Cosworth 4WD F1 Prototype

From 1961 to 1965 the capacity limit for Formula 1 engines had been limited to 1½ litres, but in 1966 that limit was increased to 3 litres giving the potential for a massive increase in power. This was realised in the 1967 season with the introduction of the Cosworth DFV engine but the downside was that cars were finding it increasingly difficult to transfer this power to the road, particularly in wet conditions. Several teams tried their hand at building four-wheel drive cars to improve the grip, and they were joined by Frank Costin and Keith Duckworth, the men behind the Cosworth engine.

This car, photographed in the Donington Park museum in September 2014, is the Cosworth 4WD F1 prototype which was hampered by a variety of teething problems. In the meantime the F1 teams also had problems with their 4WD cars, and Colin Chapman's experiments with wings on his Lotus cars, soon taken up by other teams, and also advances in tyre technology solved the grip problem to a large extent and the 4WD revolution never took hold. Keith Duckworth shelved the Cosworth 4WD project without the car having turned a wheel in anger.