Most aesthetically pleasing unsuccessful racing car

If it looks fast, it'll be fast, according to one racing saying - but it doesn't always happen. There have been some undeniably pretty racing cars that haven't been that good so, following a couple of threads on aesthetics that still seem to be going strong, I thought I'd start one for cars that haven't really lived up to their looks.

This was partly inspired by a trip to the Beaulieu Motor Museum the other week, and seeing the McLaren MP4/9. The 1994 Peugeot-powered car actually sets the bar pretty high, since it took multiple podium finishes, including second places in Monaco and (inherited) in Belgium. But compared to McLarens of previous years it was a flop, despite a simple, neatly packaged design and that red and white livery that made almost all McLarens look good (its successor being a notable exception!).

For true lack of success, the Andrea Moda S921 has to qualify - with that menacing black livery it was certainly a looker, but only once saw a race start and didn't get much further than that. From the wider world of racing, I'd also nominate the sinister black Epsilon Euskadi EE1 - far and away more successful than the Moda, but with only one season of racing it wasn't given chance to show its potential.

Got to be plenty more than that, but that's a good-looking trio of failures (of varying degrees) for starters...

There was a Ligier from the late '80s which fitted the bill.

Is it this one? It certainly is a decent looking car

http://continentalcircus.files.wordp...uillard892.jpg

Ligier JS17?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ce_GP_1981.jpg

After this car Claude Galpin took over in the design chair and Ligiers were never again going to win beauty contests.

Most pre-Galopin Ligiers were good lookers apart from the JS5 with the wide nose and the huge air box

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...1980-05-24.jpg

The BMW M1 was brilliant but rubbish. I don't know if it ever actually achieved any of it purposes but it looked stunning; even in BASF livery.

The Hendrick Motorsports Corvette GTP from the IMSA GT series. Maybe its just the paint job, but I always felt this car looked good. Way better than the Corvette Daytona Prototypes of today. It did manage two wins in 1986 at Road Atlanta and Palm beach, both driven by Doc Bundy and Sarel van der Merwe, but otherwise rarely finished in the top five, and regularly failed to finish at all. With just two wins between 1985 and 1989 (with full factory support from Chevrolet until 1988) I think its fair to say the car was pretty unsuccessful.

http://www.carlustblog.com/images/20...vette_gtp1.jpg

Pretty for a touring car. The 406 never scored a win in the BTCC.

http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/wp...sSuper13-2.jpg

Well post #1 and maybe not exactly what you're looking for but I think I would say Frank Lockhart's V-16 Stutz Black Hawk Special LSR car.

I thought the 1974 F1 Shadow DN - 3 was appealing for a mysteriously unsuccessful ride.


http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/...Cosworth%20DFV


Their Can-Am racers were pretty bad ass looking too. Especially formatted in the same livery.

Some of the Minardis were pretty good-looking, even though needless to say they were backmarkers.

I also liked the 2007 Spyker, and 2004 Jordan - both at the back of the field.

I liked the Lotus (Fernandes' new team) of 2010 as well.

Okay, I can carry on... In short: I have liked lots of backmarker cars.:) Certainly they qualify for "unsuccessful" in terms of raw results, but not in terms of aestethics!

Can anyone post a picture of John Surtees CBE in a Lola Mk 4 - Climax. In an age of small, sleek, elegant cars, this was one of the neatest.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/image...Mk4-Climax.jpg

Here is the car, will look further for a photo with John aboard.



http://www.imcdb.org/i729765.jpg


This is Surtees at 62 British GP finishing 2nd to Clark

Thanks! That's the car I had in mind. Elegant isn't it! - particularly the normal car rather than the Monaco short-nosed version which looks "purposeful" rather than"elegant"

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Originally Posted by D-Type

Thanks! That's the car I had in mind. Elegant isn't it! - particularly the normal car rather than the Monaco short-nosed version which looks "purposeful" rather than"elegant"

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Right. The restored example looks far more pristine than John's racing car. Note the different wheels he is using, for whatever reason. A fairly common observation today, many cars are restored to beyond their appearance in period.

