F1 Trivia

[Hink]

Part 1:
Name the first Formula 1 car to have a seven speed gearbox?

Part 2:
What was the other and even more important feature of this car?

Part 3:
What future car construction capitalized this and how far did it go?

You'll know you got it right for sure when all parts fit together.

Good luck - someone will get this.

[GrandView]

Originally posted by Hink
Part 1:
Name the first Formula 1 car to have a seven speed gearbox?

Part 2:
What was the other and even more important feature of this car?

Part 3:
What future car construction capitalized this and how far did it go?

You'll know you got it right for sure when all parts fit together.

Good luck - someone will get this.

Possibly the 1989 Ferrari 640?

I believe it was also the first with paddle-shift behind the steering wheel.

GV

[Hink]

Not a bad try.

I'll start posting hints tonight is no one gets it.

[RacinM3]

Was it the Lotus that also had the first active suspension which went as far as being manufactured for street use in an Infiniti (and probably other cars I can't remember) 1988 vintage?

Total guess

[RichK]

I am also guessing in the dark, but I keep thinking that Jordan had the first 7-speed. Probably a synapse misfiring in my brain, it's been known to happen....

[Hink]

Here's the first hint. The first car with the 7 speed made its debut in 1986.

[Turn7]

I cheated.


:p

http://www.geocities.com/chasey_uk/bt55history.htm

http://www.geocities.com/chasey_uk/1986brab1.jpg

[RichK]

Jeez, look at the exposure to the driver in that car. His shoulders are sticking out of the cockpit.

I've been testing at Sears Point at the same time as some vintage F1 cars, and I've been able to peek into the cars. It's amazing that there was really nothing protecting the driver above the hips in this era of cars.

[Ziggy]

Ah yes, the "lowline" Brabham.... a pig of a car with a sorid past. This is the type in which Elio de Angelis lost his life in a testing accident at Paul Ricard.

Ziggy

[Hink]

That's not cheating - real life is open book. The Brabham "skateboard" it is.

So we have part 1: The Weismann 7 speed gearbox.

Part 2: The laydown engine. (from the page)

Part 3: The McLaren MP4/4 had the laydown engine and won 15 of 16 races and the WDC in 1988.

While the BT55 was no winning car, it was revolutionary and refinements of that revolution won everything.

The gearbox rarely made it to the end of a race. The car was pig slow in the corners but had the best top speed on the straight from the best engine and low drag until they increased the wing on it to try and get some kind of corner speed.

More pics.
http://www.weismann.net/brabham.html

[mnkywrch]

Originally posted by Ziggy
Ah yes, the "lowline" Brabham.... a pig of a car with a sorid past. This is the type in which Elio de Angelis lost his life in a testing accident at Paul Ricard.


I thought a shoddy response from the safety crew had much to do with that...

[RacinM3]

Man, I was not even close!!!

[Joe in LA]

Two notes on that car: (1) Bernie tried to get Lauda to drive that thing after he announced his retirement. Put up some big money, but Lauda didn't bite. The quote I recall is "I don't want to act like some girl who can't make up her mind." (2) Gordon Murray almost gave up designing race cars after Elio died. As I read it at the time, no one had died in a Murray designed car before that. (kinda hard to believe given that he was designing in the '70s.)

[Badger]

Originally posted by Hink

Part 3: The McLaren MP4/4 had the laydown engine and won 15 of 16 races and the WDC in 1988.

More pics.
http://www.weismann.net/brabham.html

1 and 2 were good, but the McLaren was a V6 Honda and I don't believe it was a laydown design.

[Hink]

Badger - You're right. Gordon Murray's overall design concept was the big link. No one ever canted a V6! The driving position is similar, the Honda more compact, and the fuel cell smaller to allow it.

_Huge_ mistake on my part - thanks for the correction!