I tend to think all race cars look pretty cool, even the “ugly” ones. There’s something about being purpose-built to do one thing – run a quarter mile, circle an oval, set a land-speed record, climb a hill, cross a desert – that transcends what mere styling can do on its own. There’s nothing fake on a race car (headlight decals excepted); if there’s a vent or fin or intake, you can bet it’s doing something, and it’s placed exactly where it needs to be based on whatever it takes to go fast (and to follow the rules, at least sometimes).
That said, some race cars are certainly better looking than others. I couldn’t resist asking our resident car stylist/F1 fan/opinion-haver Adrian Clarke what competition cars most appeal to his obviously impeccable taste:
I’ll leave you to Google those if they’re not already in your brain, or as I like to call it, Actual Intelligence (I realize the initials are still “AI,” clearly I need to workshop this). As for the race cars that I like, I have a real soft spot for the “wheeled cigar” look of the 1960s as seen below (in Tamiya 1/20 scale model form) with the Lotus Type 49 and Honda RA272.
I really should buy these kits, they’re lovely
Less beautiful, or perhaps “so ugly, they’re beautiful” are the delta-wing cars fielded by Panoz and Nissan, which I’m sure will be a rabbit hole I dive into as soon as I publish this.
Honestly, in red with an open cockpit, I think this thing looks pretty fantastic. But put a roof on it …
… and oof, yeah, that’s pretty grim. But hey, eye of the beholder and all that. How about you? What do you think are the best/worst/weirdest/wildest cars to ever roll under a green flag? See you in the comments!
Top graphic image: Bring a Trailer
Ferrari 250LM or Jaguar D-Type, but I think ’50s and ’60s sports cars are against the spirit of the question.
I don’t tend to think of race cars as being “beautiful,” that’s not really a word I’d use to describe anything covered in branded stickers. But my favorite-looking race cars would have to be:
Ferrari F2002.
’95-99 Jeff Gordon Monte Carlo (see topshot)
I’ll go on record as a fan of the IR-05 IndyCar, specifically Tony Kanaan’s 7Eleven livery.
I meant the later one with flames, and in particular the black livery with orange flames which is why I specifically said 2011. Bang up work Peter.
GT40 MKII, Gulf Oil livery.
Porsche 917, Gulf Oil livery
Gulf livery is so basic.
Well I am so basic, so…
if forced to pick the worst in my opinion I would pick the Nascar Craftsman Truck race cars.
I’m just gonna DM Parker and tell him you said that.
Ferrari 312P. Discussion over.
Definitely one of the best if not the winner
Having been up close to all sorts of machinery, I would say virtually any GT3 car. They are like the angriest version of their road-going counterparts, even if many are actually detuned.
Another contender for simultaneous best/worst are the altered wheelbase A/FX drag cars of the 60s
https://api.dodgegarage.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/002image.jpg
There’s a local 60s Mustang with the hood so long it’s mid engine.
Holman Moody special, looking almost street able.
Beautiful!
If you’re a fan, buy a copy of We Were the Ramchargers. It’s a great book.
Mark Martin #6 valvoline car in 1998/1999 … USA USA USA
Same answer for both.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c5/1b/48/c51b48c7a43e97c6beefd01981446722.jpg
I’ve always been quite fond of the Chaparrals and other curvaceous Can-Am cars.
McLaren MP 4/4 (the one Senna and Prost drove)
Panoz ChampCar from right before reunification (2006-2008?)
Darrel Waltrip’s early ’80s Tide Ride
BMW M1 Gruppe B
March 84/85G
But the best of all… a black Chevy Lumina with a #3 on it.
Worst… any modern F1, Indy, or NAS car.
I’m a big fan of the Pennzoil Yellow Submarine livery. Makes any era Indy Car look good.
Best and worst at the same time:
Good Year/Elf Tyrrell P34
So many tires.
It was an odd one
Eagle Mk 1 was always a looker. Most of the stuff Gurney/AAR ever did is cool.
I always thought anything from Panoz was pretty ugly.
You may enjoy this…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2SDrh0P2pGk&pp=ygUMZ3VybmV5IGVhZ2xl0gcJCU0KAYcqIYzv
This car has been living rent free in my head for the last couple days.
Being a little older than most, I’m voting for the D-Type Jaguar, Aston Martin DBR1, Ferrari 250LM, 250F Maserati and Lotus 25.
If I had to choose one only, it would likely be the 250F.
Porsche 917 in the psychedelic blue/green livery.
https://simeonemuseum.org/collection/1970-porsche-917-lh/
(And a visit to the Simeone Museum is highly recommended, especially if you can go to a demo day when they run some of the cars out in the parking lot.)
