P34

The Tyrrell P34 is the six-wheeled race car regarded as one of the most recognizable cars in Formula 1 history. This is the number 3 car in which Jody Scheckter won the 1976 Swedish Grand Prix.

The design was by Derek Gardner. The idea was this: in an era when the rules limited front wing width, the large front tyres disrupted the airflow, creating drag and lift. Gardner tucked four small front wheels behind the wing, which both reduced drag and increased front grip and braking power. At the rear there were two normal wheels. The car began racing in 1976.

On 13 June 1976, the Swedish GP at Anderstorp was only the P34's fourth race. Scheckter started from pole. Mario Andretti led for most of the race, but a jump-start penalty and then an engine failure put him out. Scheckter took the lead and won, finishing about 20 seconds ahead of his teammate Patrick Depailler (a Tyrrell 1-2). Niki Lauda came third. It remains the only Grand Prix ever won by a six-wheeled F1 car.

The small front tyres were never properly developed, and the concept was shelved after 1977.

The model I have is Mini GT's relatively rare Chase variant.