Tyrrell P34 - Jonathan Holtzman

The presentation of the Tyrrell P34 caused a big stir in Formula One in 1976. The "six-wheeler" - designed by Tyrrell racing engineer Derek Gardner - had four customized 10-inch front wheels and two standard rear wheels. The very narrow front wheels were intended to reduce drag. In 30 races, the Tyrrell P34 scored one win, one pole position, 14 podiums and three fastest laps. Actually, Jonathan Holtzman - a Formula 1 enthusiast from America - wanted to buy a Tyrrell P34 and compete with it in historic events. Since this was not possible, he decided to have the most extraordinary car in the premier class of motorsports built. After successful negotiations with the Tyrrell family, two P34s were then realized - of course strictly according to the construction plans of the time. More than 800 hours were spent on building the chassis alone, and around 7,000 hours for the entire project. The completion of the two real "Continuations" with chassis numbers 009 and 010 took about two years. Jonathan Holtzman has been competing in the Masters Historic Racing Series with one of the two Tyrrell P34s since 2020 - the other has been put up for sale - with a catch. The P34 must be driven for the first three years - after that, the owner is free to dispose of the car. The cars were built to be driven, says Jonathan Holtzman.

Report: Rainer Selzer / Bilder: RS65photos