Most aesthetically pleasing unsuccessful racing car

[D-Type]

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?

[Mark]

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.

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

[Owain]

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.

[steveaki13]

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.

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[jimclark]

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.

'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.

[D-Type]

Did anyone take a picture of the Connew at Goodwood?

[Norm75]

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!

[Mintexmemory]

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

[vailiyat]

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 [ Dafont Showbox Adam4adam 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.

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.

[jimclark]

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.

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