I really liked the 1994 and 1995 Simtek racers. If I remember correctly, Verstappen actually got one as far up as 8th on the grid at the 95 Argentinian GP but the team ended up folding before the end of the season. A shame really because it was Nick Wirth's baby and he's been involved in some successful projects thereafter...or so I believe.

I think the Simca-CG MC 2200 Spider was very beautiful. It was a Group 5 prototype used in rallying and it was pretty successful on national races but not on international level. Check my blog for more info: https://forgotten-rally-cars.blogspo...g-mc-2200.html

Hello, first post in this forum but had to suggest the Scarab...

Welcome to the forum, Greasy.

Which Scarab do you mean? The original sports car, the F1 car or the later rear-engined car?

Thanks D-Type...
The 1960 F1 car was the one I had in mind. I'd also suggest the unraced Alfa Group C car which struck me as a red XJR6 lookalike... Not sure you could class it as unsuccessful though, it never lost a race. ;)

I liked the Jaguar F1 cars of 2000-2004.

The odd podium and a handful of points were not much to show for five years as a works team, though.

Welcome to the forum, Owain.

Looking at this question,another way - It's funny how success turns an "average looking" car into a good-looking one, isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Owain

I liked the Jaguar F1 cars of 2000-2004.

The odd podium and a handful of points were not much to show for five years as a works team, though.

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Indeed but you could argue that they, and of course, Jackie Stewart, laid the foundations of what would become a dominant force in the shape of Red Bull.

Welcome, nice flag ;)

Thanks chaps - it's nice to be here.

The last Arrows cars were very neat too: the 1998 (with Arrows' own engine) was sharp in styling and jet black, while those of 1999-2002 gained an orange-and-black livery that was very striking, courtesy of their sponsor.

I saw one on show at Gloucester rugby ground, because Tom Walkinshaw owned Gloucester RFC for a while.

Welcome Owain. I have to agree about the Arrows cars. In am era where cars were becoming quite similar the Arrows of their later years really stood out.

Sent from my GT-I9301I using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Rollo

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...1980-05-24.jpg

The BMW M1 was brilliant but rubbish. I don't know if it ever actually achieved any of it purposes but it looked stunning; even in BASF livery.

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'Curious...what's "rubbish" about them? I've met two people that own them and have praised them. How can one go wrong with the ubiquitous IL6.
Anyhow, on the racing front, drivers using them took 1st through 5th in the 1981 IMSA Camel GT (GTO) Series. And BMW 1st, 3rd and 3rd in the '81- '83 IMSA GTO Makes Championship using them. That isn't rubbish to me. ;)

Did anyone take a picture of the Connew at Goodwood?

Jim Richards JPS liveried BMW 635csi group c Aussie racer.

I know 635's were quite prolific in touring car racing, but this car in its original spec, with that paint, looked and sounded stunning.
It's highest placing in original spec was 9th, before being heavily upgraded.

I do have a picture of it at silver stone but can't upload it!

Just seen this thread and automatically thought of the un- spoilered Ford F3L DFV - the best Alan Mann car ever

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Originally Posted by inimitablestoo

If it looks fast, it'll be fast, according to one racing saying - but it doesn't always happen. There have been some undeniably pretty racing cars that haven't been that good so, following a couple of threads on aesthetics that still seem to be going strong, I thought I'd start one for cars that haven't really lived up to their looks.

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The one that comes to mind for this 14 y.o. (at the time, '68) looked fast. 'Was fast (Joe Leonard on pole, Graham Hill along side for the 500). 'Just wasn't allowed to win (as wasn't the '67 Wallis designed turbine car and Jim/Lotus in '65) by the dinosaurs at USAC (United States Auto Club, the sanctioning body). 'Ahead of it's time......the Lotus 56 (4wd, turbine powered Indy car. :)


Leonard's #60
https://www.conceptcarz.com/images/L...ai_a01-800.jpg