March 240/771 Formula 1

Following the six wheeled Tyrrell P34 Formula 1 racer from 1976, March also built a six wheeled race car in that same year.

Following the six wheeled Tyrrell P34 Formula 1 racer from 1976, March also built a six wheeled race car in the same year. Such designs were made possible by a change in the regulations. However, the March 240/771 has four wheels at the rear, while the Tyrrell has four wheels at the front. The technical objective is also different. On the Tyrrell, the (smaller) front wheels are intended to generate less air resistance; on the March, all the wheels are the same size, but four wheels are mounted at the rear to gain more grip. The type designation 2-4-0 of the March can be explained as the Anglo Saxon Whyte notation for the arrangement of the axles of steam locomotives: two non driven wheels, four driven wheels, zero non driven wheels. The designation 771 means racing season 1977, Formula 1. The six wheeler is extensively tested at the English Silverstone circuit by, among others, Ian Scheckter, the older brother of driver Jody Scheckter, but it never races. At the end of the 1977 season March withdraws from Formula 1 and the car is sold to hill climb specialist Roy Lane.