VOTE: Best Looking 1950s F1 Car Semi-Final #1

[Liquid]

1954-1955 Mercedes-Benz W196 vs 1959 Cooper T51

1954-1955 Mercedes-Benz W196

Engine: 2.5L Mercedes-Benz I8
Noted Drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, Piero Taruffi

Raced most often in open-wheel configuration. The famous closed body streamliner only raced at four GPs; France 1954, Britain 1954, Italy 1954 and Italy 1955.

Spoiler

1959 Cooper T51

Engine: 2.5L Coventry-Climax I4
Noted Drivers: Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Maurice Trintignant

 

[Dotini]

Both are terrible!

By far the best looking cars of the fifties were Ferraris and Maseratis.

This poll is unrepresentative of the views of most aficionados of fifties motor racing.

Sure, the Mercedes streamliner had flowing, graceful lines. But it was a gross, unraceable freak, as all the streamliners were back them. The open-wheeler Mercedes was atrociously ugly, slab-sided and boxy, the body was merely an afterthought to wrap the mechanicals. The Cooper was truly an abomination, a totally graceless and disproportionate simple fiberglass POS, a better candidate for ugliest car of the fifties. Fiat 500 and Austin production car parts are visible on the homely little thing.

The fifties were all about Italian machinery, where the finest designers and craftsmen of the day turned out timeless masterpieces like the Maserati 250F and the Ferrari 500. Anybody who thinks these weren't the best looking cars of the fifties is out of his gourd, and has zero soul and historical feeling for the greatest, most evocative racing cars history has to offer. Coopers? Humpf.

 

[Liquid]

This poll is unrepresentative of the views of most aficionados of fifties motor racing.

But it is representative of the people who submitted nominations.

The fifties were all about Italian machinery, where the finest designers and craftsmen of the day turned out timeless masterpieces like the Maserati 250F and the Ferrari 500. Anybody who thinks these weren't the best looking cars of the fifties is out of his gourd, and has zero soul and historical feeling for the greatest, most evocative racing cars history has to offer. Coopers? Humpf.

The Costin shape gives the Italian style a run for its money. The Vanwall VW57 is a great looking machine.

Incidentally the Mercedes-Benz steamrolls this. The Cooper T51 looks like a F3 car, ostensibly because that's what it's based on. So junior league.

 

[Furinkazen]

Mercedes OP.

Both are terrible!

By far the best looking cars of the fifties were Ferraris and Maseratis.

This poll is unrepresentative of the views of most aficionados of fifties motor racing.

Sure, the Mercedes streamliner had flowing, graceful lines. But it was a gross, unraceable freak, as all the streamliners were back them. The open-wheeler Mercedes was atrociously ugly, slab-sided and boxy, the body was merely an afterthought to wrap the mechanicals. The Cooper was truly an abomination, a totally graceless and disproportionate simple fiberglass POS, a better candidate for ugliest car of the fifties. Fiat 500 and Austin production car parts are visible on the homely little thing.

The fifties were all about Italian machinery, where the finest designers and craftsmen of the day turned out timeless masterpieces like the Maserati 250F and the Ferrari 500. Anybody who thinks these weren't the best looking cars of the fifties is out of his gourd, and has zero soul and historical feeling for the greatest, most evocative racing cars history has to offer. Coopers? Humpf.

Best looking. Also something green and British wants a word with you outside about "Italian machinery" or as he called them "those bloody red cars"

 

[Dotini]

Mercedes OP.



Best looking. Also something green and British wants a word with you outside about "Italian machinery" or as he called them "those bloody red cars"

Believe me, I'll be nominating British green when it comes to the 1960's!

 

[Liquid]

Poll closes on Monday. 👍