Lotus 78

The Lotus 78 was a Formula One racing car used in the 1977 and 1978 seasons and was the first ground effect car in Formula One. It was designed by Peter Wright, Colin Chapman, Martin Ogilvie and Tony Rudd, after Chapman, studying the wing-mounted radiators of the de Havilland Mosquito, saw that an inverted wing profile could give downforce. Wind tunnel work showed that a shaped underbody was drawn toward the road, and the sidepods were formed as inverted aerofoils, sealed against the track by sliding skirts. The car was loosely based on the Lotus 72, with a slimmer aluminium and honeycomb monocoque and a longer wheelbase. Five were built, and in 1977 it was the class of the field, winning five races. Mario Andretti said driving it felt as if it were painted to the road.