ONLY - Formula One car built by Cosworth - Donington Grand Prix Museum, Leicestershire
Posted by: 
SMacB
N 52° 49.632 W 001° 21.970
30U E 610080 N 5854299
This is the only Formula One car Cosworth have ever built, and is now on display as part of the Donington Grand Prix Collection.
Waymark Code: WMXR82
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/18/2018
Views: 0
"With Keith Duckworth's DFV engine being the root of the grip problem, it was perhaps to be expected that Cosworth were the first to attempt a 4WD solution. Ford's Walter Hayes, who had backed the DFV, gave the project his blessing and former McLaren designer Robin Herd joined Duckworth in designing the car, which was a pretty radical departure from the normal late-60s cars. The Cosworth featured a very angular shape, with sponsons between the wheels either side of the aluminium monocoque to house the fuel tanks and improve the car's aerodynamics, and the cockpit was quite visibly off-set to the driver's left. Unlike all the other 4WD F1 cars, instead of using the Ferguson transmission Cosworth built their own version from scratch, and even went as far as producing a new gearbox and a bespoke magnesium-cast DFV, perhaps anticipating a future market for their technology.
Trevor Taylor and Cosworth co-founder Mike Costin tested the car extensively, the first problem being the positioning of the oil tank, which for weight distribution had been placed directly behind the driver's backside, causing considerable discomfort. With the oil tank moved back behind the engine and a redesign of the front driveshafts the only major remaining problem was the excessive understeer which dogged all the 4WD cars. A limited-slip front differential was tried with some slight success, but after Jackie Stewart briefly sampled the car reporting that "the car's so heavy on the front, you turn into a corner and whole thing starts driving you", confirming what Taylor and Costin already felt, Hayes withdrew his support and the Cosworth 4WD project was axed shortly before the British Grand Prix.
This remains the only Formula One car Cosworth have ever built, and like the Lotus 63 the car is now on display as part of the Donington Grand Prix Collection. There was a second cosworth FWD built out of factory parts by Crosthwaite and Gardner, it was on display at the now closed Fremantle motor museum and now in a private collection in Melbourne Australia."
SOURCE - (
visit link)
"
1969 Cosworth 4-Wheel Drive During the early 1960s the 'kit-car' theme developed and when Cosworth came along with the super-successful engines it began to mushroom. In 1968 Keith Duckworth decided that he would have a car developed to make the ultimate use of this new Grand Prix engine and so one of the most striking of the 1969 season's crop of 4-wheel drive cars came into being.
Robin Herd left McLaren to design the new car, which was put together in Cosworth's Northampton works and which displayed superb workmanship. The cockpit was slightly offset to allow the drive-line to pass down its right-hand side. The DFV V8 engine was turned about-face in the chassis to power a centre differential in the normal 4-wheel drive manner and the broad monocoque tub was extended to form flared aerodynamic sponsons betwe the wheels on either side. An unusual inboard suspension system was adopted but as things developed the Cosworth car was never to be raced.
4-wheel drive offered a way of increasing the car's traction and during the latter part of 1968, developments with aerodynamic aids produced a light and simpler car capable of achieving similar ends. After some hair-raising accidents early in 1969 regulations were devised to limit these aids. However they still proved extremely effective, and the complex and difficult 4-wheel drive cars had a basic weight disadvantage, when Mike Costin (the 'Cos' of Cosworth) and Trevor Taylor tested their car they found many problems. Despite prodigious speed and acceleration, it quickly became just another 'might have been'."
SOURCE - info board