VOTE: Semi-Final #2 Best Looking 1960s F1 Car

[Liquid]

1961-1963 Ferrari 156 "Sharknose" vs 1967-1969 Lotus 49

1961-1963 Ferrari 156 "Sharknose"

Engines: 1.5L Ferrari V6
Noted Drivers: Phil Hill, Wolfgang von Trips, Giancarlo Baghetti, Richie Ginther

1967-1969 Lotus 49

Important: The 49B, which debuted in 1968, is not part of this poll. This is strictly for the original, non-aero Lotus 49.

Engine: 3.0L Ford-Cosworth V8
Noted Drivers: Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Love

 

[Liquid]

The Eagle-Honda vote is pretty tight but there doesn't seem to be much love for the Sharknose.

It looks fantastic in unpainted aluminum:

But of course, I had to vote for the Lotus. It's... incredible.

 

[Panoz]

The Eagle-Honda vote is pretty tight but there doesn't seem to be much love for the Sharknose.

It looks fantastic in unpainted aluminum:

But of course, I had to vote for the Lotus. It's... incredible.

I be honest that nearly every car from the 1967 season might be the most beautiful of the decade. The designs were at a zenith before the wings start to appear.

 

[Hun200kmh]

Maybe it's blasphemy but I honestly dislike (from a pure aesthetical standpoint) the Ferrari's nose. Plus the Lotus is indeed a beautiful car, so it wasn't a difficult choice.

 

[Dotini]

That Cosworth Ford V-8 serving as a stressed member is the most visible, not to say obvious, reason why the Lotus 49 is such a significant F1 car. It set the basic format of a Cosworth V-8 bolted onto the back of an aluminum monocoque that prevailed all the way through 1982 as the best means to attain the championship. Most all Lotus designs were trim and attractive, but not all were successful and set the pattern for years to come. The Lotus 25 and the Lotus 49 were beautiful in part because they were winners and important harbingers of change. The sharknose Ferrari was also a winner and also attractive. But it was a dead-end with its flexible steel tube frame, flexible wire wheels and inefficient aerodynamics.

 

[Roger the Horse]

No love for the sharknose? Really? In my opinion it's the only open wheel racer I would truly call beautiful.

 

[Dotini]

No love for the sharknose? Really? In my opinion it's the only open wheel racer I would truly call beautiful.

I voted for it. It's better looking than the 49. But, to me, the tail of the car, from the vestigial roll hoop back, is the part that makes the most difference. The Lotus has nothing there in terms of coachwork, and the Ferrari has the most splendid louvered tail cone, teardrop shape inlet covers, and numerous additional scoops. It is a baroque symphony of automotive art. The Lotus is minimalism, writ bare.

 

[Ryk]

Lotus-Cosworth Type 49. Sure has a bit of poke. Not as swish as the Lotus-43 but...

 

[Tired Tyres]

No vote for me. I can't chose between them....

 

[ButtKick]

I cant believe how many people find the Ferrari Shark Nose good looking.
With all the beautiful 60's cars I was amazed that the Shark Nose was even nominated.

I love the Lotus 49, Easily one of my all time favorite designs. One of the last beautiful cars before aerodynamics really took over the sport.

In general I love how exposed the engine is, You can see the whole thing, No silly aero covering it up yet. At the same time it's tucked low enough behind the driver that if you see it from a front view you don't see the motor, You just see that sleek body in the British Racing Green with the Yellow Stripes and Team Lotus badges.

From the above view I love the how the nose of the car bulges to cover the front suspension, It gives the front end a stout bulldog sort of a look.
For me though, My favorite part is the way that Cosworth DFV looks to just float behind the car as its own entity with those low Headers coming out under the car and the way they rise back up on the other side of the axle.

Not only is this car amazing from an aesthetic view, but in it's day this body design and the Cosworth DFV engine we're major game changers.

 

[Roger the Horse]

To me, the Lotus just looks like a green tube with an engine stuck to the back and some wheels sticking out. No aesthetic appeal to it because the design is purely functional. The Ferrari has style. It looks like a torpedo cutting its way along the track, its nostrils wide open in determination as it seeks to get around as quickly as it can, with that sleek bodywork continuing along its length and tapering off at the end, those gorgeous mesh domes providing the perfect accenting to go with it. And has any other car ever pulled off red so well?

I'm not usually one to judge when it comes to others subjective opinions, but the popularity of the Lotus against the sharknose has left me genuinely perplexed. I just don't see what there is to prefer about its appearance in any way, shape, or form whatsoever. Even when it comes to admiring the minimalism of the design, the Ferrari isn't exactly this*:

But, whatever floats your boat I guess.








*Personally I'd argue that the Ferrari is actually more visually minimalist, with the engine covered up and with the wheels tucked up close to the body.

 

[Liquid]

Two days left. Keep those votes coming in.

 

[Liquid]

And in a comprehensive victory, the Lotus 49 advances through to the finals with 44 votes to 14.

Thanks for voting, finals to come later on today. 👍