La Tyrrell P34, ou Tyrrell 6 wheels is a Formula 1 of the Tyrrell Racing team sponsored by Ken Tyrrell, in the Formula World Championship 1 from 1976 and of 1977.
It’s the only car in 6 wheels that participated in the Formula World Championship 1. Other teams tried to try but failed. Prototypes were however built but only ran in private trials.
P34 celebrates fame at the Swedish Grand Prix of 1976 when Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler obtain pole position then a double at the finish, 1is a 3ème.
Technically :
Aluminum monocoque chassis
Front and rear suspension Spring / Double fork / Koni cables / shock absorbers
Disc brakes
Ford Cosworth DFV V8 engine 2993 cm3
Hewland FG400 gearbox at 5 speeds in 1976 and 6 speeds in 1977
Tank : 191 liters
wheelbase : 2 453 mm
Track front : 1 234 mm
Rear track : 1 473 mm
Weight in 1976 : 587 kg
Weight in 1977 : 620 kg
Carburant Elf
Goodyear tires
Historical :
30 courses, 13 in 1976 and 17 in 1977
1 Victory in 1976
1 Pole en 1976
3 Best tours, 2 in 1976 and 1 in 1977
10 Podiums and 1976
4 Podiums and 1977
Rankings :
3th at the championship 1976
6th at the championship 1977
Drivers :
1976 : Jody Scheckter et Patrick Depailler
1977 : Ronnie Peterson and Patrick Depailler
The Birth of P34
British engineer Derek Gardner has been working in the stable for 1970, who designs the Tyrrell P34 at 6 wheels. He had been thinking about this concept for several years, his idea was to have more contact surface with the ground in the turns and to reduce the frontal surface of air resistance to gain in aerodynamics. P34 for Project 34, his 34th technical project. The car should have been called Tyrrell 008.
Here is one of the first traces of P34
First season 1976
Following successful private trials in 1975 and 1976, Tyrrell embarks on the adventure of competing at the Spanish Grand Prix 1976 with one car for Patrick Depailler. Jody Scheckter will only have his at the Belgian Grand Prix. The 2 drivers will complain about understeer problems but the cars still have a good level of performance and collect points for the world championship. At the end of the year, the overall result is mixed, cars lack spawning speed and therefore aerodynamics despite the small front wheels. The double front brake system also posed many new problems. Enthusiastic depraved will remain for 1977 as Scheckter leaves the team, not believing in 6 wheels. He will be replaced by Ronnie Peterson the following season.
Second season 1977
Tyrrell upgrades the P34 to P34-B which changes color and is distinguished by a completely different aerodynamics. She's supposed to carry on the promises of the season 1 but unfortunately it doesn't go as planned at all, following a bad distribution of the masses, tire malfunction (no special help from Goodyear) and an unreliable Cosworth engine, the season will be catastrophic. Despite the deep involvement of Patrick Depailler, nothing will do and Tyrrell will abandon the P34 project at the end 1977. Engineer Derek Gardner will permanently quit motorsport following the failure of his Project 34.
The different versions of the Tyrrell P34
There have been in all 6 versions de Tyrrell p34 et 2 code names, one per year, P34 / 2 and P34 / 2-B.
P34 / 1 will never see the light of day, it had to take advantage of a Renault Gordini engine derived from the R8 Gordini but it never happened. I describe here the 6 versions :
The V1 at the 4th Spanish Grand Prix of 1976 with large chimneys overhanging the engine, called schnorkels. After a change of regulation they disappear in the V2 and the rear fins shrink as well as their overhang.
V2 starts the 5th race, at the Belgian Grand Prix 1976 with a flat and short air intake and will only last 2 Grand Prix.
The V3 will start at the 7th race, at the Swedish Grand Prix, without any air intake, access is directly through the engine intake pipes during 9 Grand Prix.
V4 (my favorite version) will be topped by a vertical and thin air intake in width, for the last Grand Prix of the season, that of Japan and also at Silverstone in England.
The V5 for the start of the season 1977, without air intake, but with the new white colors of the cockpit for 7 Grand Prize.
