Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
No. 45 through No. 41
45. Arrows A2
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The A2 was a tank with a certificate to race, and it handled like one too. Unfortunately, the car was all brawn and no brain, and was such a failure, Arrows were forced to replace it with its predecessor midway through the 1979 season.
However, the A2’s bright gold livery, exposed V8, and menacing ‘tough guy’ body work, made for an intimidating and impressive view. One which will be hard to forget.
44. Lotus 81
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The 1980s had only begun, but Lotus were quick to introduce a car with a livery which fitted the day and age perfectly.
The 81’s paint work was tacky, and quite a detachment from their signature colour scheme of black and gold, but somehow Lotus made it work. Yet the bright red, blue, and chrome livery, which Lotus had employed in 1980 was scrapped in favour of their more traditional colour scheme the following year.
The 81 wasn’t Lotus’ greatest achievement, but by no means was it a disaster. The car managed to achieve two podiums and a string of top ten finishers, claiming fifth in the Constructor’s Championship.
43. Penske PC1
Penske’s short lived foray into Formula One had little success. Though the team were never able to build a racing dynasty like the one they have crafted in Indy Cars, Penske did produce some very nice looking Formula 1 racers. The PC1 is by far the prettiest of the three which were made between 1974-76.
42. Mercedes-Benz W125
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lothar Spurzem, Wikimedia Commons
Before Formula One was officially codified after World War Two, its predecessor, European Grand Prix Motor Racing, produced some monstrous yet beautiful, automobiles. The W125 is one of them.
The W125 was Mercedes’ answer to their uncompetitive W25, which was pulled out of competition half way through 1936. Their new car was fast, winning half of the races it appeared in. In fact, it was so fast, it was considered the fastest and most powerful Grand Prix race car ever built for five decades after its conception.
The W125 could reach race speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph), a record which wasn’t broken until the Formula One turbo-charged era of the 1980s.
41. Lotus 49
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Lotus 49 is the perfect mixture of good looks and superb mechanical engineering. The 49 raced from 1967 to 1970, winning the Constructor’s Championship twice (1968, 1970), whilst finishing runner-up and third in its first and final year respectively.
Due to the 49 being used non-exclusively by Lotus, a number of liveries adorned this amazing race car. But it was the ‘Gold Leaf’ livery which Lotus themselves used between 1967-68, which is the more famous, and better looking.
Like the Mercedes W125, the Lotus 49 is a legend of the motorsports world, a faultless specimen which brings together everything which was good of a time long passed.