I recently went to the Brumos Collection in Jacksonville, where I was pleasantly surprised to find the actual 917 that McQueen drove in Le Mans, in its Gulf Oil finery. Made my day.
One of my favorites of the current crop out there is the Cadillac V Series R, their WEC/IMSA top tier prototype. The vibrant and chrome liveries are spectacular, and the angular, purposeful design looks fast sitting still.
And that NOISE! It’s spectacular.
787B for the win… that green orange is insane. Plus the castrol corollas. Even when they were a bit ugly on the front the livery made up for it
I think it is certainly a reason that a Ferrari 250 GTO is worth $50M. Incredibly successful for years and drop dead gorgeous.
https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/auto/250-gto
In terms of body shape: Mk. I GT40. Possibly the best looking car. period.
As for liveries:
JPS. It’s black and gold. Pure class.
Several of the late ’90s Petty Enterprises STP paint schemes. I like the kinda wave-looking one myself.
I’ve never been a Gulf mark, but many like it.
Martini always works on anything.
The Lotus works paint scheme with the dark British Racing Green serving as a way for that yellow to pop. So good.
Oh, I have to do ugly too, right.
Modern pro stock. Some time in ’00s, they went from basically being production bodies on racing chassis, to becoming amorphous blobs that vaguely resemble the cars they’re supposed to be based on after being left in the sun too long.
Special shout out to the walrus nose Lotus. And most everything else from that F1 session.
The 60’s LeMans cars were just the business weren’t they?
The Ferrari P3/4 is a personal favorite
My favorite childhood race cars are the Shadow Can Am cars. I also have a deep affection for the John Player Special Indy car, and the Group 44 Jaguars.
Can I just complain that I hate there is nothing stock about stock car racing these days?
4Jim called out Group B rally cars and I think that is the correct answer.
I want GM to bite the bullet and make their NASCAR entry a Trax. I’d respect them for that
Back when Ford canceled the Fusion, there was discussion about whether Ford would do the obvious (which it did) or be honest and choose the Edge. In my mind, I’m still rooting for the Edge.
Cut all pretenses and just make it a Bronco Sport
Scrolling and saw Group B rally cars. You are correct. Carry on.
“There’s nothing stock about a stock car” is a line from a 35-year-old movie.
I agree, I was never that much of a Nascar follower, but they really lost me when they started limiting the engines, and body shapes to a specific form and started putting stickers on them to make them look very little like the FWD 4 door sedans
Ka-Chow!
MAKE STOCK CARS STOCK AGAIN
Or at least homolgomate them. I guess I would be fine with Toyota having to make a v8 powered two door Camry that was designed using the Nascar template for overall shape.
You consider the last 60 years to be “these days?”
Its been this way for a few generations, but I agree it’s pretty dumb to call it “stock” car racing.
The many, many racing series that actually run production based cars should be universally renamed to “stock car” racing, with Nascar being renamed to Touring car or something like that.
A Supermodified. It is a car where everything on it is designed and built to go fast on a short pavement oval. It is function over form. Wide tires, moveable aero and a large V8 offset to the left for weight distribution.
And for a look at how you can take that even one step further, look up Kenny Reece’s 3-to-1 Supermodified.
Supermodifieds are an excellent choice, I really wish modifieds as a whole were more popular as a whole in most of the Southeast. Would love to make it up to Oswego one day to see them at their home track.
Love the old group B rally cars. Audi Quatros, Ford RS200, etc. Also old racers like the GT40.
I remember discovering Group B as a kid and so many cool cars I had never seen as a mere mortal American.
I’d say Group B provides both the best and worst looking.
Can’t top the Lancia Stratos for best looking.
The Austin Metro 6R4 is one homely-ass car.
the lancia was first to mind.
So many great looking race cars I don’t think I can pick, but as fast as bad looking, I’d have to say Funny Cars. They seem to know this as they call themselves fun cars, but man are they ugly.
The name came from back in the day when guys would alter the wheelbase of a stock car. Move the fronts forward, and then move the rears forward, and damn that looks funny.
Early days, they almost looked stock.
Some were beautiful.
Anything with a livery sponsored by something that’s bad for me is generally awesome.
bingo
I’ll add anything in Gulf Oil or John Player Special colors.
Martini Racing. Marlboro.
Of fuff, Marlboros are for lightweights. You want Gauloises!
John Player Special
Agreed. The best looking race cars were just a pack of cigarettes with wheels.