Lotus Components

The R to Z of Lotus

R JACK RICHARDS (picture below) highly sought after book. In 1959 he, RACING ENGINES LIMITED Jack was a founder member and Graham Nearn and two others acquired To enable Lotus to be competitive and Competition Secretary of Club Lotus in premises in Caterham from Anthony Crook market their road cars successfully, they the 1950's. He raced in club events in a of Bristol fame and started Caterham Car sold them in kit or component form, thus Lotus VI followed by a and Services Ltd. At that time Lotus had just saving their buyers from paying Purchase then competed on the hills in TBY484 his moved to their new factory and Tax (the V.A.T. of the day) which was only 1957 Climax engined were looking for agents. With lan's Lotus levied on complete goods. To be allowed to (chassis #404) with de Dion rear connections, the new Caterham company do this, HM Customs & Excise insisted that suspension and disc brakes all round. He became one of these. the parts or components for the cars came had built his Seven to an exceedingly high from more than one source and were standard, chroming many of the parts. SOUTH AMERICAN LOTUS SEVEN assembled by amateurs. As Lotus was Later in the 1960's he had a Bugatti Type In 1969 three South American effectively relieving the government of the 51 and a Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica businessmen, Jorge Mutio, Richard day of income, they were watched very which he used in competition. Vignoles and Edgardo Boschi got carefully and had to obey the rules, as set permission from Lotus to build the Seven out, to the letter. To achieve this, Chapman S in . They had a car shipped out set up an entirely separate company called IAN H. SMITH from and copied it. The running Racing Engines Limited which was in fact Like Jack above, Ian was a founder gear was all Fiat and there was even a just another desk in the office! So Lotus member of Club Lotus in the mid-1950's. Lotus badge on the nose. About 30 of Components supplied the CBU (chassis As well as racing his Lotus Mark VI, these cars were made. body unit) complete whilst Racing Engines P0P444, he was also Lotus Editor of the Limited supplied the engine, gearbox, rear club's magazine, and Lotus SPEEDWELL axle etc. Later on the same was achieved Owner, along with Patrick Stephens as Founded in 1957 by John Sprinzel, George but with the dealer or agent supplying the Advertisement Manager. In 1958 he wrote Hulbert and Len Adams, Speedwell were engine, gearbox and rear axle etc. instead the first book about Lotus titled "Lotus, engine tuners and performance parts of Racing Engines Limited. The First Ten Years" which today is a suppliers for BMC "A" Series engines. Lotus Components YOUR "SEVEN" CENTi

They were later joined by and source of information for any enthusiast U produced some modified BMC engined of early Lotus. UNIRADS Series One and Series Two Lotus Sevens. One of the chassis makers that supplied Lotus with frames for the Lotus Seven SPORTS CAR AND LOTUS OWNER Series Two between 1960 and 1968. It is During the winter months of 1953 there believed that they were tubular office were regular monthly meetings of the local furniture makers. Does anyone know if area of the Seven Fifty Motor Club at a they exist now? public house on the North Circular Road. At one of these meetings it was decided W that there were sufficient WILLIAMS AND PRITCHARD LIMITED competing in races that a team name was Charlie Williams and Len Pritchard were the needed. After several pints of beer, Team aluminium body specialists who served the Lotus was chosen and it lasted for 40 like of Lotus, Lola, Buckler and others from years. the 1950's onwards. Their beautiful body panels adorned the Lotus Mk VI, VII (Series One and some Series Two's), VIII, IX, X, Lotus and Indianapolis Eleven, 12, XV, XVI, and XVII. Later, as well racecar designer of the late 1950's and as working in aluminium on prototypes, early 1960's, Len was responsible for the they also worked with less costly GRP. perforated hoop found on many Lotus sports racing and formula cars until A FEW ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS monocoque construction came in. It was a My haven't things changed: SV used to car designed by him that one the Indy stand for side-valve whilst nowadays it SCALO was the official magazine of Club 500 race of 1965. He also designed his refers to Caterham's chassis for the larger Lotus from November 1956. Edited jointly own clubmans car called the "Terrier" driver, FB meant fat b*****d and today it by R. Pearl and Ian H. Smith the early which engine builder, , stands for a Honda bike engine and wasn't issues have become an invaluable insight campaigned so successfully in 1960. X-Power something that Mum used to put into sports car motoring of the late 1950's in with the wash to make the whites less and early 1960's. It still is a valuable grey! Keep between the hedges!! jww

If you have read th ar you want to build ALL AT IAN SMITH'S LOTUS GEN

Townend, Gaterham Car Services Ltd. Surrey —

JANUARY. 1960 Lowflying 29