious little bit of air on the nose,” Alistair Bennett says.B.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe front suspension is miniaturized to function in its tight space. Each side is connected front to rear via a linkage between the lower arms. The front anti-roll bar passes through the bodywork and bends up and above the driver’s legs. This didn’t work; the bar would bend and hit the chassis, functioning as a bump stop. Tyrrell eventually fixed this by moving the roll bar onto the top of the chassis.C.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonWindows built into the cockpit helped drivers place the front tires—and see when one was missing. During practice for the ’76 Swedish Grand Prix, Scheckter noticed he lost a tire and calmly drove back to pit lane for a replacement. What proved far more costly to Tyrrell than the risk of losing a tire was how the setup made for aggressive tire wear, something drivers could also see happening in real time through the glass.D.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonAdvertisementAdvertisementAnother reason why Tyrrell abandoned the six-wheeled design was Goodyear’s refusal to further develop the car’s unique tires. In the Nineties, one of the original cars started historic racing, and the British company Avon was contracted to remake the tires. Luckily for Front Row, Avon still has the molds. Coincidentally, Goodyear now owns Avon, so the new car’s tires are manufactured by Goodyear in Ohio.E.Photo credit: illustration by john lawsonThe steering rack is positioned out ahead of the front axle with links operating on the leading edge of the front wheel hubs. Another set of links at the rear of those hubs works a bell crank to move the second set of wheels. Bennett describes it as “a ‘push me, pull you’ kind of affair.” Unfortunately, the design is very wear intensive, making it easy to lose alignment as the ball joints and bushings quickly deteriorate.Front Row’s re-creation uses modern manufacturing techniques with 3-D-printed parts and has a few nods to driver safety that didn’t exist in the original. The Bennetts are open to building more of them if anybody wants to front the cash, now that the hard part—figuring out how to make one—is done. A car-lover’s community for ultimate access &amp; unrivaled experiences.<a class="body-btn-link" href="https://shop.roadandtrack.com/road-track-premium-all-access-membership.html?utm_source=PAA_Daily_Edit_Newsletter&amp;utm_medium=PAA_Daily_Edit_Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=PAA_Daily_Edit_Newsletter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JOIN NOW</a> Hearst Owned (Hearst Owned)You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State
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