Firsts and Lasts in Motorsports

[Stan Reid]

The first rear/mid engine Grand Prix car was the Benz Type RH which first raced in the 1923 Italian Grand Prix. One of the cars, driven by Ferdinando Minoia, came in fourth behind a couple of Fiats and a Miller 122 driven by American Jimmy Murphy.

[Stan Reid]

The first 4WD (AWD) Grand Prix car was a Miller that finished seventh in the 1934 Tripoli Grand Prix driven by Pete De Paolo.

[Stan Reid]

The first 4WD (AWD) Grand Prix car was a Miller that finished seventh in the 1934 Tripoli Grand Prix driven by Pete De Paolo.

The last AWD car to compete in a WC race was the Lotus Turbine in the 1971 Italian Grand Prix. The car was also the first and last turbine to run in F1, I believe.

[Stan Reid]

Until I find out different, I'm also going to say the Schell's car was the first and last time a chain drive car ran in a World Championship event.

Probably the first air cooled car to compete in a WC event as well.

[Stan Reid]

Probably the first air cooled car to compete in a WC event as well.

I believe the last air cooled engine car to race in an F1 WC event, not counting the Lotus Turbine in 1971, was the Honda RA302 V8 in 1968. The car ran two laps in the French Grand Prix before killing driver Jo Schlesser.

[Stan Reid]

The first rear/mid engine car to compete in the Indianapolis 500 was the AWD Gulf-Miller 6 driven by George Bailey in 1939. He came in 26th after dropping a valve.

The last front engine car to compete in the Indianapolis 500 was the RWD Mallard-Offenhauser 4 driven by Jim Hurtubise in 1968. He came in 30th after burning a piston.

[D28]

The first rear/mid engine car to compete in the Indianapolis 500 was the AWD Gulf-Miller 6 driven by George Bailey in 1939. He came in 26th after dropping a valve.

The last front engine car to compete in the Indianapolis 500 was the RWD Mallard-Offenhauser 4 driven by Jim Hurtubise in 1968. He came in 30th after burning a piston.

Discussion on another racing blog mentions several rear engined cars at Indy in addition to the Gulf-Miller cars of 1939. The 1946 Fageol Twin Coach Special of 1946 used 2 engines and AWD and was quick enough to start from the 1st row. Another one was the Rounds Rocket of 1949 which failed to qualify. All this suggests the idea of a rear/mid engined car was around for quite a while before John Cooper and Jack Brabham clearly demonstrated the advantages in 1961. Like other foreign teams trying Indy for the first time, unfamiliarity with American wheels and tires hampered their efforts. Brabham could have finished much higher than 9th had they calculated tire wear and necessary stops better, or perhaps fitted Firestones rather than Dunlops.

Anyway the successful run paved the way for more determined efforts, and Dan Gurney pitched the idea to Mickey Thompson then Colin Chapman and Ford.
So the revolution of 1961 actually was more an evolution of ideas, but carried out with much greater success.

[Stan Reid]

As best I can tell, Schell's JAP engine was the first transverse mounted powerplant to compete in a F1 WC event. And, the last was the V12 Honda RA272 that ran most of the races in 1965. Corrections welcome.

[Stan Reid]

Although pre-WC, I think the first F1 Grand Prix race won by a non-Caucasian was the 1948 Grand Prix de Zandvoort won by Prince B. Bira of Siam driving a Maserati.

[Stan Reid]

According to some sources, the first official Formula 1 race was the Nice Grand Prix on April 22 of 1946. If this is true then the first Formula 1 driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500 was Luigi Villoresi. He won the Nice race in a 1.5 liter supercharged Maserati 4CL and, 6 weeks later, completed the 500 miles at Indy in a 3 liter supercharged Maserati 8CL; coming home in seventh place.