The Coolest Formula One Cars of All Time

With another season of Formula One exercise set to kvetch off , it ’s gamy time we took a look back at the coolest cars the series has ever see . Maybe there have been better , there have been prettier , and there have been more important – but each one of these cars exhibits that certainje ne sais quoithat help it remain firm out as coolest , even amongst the great .

Ferrari 312T - 312T5

When it raced:1975 to 1980 ( ending with the 312T5)The Ferrari 312 deoxythymidine monophosphate won four Constructors ' Championships during its run . Niki Lauda pilot it to two of his own championship , on either side of hisfamous duel with James Huntin ' 75.Gilles Villeneuve ’s on - edge heroic verse , though , are just as full-grown a part of the car ’s fable .

Matra MS11

When it raced:1969Don’t worry about the front one-half of the railway car . bet at the aphrodisiac - as - hell exhaust fumes sticking out of the V12 in back . Then put your earpiece on , click here , and thank me after .

Williams FW15C

When it raced:1993In some respects , the 1993 Williams competition remains the most advanced F1 car of all time thanks to antilock brakes , traction control , and a manikin of participating suspension that literally raised and frown the car to affect flowing puff . It was good enough thatAyrton Sennabegged for a chance to drive it , even for for free . Instead , his arch contender Alain Prost win his fourth and final championship in this car .

AAR Eagle

When it raced:1966 to 1969Dan Gurney ’s All American Racers stands as the most successful American - run Formula One squad in history . That its Eagle race car ranks among of the most beautiful of all time is just a very nice coincidence .

McLaren M23

When it raced:1973 to 1978On its debut , Emerson Fittipaldi drove the M23 to a World Championship . Two years afterwards , the automobile was immortalized for its role as James Hunt ’s car opposite the aforementioned Ferrari 312 of Niki Lauda .

Tyrrell P34

When it raced:1976 to 1977The only six - wheeled railway car to ever race in F1 , it seems strange but it actually made a lot of aerodynamic good sense . The only job was , since the P34 was theonlycar in the theatre of operations using the tiny front tire , Goodyear focused its development cause elsewhere . And you ca n’t win without good tires , so that was that .

Lotus 79

When it raced:1978 to 1979I wo n’t gestate you with terms like Venturi tunnel , but just know that Lotus boss Colin Chapman was a firm worshipper in aerodynamics , and his slipstream machine were always cutting edge . This is the auto with which Mario Andretti took the patronage , in no small part because it was near glued to the primer coat at high speed .

McLaren M7C

When it raced:1969 ( for the Guillotine wing)The later 1960s were an exciting time in Formula One , as the auto had just start out to sprout wings . finally , locomotive engineer realize that placing the wings higher intend they ’d form better . Then , almost inevitably , someone enquire what would happen if you putanotherwing on the car , right over the front cycle . The practice session was ultimately banned because it was frightening – you get one hypothesis why the M7C is sometimes bid " the Guillotine . "

Brabham BT46

When it raced:1978See that buff in the back ? It ’s " technically " to cool the radiators , but what it really does is sop up air out from under the car , literally vacuuming it to the background . It only raced once – and won – before being withdrawnfor reasons of F1 politics . But the railcar ’s designer , Gordon Murray , eventually went on to plan the McLaren F1 .

McLaren MP4/4

When it raced:1988It ’s hard to hyperbolise the coldness of the MP4/4 . candidly I get horripilation typing the name sometimes . In the track of achieving level of domination previously unheard of in F1 , it was the iconic red and white weapon of the corking battle between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost . As the duad come one race from sweeping the full time of year , the MP4/4 made sure they lookedgooddoing it .

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Aaron Milleris theCarseditor for Thrillist , and can befound on Twitter . The MP4/4 has his heart , but the auditory sensation of the Matra and the creativity of the Tyrrell are hard to beat .

Tyrrell P34 at a Vintage race in Austin TX