The V6 with a fairing that covers the engine, and without external air intake at the Swedish Grand Prix, for 10 Grand Prix, until the end of the season.
1976
The V1
La V2
La V3
V4
Team owner Ken Tyrrell (to the left) standing with Derek Gardner, designer of the Tyrrell P34 (Project 34) while Patrick Depailler of France sits aboard the radical six-wheeled Elf Team Tyrrell Formual One Grand Prix in the pit lane at Silverstone after the result of the cars trial run on 9 October 1975 on the Silverstone circuit, Towcester, United Kingdom. (Photo de Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty Images).Team owner Ken Tyrrell with the six wheeled Elf Team Tyrrell P34 during practice for the British Grand Prix on 15th July 1978 at the Brands Hatch circuit in Fawkham, Great Britain. (Photo by Getty Images)
1977
V5
V6
A parenthesis on the accident at the Japanese Grand Prix between Gilles Villeneuve and Ronnie Perterson
Today
Museums and lounges
A version of the Tyrrell P34 from 1976 is at the Automobile and Technological Museum in Sinsheim in Germany.
This is the first version of the P34
My personal photos (and those of Virginie Maneval my partner) at the Retromobile show in Paris in 2017. It’s V5 from 1977. Because I want to have a car rally in 6 wheels one day, I went to ask the question of how to rent the car, she is actually based in a museum in London.
The mockeries
When Tyrrell announced the arrival of a car in 6 wheels, other builders openly mocked the project in various ways
From Ford
When Ken Tyrrell spoke to the project to Ford, Ford sent the drawing back to make fun of it.
From lotus
Lotus too is openly mocked at Tyrrell by spreading fakes in the press, the first is just a photo with a wheel simply added on each side of the Formula 1.
The second photo would come from one of the mechanics of the Lotus team, particularly gifted in hacking, scissors, glue and brush strokes, there was no computer at the time, the first PCs only appeared in 1985.
Pedal cars
A children's toy publisher has made a very small version, all mimi
Static models
There’s basically a plastic model brand that 3 P34 models of 1976 and 1977 in different versions and in 2 sizes, 1/12 and 1/20, at Tamiya. I’m putting the doc of one of these models below. These are superb achievements with a multitude of details. These models are still easily found on eBay, although they have not been produced for years..
Tamiya made a scale model 1/12, Click on the image to download the assembly instructions in ZIP format.
1/121/20
There are also other kits…
Metal models
There are many commercially available metal models, as much at Majorette, Matchbox ou Super Champion (the one i have ! 2nd on the left)
There are also very high-end models, with a lot of details, but of course very expensive…
RC models
Very rare, a Formula 1 Marlboro to 6 wheels !!!!
Circuit models 24
A long time ago I had this model from Polistil
Other models exist
Even reds !
Art
Artist sculpture ! (30/11/2006)
Paintings too
A superb drawing by Racing Line Design, an artist who makes great achievements, A must see !
Humour
I offer you fakes in this humor category, models that will remind us of the P34 project, from new angles…
La Tyrell Skyline P34RS Super Silhouette 6 Wheeler
The tractor 6 wheels
A new model of P34, more current…
Les P34 like
Lots of cars at 6 wheels were directly inspired by the Tyrrell P34, for a long time I decided to create a category which includes all these vehicles at 6 and 8 wheels. I keep it regularly updated, you can view it here.
Founder of mm2 France, oto6, then from Sixmania.
The 6 wheels and more have always been a passion for me. It started in 1980 thanks to a certain Christian de Léotard, you know ?
3 thoughts on “Tyrrell P34 – Derek Gardner 1976-1977”
Hello
I discovered your site on the P34 !
Great credit to you for having done so but your historical description of the evolution of the car is neither more nor less eccentric.
There was no 6 versions, that you seem to confuse with the number of chassis produced.
In the facts; there have been, a first laboratory chassis based on 007.
We will call it P34 / 1.
Thin test chassis 1975, not scheduled to run ( between other tank and chassis capacity tending to deform a priori.
This chassis was tested with different calenders and air intake type 007 but prohibited in early 1976 Chassis visible at the Sisheim museum in Germany
Tyrrell's decision to run P34 in 1976.
