The Tyrrell P34 used four wheels at the front to reduce aerodynamic drag by employing smaller diameter tires. March's designer, Robin Herd, observed the P34 experiment and concluded that the 'four front wheels' concept might have been a blind alley. He assessed that the improved aerodynamics at the front were largely negated by the rear tires, which at 24" (60 cm) diameter would still account for 30 to 40% of the car's total drag. Herd also felt that with a modern rear-wheel-drive F1 car, extra grip could be more usefully employed for the driven wheels.
With this in mind, Herd designed a six-wheeled car with four driven wheels at the rear, all of the wheels being the same 16" diameter. His theory was that with all six tires the same size as a regular F1 front tire, the car would be slimmer than normal F1 cars and possess improved aerodynamic performance at the rear with cleaner air passing over the wing. Four driven wheels would also mean better traction, and there would be no problem with tire development since the car would use the same rubber as a conventional F1 car. Herd called this concept '2-4-0', following the Whyte notation used to describe railway rolling stock: two wheels leading, four driven wheels, zero trailing wheels.
Max Mosley, Herd's partner at March Cars, gave the go-ahead for a prototype to be built. Mosley noted that the P34 had generated a lot of additional publicity for Tyrrell, and he believed a March six-wheeler would be an attractive package to present to potential sponsors. Due to financial constraints at March during 1976/77, the development costs of an all-new six-wheel car were high. As a compromise, a 1976-design Cosworth DFV-powered March 761 was adapted by team mechanic Wayne Eckersley, using existing parts from the factory stores.
A key feature for a car with four driven wheels at the rear was the transmission. An ingenious gearbox design was required to minimize frictional power losses and be stronger to counteract the higher torsional and flexural stresses of the close-coupled four-wheel-drive system. Herd's original design for the gearbox casing specified strengthening ribs, but these were later removed as a cost-cutting measure to simplify production. The design utilized a standard Hewland F1 gearbox for the first axle, to which a new casing, gears, and an extended pinion for the second axle were fitted. This allowed for easy adaptation of any 761 chassis if the concept proved workable.
The 2-4-0 was unveiled to the press in late November 1976, generating significant interest with articles in several motor sport magazines and a photograph on the cover of Autosport magazine (dated 2 December 1976). Plans for a full running demonstration and developmental testing at Silverstone circuit were outlined for a fortnight later.
The first test at Silverstone in late 1976 encountered immediate problems: on the initial lap, the gearbox casing flexed, causing the gears to unmesh. No immediate solution was found, and the rear crown wheel and pinion were removed for the rest of the day, effectively making the 2-4-0 a two-wheel-drive car again. Fortunately for March, it was a wet day at the circuit, and driver Howden Ganley could not push the car too fast. Consequently, the test was reported as a success by the media.
The problems highlighted the need for a new, stronger gearbox casing and a serious development program. Unable to afford the time and resources, the 2-4-0 project was de-prioritized. In February 1977, the car, now fitted with a stronger gearbox, ran again at Silverstone with driver Ian Scheckter. Although it was another wet day, the car was run up and down the Hangar Straight, and Scheckter reported that the traction with four driven wheels was 'incredible'. This event again made Autosport magazine's front page (dated 10 February 1977).
However, this marked the end of the 2-4-0's F1 development history. On its reappearance at the Belgium GP in June, the converted 761 chassis had been reconfigured as a conventional four-wheeler.
A claim from an August 2002 article on the 8W website, based on an incorrectly identified photograph, suggested the 2-4-0 may have appeared in practice for the 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix. The photograph actually showed the car testing at Silverstone in February 1977, and contemporary reports confirm the 2-4-0 was not present at the Grand Prix. The error has since been corrected by the article's author.
In 1979, the 2-4-0 concept was revived by British Hillclimb specialist Roy Lane. Lane purchased a March 771 chassis and, with Robin Herd's blessing, was loaned the improved 2-4-0 transmission unit. The fact that the 2-4-0 was originally an inexpensive workshop conversion of the standard March F1 chassis meant Lane could easily fit the unit to his car. Taking advantage of four-wheel traction, Lane won several British hill-climbing events in the 771/2-4-0 that year, with the first win at Wiscombe Park in May. However, over the season, the car proved troublesome, and Lane eventually switched back to the four-wheel configuration.
Despite only limited success in short duration racing events, the 2-4-0 concept was never disproven. It is possible that if a weight-shedding program had been pursued (possibly using stronger and lighter materials) and the car's suspect handling improved, the 2-4-0 could have proved successful in F1. The concept would certainly have adapted well to ground effect, which was the coming technology in Grand Prix racing.
The Williams team built and tested two 2-4-0–style six-wheeled cars, designated the FW07D and FW08B, suggesting agreement with Herd's theory. However, any hopes of seeing a 2-4-0–style race car compete in a Grand Prix were dashed when the FIA banned all four-wheel drive systems in this category. The FW08B remains on display in the Williams's factory museum.
The March 2-4-0 story was not without a silver lining for the company. As Max Mosley had surmised, the car was indeed a publicity magnet, as evidenced by its appearance on the cover of Autosport magazine and subsequent media coverage. Additionally, significant income was generated for the team when the Scalextric company purchased the rights to produce and market a best-selling 1/32 scale slot-racing replica.
As of May 2013, the March 2-4-0 was housed in the Louwman collection in The Hague, the Netherlands, and it was raced at the 2014 Oulton Park Gold Cup.
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