The constructor that raced the one-off BT46B fan car in Formula 1 was Brabham.
Designed by Gordon Murray for the 1978 season, the BT46B was Brabham’s answer to Lotus’s emerging ground-effect advantage. Its large rear fan was officially presented as a cooling device, but it also sucked air from beneath the car, creating exceptional downforce.
The fan car made its World Championship debut at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix. Niki Lauda won at Anderstorp, while teammate John Watson retired after spinning. The car was then withdrawn amid protests from rival teams and concerns about its legality.
Brabham’s fan car is often confused with the earlier Chaparral 2J “sucker car,” which inspired its concept, or with Lotus, whose ground-effect cars prompted the design. The BT46B’s Swedish Grand Prix victory stood, making its only official F1 race a winning one.