1977 Tyrrell P34 heads to auction | KLRT [Video]

An example of one of the most unusual Formula 1 cars in history is up for grabs.

This 1977 Tyrrell P34 six-wheeler will be one of the featured lots at RM Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Monaco. Scheduled to be offered for sale May 11, it’s an artifact of a bygone era where small, modestly funded F1 teams could pull off big technical innovations.

Tyrrell won multiple championships with Jackie Stewart in the early 1970s, but as the decade drew to a close the team was looking for something new to help it remain competitive. Designer Derek Gardner’s answer was a six-wheeled car with four small front wheels that dramatically reduced aerodynamic drag compared to taller, conventionally sized wheels. The effect was thought to be equivalent to extracting an additional 40 hp from the P34’s Cosworth DFV engine.

1977 Tyrrell P34, chassis number 8 (photo via RM Sotheby’s)

With Goodyear developing custom tires …