Great Reads: March's 6-wheeler & Blower Bentley track test

A century of Motor Sport | View in browser To celebrate 100 years of Motor Sport, we're launching a special series of Great Read newsletters. Delving even deeper into our Archive, this weekly emails will feature some of the best, funniest and downright unusual stories from a century of reporting. We start with a selection from our January issues: January 1977 March reveals six-wheeled F1 prototype  As Tyrrell began its second F1 season with the P34 six-wheeler, March unveiled its own take on the concept: the 771/240 with four wheels at the back and two at the front. "Robin Herd has built a six-wheeled March, with four small wheels at the back, with all four rear wheels driven", said Motor Sport.  "All four rear wheels are the same size as the normal front ones, reducing dramatically the frontal area caused by normal Formula One rear tyres... It is an interesting and courageous experiment." Experiment was the word. The 240 was tested but lack of funds meant it never raced... until in 2010 it was bought and restored after three decades in storage. It has since raced in historic meetings. READ MORE January 1962 Caught by the fizz      As a new year dawned, the topic on the tip of Motor Sport's tongue was... the A5 lemonade bottle. Leading our Matters of Moment section was the "un-British episode" where a police constable stopped a car being driven at 100mph by flinging a bottle of lemonade through the windscreen. The driver: disqualified. Officer: fate unknown. READ MORE January 1931 Blower Bentley: the Motor Sport test The end of the 1930 season brought a chance for Motor Sport to test the supercharged 4 1/2-litre Bentley. "From a car bred in such an atmosphere of speed one expects an abnormal performance, and one is not disappointed... 90mph can be reached from a crawl in just over half a minute... [it] is a car for the connoisseur of sporting cars." READ MORE January 1984 Audi vs Lancia: the WRC conflict The 1983 WRC championship battle was thrilling enough to have spawned a new film about the rivalry, released on January 5. And if you need a refresher, then Motor Sport's recap is the perfect place to start "If nothing else the 1983 World Rally Championship helped disprove two myths," it begins. "The first, that Germans are without exception coldly and clinically efficient. The second, that Italians are always in turmoil, always having a crisis. The championship just past would, however, seem to indicate that there had been a complete role reversal." READ MORE January 1950 Motor Sport inspects the BRM V16     Thunderous to hear; terrifying to drive, the BRM V16 was the British bid to win the world championship with brute force. We visited the private test track where a prototype was being tested for our January 1950 and discovered just how much of a technical marvel it was. If you're keen on the fine details, this one's for you. READ MORE January 1930 The rise of sand racing   Bemoaning a ban of speed events on public roads, Motor Sport delved into the growing sport of sand racing, with speeds of 100mph or more and a "remarkable amount of space". Save for the issue of sand in the crankcase — which beachgoers may be familiar with — we conclude that it provides excellent sport". READ MORE Share this newsletter: Stay up to date  Update your preferences to select the content you wish to receive.   UPDATE NOW  Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy. Motor Sport magazine, 18-20 Rosemont Road, London, NW3 6NE Company no. 05471049, Vat no. 871 544 60