WORLD FIRST: ALL 3 6-WHEELER F1 CARS GATHERING AT GOODWOOD FoS 2012

Next week’s Festival of Speed (28 June -1 July) will see a unique gathering of unusual British Formula 1 machines, as for the first time ever, anywhere in the world, three infamous cars with 18 wheels between them come together at Goodwood.

The six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, March 2-4-0 and Williams FW08B have never been gathered together before, so the chance to see all three six-wheelers line-up in the paddocks at the Festival of Speed will be an exceptional one, not to be missed by any motor racing enthusiast.

Tyrrell raced the celebrated P34 six-wheeler in 1976 and 1977, with four wheels at the front. Fellow British Formula 1 teams March and Williams also built experimental six-wheeled cars, but with four wheels at the rear for increased traction. The March 2-4-0 - of similar vintage to the Tyrrell - will be making its Goodwood debut.

Like the March 2-4-0, the 1982 Williams FW08B had four rear wheels. It was designed for reduced drag, increased grip and improved ground effects, and was based on the conventional four-wheeled FW08. It was tested once and set lap records, with its unusual set-up providing huge grip and acceleration. In 1983 new F1 regulations banned six-wheeled cars, as well as four-wheel-drive, putting an end to the development of the six-wheeled experiments such as the Williams and March.

The six-wheeled F1 cars will be joined by more than 300 other vehicles at Goodwood.