VOTE: FINAL! Best Looking 1950s F1 Car

[Liquid]

1954-1959 Maserati 250F vs 1954-1955 Mercedes-Benz W196

And here is the anticipated final! Both the Maserati and Mercedes-Benz comfortable won their semis with 79.6% and 73.9% majorities respectively.

Two heavyweights of Formula One lore and common culture, will the winner from the first decade of Formula One be the sleek, tapered Maserati or the striking Mercedes-Benz?

1954-1959 Maserati 250F

Engines: 2.5L Maserati I6, 2.5L Maserati V12
Noted Drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Musso, Harry Schell, Stirling Moss

Raced with minor tweaks over the years but generally retained the same shape.

1954-1955 Mercedes-Benz W196

Engine: 2.5L Mercedes-Benz I8
Noted Drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, Piero Taruffi

Raced most often in open-wheel configuration. The famous closed body streamliner only raced at four GPs; France 1954, Britain 1954, Italy 1954 and Italy 1955.

Spoiler

POLL CLOSES MONDAY 11TH APRIL​

 

[TheBook]

I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for the streamlined version of the Merc, but the Maserati wins this one easy.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I admit I have a bit of a soft spot for the streamlined version of the Merc, but the Maserati wins this one easy.

It seems so. Bah.

 

[DK]

Mercedes have been winning things too much recently, I might as well vote against them.

 

[Dotini]

Monza streamlined 250F, 1955:

• 
  
• 
• • 
• 
  
  Classic shape in white:
  • 
  The original '54 250F looked a bit less glamorous- but was available with big trident in grille!
  • 
    
    
  • 

 

[Liquid]

I didn't know about the streamlined Maserati. Excellent.

The trident grille is wonderful.

 

[Dotini]

I didn't know about the streamlined Maserati. Excellent.

The trident grille is wonderful.

All those gorgeous streamliners of the fifties tended to generate aerodynamic lift at one or both ends, and were scary as hell to drive - which is why the drivers wisely shunned them.

An excellent trivia question would be who ran the first effective spoiler to kill lift? My guess would be Richie Ginther in a Ferrari sports car.

 

[Pupik]

250F > W196 because the Mercedes without the aerodynamic fairings always looked weird and imbalanced, to me.

 

[Ryk]

Three pointed star or the three pronged trident?

Mercedes-Benz W196 - silver arrow wins for me like it did for Stirling back in 55

 

[Liquid]

And the winner, the best looking Formula One car of the 1950s as voted by you, the GTPers, is the Maserati 250F with a resounding victory.

Thanks for voting. 👍