LOTUS sports racing cars. Colin Chapman and Eric Broadley achieved staggering all-round performance

Small-capacity sports car racing was enlivened and changed beyond recognition in the second half of the 1950s by a brilliant succession of cars, with Lotus and Lola setting a development pace which others such as Elva could seldom match.

Colin Chapman and Eric Broadley achieved staggering all-round performance advances with very modest resources and using relatively modest engines —sophistication in the areas of suspension, spaceframes, weight-saving and aerodynamics were their keys to success.

The first aerodynamic Lotus sports-racer was the 8 of 1954. It had a rigid lightweight spaceframe, coil-spring divided swing axle front suspension and de Dion rear with inboard drum brakes. The body was Frank Costin's first automotive design, all-enveloping from a low penetrating nose to pronounced tail fins (Costin was worried about the stability of such a light car, especially in cross winds).

There was a full-length undertray, and the passenger seat could be covered. The body was partly stressed on the first car; this increased rigidity but complicated repair work, and panels were detachable on subsequent 8s. Normal engine was a Laystall-headed MG unit, but Climax and Connaught engines were also used, and modifying the design to house a Bristol engine (and disc brakes) produced the 10. In 1954 racing, the 8 proved fast and fragile, the prototype often being driven by Chapman himself. The 9 was lighter and shorter, with less pronounced tail fins, and was offered in Club and Le Mans forms, the latter intended for internationals and named after Lotus' first outing in the 24-hour race (in 1955, when the 9 was dis-qualified after Chapman had reversed it out of a sandbank).

The Le Mans had a Climax 1100cc engine, MG gearbox and de Dion rear, while the Club was simpler, with a Ford back axle. The model was successful on both sides of the Atlantic. The 11 (illustrated) appeared in 1956, sleeker with only slight fins, usually with a faired head rest, sometimes with full-width screens where regulations or road use required.

The Le Mans models (75 and 85) had FWA or FWB Climax engines, de Dion rears and disc brakes (outboard front, inboard rear), while the Club and Ford 100E-engined Sports were simpler. Graham Hill started racing in an 11, Chapman and Mike Hawthorn duelled in them, Stirling Moss broke class records in one at Monza, and many others won races with 11s; perhaps above all, an 1100cc team car was an astonish-ing seventh overall at Le Mans.

A Le Mans 150 with FPF engine and wishbone front suspension was added to the Series 2 range in 1957, when the race success story of the 11 continued at Le Mans (an 1100 was ninth, while a 750cc version won its class and the prized Index of Performance).

Specifications Lotus 11 (1957 Le Mans 85) Engine: Coventry-Climax straight-four; 724 x 66.6mm, 1098cc; single ohc; twin SU carburettors; 84bhp at 6800rpm. Gearbox: four-speed manual. Chassis: spaceframe; front suspension independent by wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar and dampers; rear suspension by de Dion axle, coil springs and dampers; four-wheel disc brakes. Dimensions: wheelbase 224cm/88in; front track 115cm/45+in; rear track 119cm/47in. Lotus 23 Engine: 23 — Cosworth-Ford straight-four; 85 x 48.4mm, 1097cc; pushrod ohv; twin Weber carburettors; 100bhp at 7500rpm (see text). 23B — Lotus-Ford straight-four; 82.55 x 72.75mm, 1558cc; twin ohc; twin Weber carburettors; 143bhp at 8000rpm. Gearbox: 23 — Renault four-speed manual (see text). 23B — Hewland five-speed manual. Chassis: spaceframe; front suspension independent by wishbones, coil springs, dampers and anti-roll bar; rear suspension independent by wishbones, radius arms, coil springs, dampers and anti-roll bar; four-wheel disc brakes. Dimensions: wheelbase 229cm/90in; front track 131cm/51fin; rear track 127cm/50in.