3 additional chassis will be built: P34 / 2 – P34 / 3 and P34 / 4.
Appear throughout the season versions and / or modify different depending on circuits (rear wings, cockpit openings, air intake more or less removed, etc …
Arrive 1977, and the appearance of a major evolution with the construction of 3 additional chassis : P34 / 5, P34 / 6 and / P34 / 7.
P34 / 2, P34 / 3 and P34 / 4 are configured. 1977 also ( cockpit bar among others, radiator positioning ) but P34 / 3 and P34 / 4 will be destroyed at the GP of Brazil 1977..
… Body too heavy, wider front tracks, transfer of radiators and especially abandonment of Goodyear on the development of front tires will be right in the history of these superb Tyrrell .
It seems that there is an additional 1or 2 other chassis built later and by collectors but no reliable information about me.
……… finally one of your photos challenged me
P34 a 8 wheels. If you could tell me a little more ?
To read to you.
Yours
Benedict
Hello benoît
Suddenly I'm ashamed to have let a fake go by 8 wheels !
I had however refined my article by taking care to read a lot of things on the P34 before publishing the new article…
In fact Versions, I was talking about the look of the cars, I will try to resume all this properly with your precious information.
In any case, thank you very much for your very constructive criticism., I see that I still have a lot of progress to make !
Yours
Marc
good morning Marc
Sorry and sorry to answer you so late.
As you will understand, I was and still am a big fan of Tyrrell for following his whole story.
Very unfortunate that this big name in F1 disappeared today just like lotus, Brabham. Etc…………
Current F1 is tasteless to me.
In any case I remain at your disposal to "complete" or help you on Uncle Ken's single-seaters.
Looking forward to reading from you or meeting you
Yours
Benedict
La V2
Hello
I discovered your site on the P34 !
Great credit to you for having done so but your historical description of the evolution of the car is neither more nor less eccentric.
There was no 6 versions, that you seem to confuse with the number of chassis produced.
In the facts; there have been, a first laboratory chassis based on 007.
We will call it P34 / 1.
Thin test chassis 1975, not scheduled to run ( between other tank and chassis capacity tending to deform a priori.
This chassis was tested with different calenders and air intake type 007 but prohibited in early 1976 Chassis visible at the Sisheim museum in Germany
Tyrrell's decision to run P34 in 1976.
3 additional chassis will be built: P34 / 2 – P34 / 3 and P34 / 4.
Appear throughout the season versions and / or modify different depending on circuits (rear wings, cockpit openings, air intake more or less removed, etc …
Arrive 1977, and the appearance of a major evolution with the construction of 3 additional chassis : P34 / 5, P34 / 6 and / P34 / 7.
P34 / 2, P34 / 3 and P34 / 4 are configured. 1977 also ( cockpit bar among others, radiator positioning ) but P34 / 3 and P34 / 4 will be destroyed at the GP of Brazil 1977..
… Body too heavy, wider front tracks, transfer of radiators and especially abandonment of Goodyear on the development of front tires will be right in the history of these superb Tyrrell .
It seems that there is an additional 1or 2 other chassis built later and by collectors but no reliable information about me.
……… finally one of your photos challenged me
P34 a 8 wheels. If you could tell me a little more ?
To read to you.
Yours
Benedict
Hello benoît
Suddenly I'm ashamed to have let a fake go by 8 wheels !
I had however refined my article by taking care to read a lot of things on the P34 before publishing the new article…
In fact Versions, I was talking about the look of the cars, I will try to resume all this properly with your precious information.
In any case, thank you very much for your very constructive criticism., I see that I still have a lot of progress to make !
Yours
Marc
good morning Marc
Sorry and sorry to answer you so late.
As you will understand, I was and still am a big fan of Tyrrell for following his whole story.
Very unfortunate that this big name in F1 disappeared today just like lotus, Brabham. Etc…………
Current F1 is tasteless to me.
In any case I remain at your disposal to "complete" or help you on Uncle Ken's single-seaters.
Looking forward to reading from you or meeting you
Yours
Benedict