Today, Lotus is primarily a well-known manufacturer of sports cars, but in the past it was one of the stars of Formula 1. Between 1963 and 1979, the British team won the Constructors’ Cup seven times and dominated the drivers’ standings six times. At the beginning of everything, however, there was a special called Lotus 12.
The car was introduced in 1956 at the London Motor Show and offered a number of innovations. Under its hood, the Formula 2 version first housed a 1.5-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine supplied by Coventry Climax FPF. The engine was connected to a sequential gearbox from the Lotus workshop.
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The aerodynamically shaped body was designed by the aviation company DeHavilland and received a frame from materials used in aviation. According to the data at the time, the dry weight should have been around 281 kilograms, although it is realistically estimated that it should have been closer to around 350 kilograms. However, these were still phenomenal parameters.
An interesting feature of the first Lotus formula was the use of six spokes on the wheels instead of one. The company believed that the car was so light that it would not even need to change tires during the race.
Although the Formula 2 engine produced “only” 105 kW (143 hp), the car’s low weight gave it a power-to-weight ratio of around 336 kW (457 hp) per tonne. During the first International Trophy race at the Silverstone circuit in 1957, the car claimed first place.
Photo: Bonhams
The car entered Formula 1 races already with a two-liter engine. It is worth noting that it was the first racing car of the later very famous driver Graham Hill, who drove the Lotus Type 12 at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1958. In the first race, the car held fourth place for a long time, but due to a technical fault, it did not finish in the end. However, Hill won the Monaco Grand Prix five times later in his career.
The history of the car is fairly well documented, as it was bought in 1991 by Mike Bennet, who even wrote a book about it, “Lotus 12 Chassis 353 The History”. The car was subsequently very well cared for, which is also evident from the photos.
Due to its historical importance and excellent condition, it is expected that the first Lotus F1 car could be auctioned at the Bonhams auction in Monaco for a price in the range of 290,000 to 390,000 euros, which translates to 7.3 to 9.8 million crowns. The auction will take place on May 10.
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