Starting with number ten:
Number 10: 1956-58 Lotus Eleven
Story: The Lotus Eleven was designed by Colin Chapman, underneath it used an 1.1 litre in-line four Coventry Climax engine. It took Reg Bicknell and Peter Jopp to seventh overall at the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans and took S1.1 class win at Le Mans that year. And then at the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans, it took Herbert MacKay-Fraser and Jay Chamberlain to ninth overall at Le Mans and took S1.1 class win at Le Mans that year. Overall the Lotus eleven took two Le Mans class wins for Lotus in that period at Le Mans.
Number 9: 1959-1964 Lotus 14 (Lotus Elite)
Story: The Lotus 14 was designed by Colin Chapman, underneath it used an 1.2 litre in-line four Coventry Climax engine. It took Peter Lumsden and Peter Riley to eighth overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans and took GT 1.5 class win at Le Mans that year. Then at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, it took Roger Masson and Claude Laurent to thirteenth overall at Le Mans and took GT 1.3 class win at Le Mans that year. Then once again at the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans, it took William E.J. Allen and Trevor Taylor to twelfth overall at Le Mans and took GT 1.3 class win at Le Mans that year. Then again at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, it took David Hobbs and Frank Gardner to eighth overall at Le Mans and took GT 1.3 class win at Le Mans that year. Then for a fifth time at the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans, it took John Wagstaff and Pat Ferguson to tenth overall at Le Mans and took GT 1.3 class win at Le Mans that year. And finally at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, it took Clive Hunt and John Wagstaff to twenty-second overall at Le Mans and took GT 1.3 class win at Le Mans that year. Overall, the Lotus 14 took six Le Mans class wins for Lotus in that period at Le Mans.
Number 8: 1963-66 Lotus Cortina
Story: The Lotus Cortina was based on a tuned-up version of the Ford Cortina from Lotus. Under the Lotus Cortina it used a tuned up version of the Ford 1.6 litre straight four engine that produce 160bhp. The Lotus Cortina took Jim Clark to the 1964 British Touring Car Championship. While, Bengt Söderström took 1966 RAC win and 1967 Rally Sweden win with the Lotus Cortina. Overall, Lotus Cortina was a race winner on both dirt and track.
Number 7: 1987 Lotus 99T
Story: Lotus 99T was designed by Gérard Ducarouge and Martin Ogilvie, and was the first Formula 1 and Lotus chassis to be fitted with electronic active suspension. Also, the Lotus 99T had the Honda 1.5 litre V6 turbo engine underneath, which produce over 1000bhp in qualifying and around 790bhp in race pace. The Lotus 99T took Lotus to third in the Constructors standings in 1987 and took two wins for Ayrton Senna at Monaco, Detroit and the final Grand Prix win for Team Lotus.
Number 6: 1962-65 Lotus 33
Story: The Lotus 33 was designed by Colin Chapman, and was a straight evolution from the Lotus 25. The Lotus 33 was powered by a 1.5 litre V8 Coventry Climax FPF engine. The Lotus 33 took Jim Clark to the 1965 Formula 1 world drivers championships and Team Lotus to the 1965 F1 constructors championships as-well. Lotus 33 took five Grand Prix wins overall, all for Jim Clark.
Number 5: 1978-79 Lotus 79
Story: The Lotus 79 was the first F1 car to take full advantage of ground effects aerodynamics, pioneered in its immediate predecessor, the Lotus 78 which started the ground effect movement. The Lotus 33 was designed by Colin Chapman, Geoff Aldridge, Martin Ogilvie, Tony Rudd and Peter Wright; the Lotus 79 had the Cosworth DFV 3 litre V8 underneath. The Lotus 79 took six Grand Prix wins, It took a race win for Ronnie Peterson and five wins for Mario Andretti. To give Mario Andretti the 1978 F1 drivers championship and the F1 constructors championship for Team Lotus, Colin Chapman's and Team Lotus's last divers and constructors championships.
Number 4: 1965-67 Lotus 38
Story: The Lotus 38 was designed by Colin Chapman and Len Terry. Underneath the Lotus 38 used the Ford 4.2 litre V8 engine that produce 500bhp. The Lotus 38 was the first mid-engined car to win the Indianapolis 500, in 1965, with Jim Clark driving for Team Lotus that season instead of winning the Monaco Grand Prix was on that same weekend in 1965 to give Lotus a winning race car in America.
Number 3: 1962-65 Lotus 25
Story: The Lotus 25 was a revolutionary design created by Colin Chapman, the first fully stressed monocoque chassis to appear in F1. The Lotus 25 was powered by a 1.5 litre V8 Coventry Climax FPF engine. The Lotus 25 took Jim Clark to his 1963 Formula 1 world drivers championships and Team Lotus to the 1963 F1 constructors championships as-well. Colin Chapman's and Team Lotus's first drivers and constructors championship. Lotus 25 took fourteen Grand Prix wins overall, all for Jim Clark.
Number 2: 1967-70 Lotus 49
Story: The Lotus 49 was the first F1 car to be powered by the now-famous Cosworth DFV 3 litre V8 engine after Chapman convinced Ford to build an F1 power-plant with the help from Cosworth. Designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe, the Lotus 49 was designed around the Cosworth DFV engine and was the first successful Formula One car to feature the engine as a structural member of the chassis. Jim Clark won on the car's debut in 1967, and it would also provide him with the last win of his career in 1968. Graham Hill went on to win the 1968 F1 drivers title and the constructors championship as-well for Team Lotus that year. The Lotus 49 continued winning races until 1970. Overall, Lotus 49 took twelve Grand Prix wins between 1967 till 1970. Which includes five for Jim Clark, four for Graham Hill, one for Jo Siffert, and two for Jochen Rindt.
Number 1: 1970-75 Lotus 72
Story: The Lotus 72 was yet another innovative design by Colin Chapman featuring inboard brakes, side mounted radiators in sidepods, as opposed to the nose mounted radiators which had been commonplace since the 1950s and an overhead air intake. The Cosworth DFV 3 litre V8 underneath the Lotus 72. Which, took the Lotus 72 to twenty wins, four wins for Jochen Rindt, seven wins for Ronnie Peterson and nine wins for Emerson Fittipaldi. Which also, gives Jochen Rindt the 1970 F1 drivers title, Emerson Fittipaldi the 1972 F1 drivers title and Team Lotus the 1970, 1972 and 1973 F1 constructors titles. The Lotus 72 continue winning races until 1974 and kept on racing till 1975.
To give the 1970-75 Lotus 72 the best Lotus race cars ever!
End of blog for now, new post soon. Bye.
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