F1: The 50 Greatest Looking Cars Of All Time
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No. 15 through No. 11
15. Alfa Romeo Monoposto Type C
The Type C bears all the resemblances of a classic grand prix car. Short back, long front, and large wheels. Finished off with a coat of red, and a gold plated, intimidating grill, what we have is a stunning 1930s racer.
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This particular car was also one of the first to bear the Ferrari prancing horse, as the Scuderia team were then the racing team of Alfa Romeo.
When Alfa Romeo decided it would start putting its name on its race cars (Alfa Corse), Enzo Ferrari packed up shop in 1939 to begin working on what has now become the most famous racing team in the world.
14. Honda RA300
It may have had a short racing history, and looked half finished, yet the RA300 was a fine racing car and easy on the eyes as well.
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It was introduced half way through the 1967 Formula One season, competed in four races, won one, and then was retired. Its replacement was less successful, and unfortunately, not so easy on the eyes.
The car bears much resemblance to the Eagle Mk1, but whereas the Eagle Mk1’s paintwork is very much straight out of the 60s (the Shelby Cobra comes to mind), the RA300’s looks as if it was designed only yesterday.
It may not have made the top 10, but without a shadow of a doubt, the RA300 is one of the coolest racing cars of all time.
13. McLaren MP4/5
The MP4/5 was a powerhouse in its day. Bearing the now famous orange and white McLaren livery, the MP4/5 dominated the 1989 season, winning 10 of the 16 races that year.
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A championship that was raced down to the wire between McLaren drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, the car eventually gave Prost his third driver’s championship after an eventful Japanese Grand Prix.
The next year, McLaren again used the MP4/5, giving it the uninspiring name MP4/5B. However, its performance was nothing but inspiring, providing Senna his second driver’s championship.
Though beautiful, the MP4/5/MP4/5B also looked rather menacing compared to its opponents of the time; the personalities of its drivers, Senna and Prost, seemingly encased within its chassis.
12. Force India VJM07
This entry will no doubt be the most controversial for three reasons, 1) because of its beyond ugly nose, 2) that it’s so high up on the list, and 3) that it’s on the list in the first place.
But regardless of these three factors, here it is, the VJM07, with its proboscis nose and all.
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Yet if we ignore the nose, the VJM07 is actually quite a good looking car. It also has an extremely good looking profile (nose included).
Its livery is some parts vibrant mixed with shade, but at the same time, this isn’t jarring.
And like the Ferrari F14T (spoiler, this one hasn’t made it on to the list), the more you look at the VJM07, the better looking it becomes.
11. Lotus 77
Though its successor (the 78) would garner all the glory, the 77 can still relish in the fact that it is the better looking of the two.
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The 77 had a less than lackluster year. So much so, that designer Colin Chapman had already designed and completed the 78 before the season’s end, with its driver, Mario Andretti, wanting to toss it to the curb as quickly as possible.
Though both Chapman and Andretti were correct in assuming the 78 was a better car, with Andretti winning the driver’s championship the following year and Lotus taking the constructor’s, the 77 wasn’t all that bad.
Slated as the ‘best of the rest’ behind the Ferraris, McLarens, and Tyrrells, the Lotus 77 managed one race win and one pole position.
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No. 10 through No. 6
10. Brabham BT46B
The striking BT46B on its first outing in 1978, was immediately seen as a threat by all the other constructors. Also known as the ‘fan car’, it was its namesake which caused a lot of bother.
For the first seven rounds of the 78 championship, Brabham had run their standard BT46, yet it was at the Swedish Grand Prix where they unveiled the ‘B’ version; attached to its rear, a giant fan.
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The fan, officially designed to cool the engine, was actually installed in an effort to create a large amount of down-force, ‘sucking’ the car to the track as it were.
Its designers were successful and it caused the car to be extremely fast (deemed ‘too fast’ by some), winning its inaugural race by 34 seconds. However, politics and personal motivations stepped on the ‘fan car’s’ glory, and the car was quickly retired and then replaced by the more subtle BT46 by the next race.
Even so, the car is now deemed a legend in the Formula One world.
Also, be sure to check out the video below. In it it details the conception and death of the BT46B.
9. McLaren MP4-30
Though the car is currently competing in this year’s championship, it’s safe to say we’ve seen pretty much everything the MP4-30 can do.
Unfortunately for McLaren, it’s not a lot. But with this being only the first year of the McLaren/Honda partnership, it’s only right to hold back any criticism of the team for at least another year.
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What this car can do however, is look absolutely stunning.
This year McLaren, in celebration of the Honda tie-up no doubt, have opted to forgo their usual chrome livery in favor of something truly special.
Warped McLaren logos in ultra-bright red which stretch across the new ‘darker’ livery make for an impressive sight, and one which I hope will stick around for a few years to come.
8. McLaren MP4-18
2003 wasn’t particularly kind to McLaren; the MP4-18 being such a disaster that the team were forced to use their previous year’s car.
The MP4-18’s successor wasn’t any better, McLaren struggling once again to find good pace and reliability.
Whilst McLaren were toiling away, the recently returned Renault were starting pick up their stride. They were in no way leagues ahead of McLaren, but they were hardly facing the same amount of gremlins either.
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Such was the case, that in 2005 both Renault and a newly resurgent McLaren were not only on equal playing fields, they were also seen as the favorites to take the championship.
The 2005 championship was a two horse race, McLaren winning 10 Grands Prix against Renault’s eight. But Renault prevailed in the end, taking both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships.
The MP4-18 is definitely one of the better looking Formula One cars ever made, but it also represents a failed opportunity for McLaren. The mechanical issues the car was plagued with set the team back at least a year in R&D, all while Renault continued to grow from strength to strength.
McLaren possibly should have dominated the 2005 season, yet the MP4-18, though beautiful, may have contributed to why they didn’t.
7. Ferrari 156
The 156 is one of the more famous Formula One racers, having been consistently placed on various ‘best looking Formula One cars’ lists for decades, deservedly so.
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The car is affectionately known as the ‘sharknose’ due to its front air intakes looking rather like the nostrils of a shark. And as the shark is the great predator of the sea, the 156 was likewise on the track.
It won seven races in total, helping Phil Hill to his 1961 Drivers’ championship, with Ferrari managing to bag two constructors’ championships whilst using the 156 (1961, 1964).
6. Brabham BT52
Designed by the same man who devised the Brabham BT46B, it must be said that Gordon Murray has a knack for creating fine-looking automobiles.
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The BT52, with its arrow shaped nose and lean body, drove Nelson Piquet to his second drivers’ championship (1983), whilst scoring four wins along the way.
With ‘ground effects’ (an effect used to create high amounts of down-force) being banned the previous year, Murray did away with the now unnecessary long side-pods, creating the BT52’s distinct dart shaped appearance when viewed from above.