T H E Story of the Seven
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Lotus Components The early Sevens, production and specials, and the earlier racers are considered this month by John Watson as he continues... THE STORY OF THE SEVEN Chapter 7: Original production and special factory-built cars Special factory-produced Sevens: No. 421, the only 1460CC FWB powered de Eleven Le Mans 85 model, an Eleven Club As mentioned last month, the Edward Dion Seven produced by the factory was sup• model and the new Type 14 2-seater Coupe Lewis Seven was in effect a 'Le Mans' Eleven plied to Paul Fletcher in exchange for his (to become known as the 'Lotus Elite'). It without the aerodynamic bodywork, having Porsche 356 which Chapman wanted for per• would seem that with all their efforts at get• de Dion rear suspension, disc brakes to all sonal transport to European race circuits. ting a mock-up of the new Coupe ready, wheels and aluminium Coventry Climax The car later had a successful racing history Lotus did not display their other new car, the single overhead camshaft engine. According in the hands of Mike Warner of The Seven, at the show although a demonstrator to the records only five of these special cars Chequered Flag Garage and Betty Haig of was available at their factory should anyone were produced by the factory; four with Ladies Hillclimb fame and is in Lancashire. wish to sample it. 1098CC FWA engines and the fifth with the At this point it is worth noting that No. 436 larger 1460CC FWB version. The FWA pow• (reg: 7TMT), the car that won the famous 1958 The first production Seven: ered cars were: Boxing Day Brands Hatch race in the hands The first production Seven was consider• No. 400, the Lewis car already detailed of Graham Hill, was actually a 'live' axle FWA ably less sophisticated than the prototype which rumour has it was last heard of some• car with drum brakes like other production Lewis car and the other four special de Dion where in Africa. Sevens of the day. It was the factory demon• Sevens. It had more in common with the No. 404 which was supplied to Jack strator and first of the Climax powered Lotus 'Sport' version of the Series Two Eleven, Richards who, as well as being a long stand• Super Seven models, later dubbed the Lotus having engine and gearbox from the 1172a: ing Lotus customer and successful competi• Seven 'c', that made up about 10% of the side-valve Ford IOOE, rigid 'live' rear axle tor, was also Competition Secretary of Club Series One production. from the BMC/Nash Metropolitan and drum Lotus. This car was described in Ian H. brakes to all four wheels. The engine pro• Smith's book as "one of the most beautifully The Motor Show, duced between 28 and 4obhp depending on finished sports-racing cars ever to be seen - 16-26 October 1957: state of tune and the 3-speed gearbox had a every possible part on the engine was Lotus had Stand No. 119 at the 42nd Buckler 'C type close ratio gear set. The first chromium plated, even down to the dip• International Motor Exhibition at Earls twenty-five or so cars had Burman steering stick." The car is still in the UK with original Court. According to the Official Catalogue, boxes, but the racers found these unsuitable specification. Lotuses exhibits consisted of an and, after much persuasion, Chapman > No. 462 which was sold to Eric Pantlin, a motorcycle racer who had raced an Eleven and a Jaguar XK150 during 1957. Eric specialised in short circuit racing and in 1959 had three ist and two 2nd places from eleven races. The car was found wrecked in a Cornish quarry in 1980 and was restored and is now believed to be in the USA. No. 479, the last of the FWA powered de Dion cars went to James Obeysekere, a Junior Minister in the Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) gov• ernment of the day. It is believed to still be with him or his family today. 20 Lowflying October 2004 All photographs are by courtesy of: Ferret Fotographics: 01453 543243 Above: Coventry Climax FWB, 1460cc single-cam engine. Left: Ford 100E, 1172cc side valve engine installation. Note square-section tubing for upper engine-bay diagonals Below: Early promotional photograph of Series One Seven Left: The original, first-issue Lotus Seven brochure; a type• written specification sheet for lotus Seven Export'; and a letter, from 1957, in response * to a customer enquiry. Note that Tottenham Road phone number, FITzroy 1777. Lowflying October2004 21 Recent history agreed to the same rack arrangement used on the Eleven Series Two being fitted. These were left hand Reine's Whistler drive Morris Minor racks cut down in length and fitted upside down to produce the Ackermann effect with the April 9th 1971 was a day of firsts. The first time I had steering arms behind the centre of the wheels. marshalled a race meeting, the first time I had seen a As with previous Lotus models, the chassis frames Grand Prix car and the first time I had seen any car were made by Progress Chassis Company and the all alu• powered by a gas turbine. minium bodies were crafted by Williams and Pritchard, The venue was Oulton Park and the event was "The both local firms in nearby Edmonton. Like the Eleven Rothmans International Trophy for Formula 1 Single before, the floor and the transmission tunnel were Seater Racing Cars". Snappy title. I was fully prepared stressed members fixed with 'Monel' steel rivets to help in my Barbour waxed jacket and desert boots - the stiffness of the chassis. The floor was in two parts, perfect gear for firefighting duties. I was stationed but continuous front to rear with apertures around at Deer Leap and the adrenalin flowed as I heard that engine sump and differential casing. The grades of sheet coarse, rasping bark of a DFV get ever closer. It was used were the hard, L72, from the engine bulkhead to John Young Stewart in his Tyrrell - perhaps the Tyrrell the rear and slightly less hard, NS4, around the engine - holding the car in an exquisite oversteering slide as and for the transmission tunnel where wired edges were the power kicked on the exit to Lodge. A love affair required. All but a handful of cars left Lotus in bare with GP cars had begun. aluminium for the owners to polish or have painted as they wished. They weren't, as is popularly believed, After a succession of Marches, a lone McLaren and a polished by Lotus! According to the factory records the howling BRM I heard a curious rushing whistle. A first production Sevens started appearing from the fac• strange sight and a surreal sound. A Lotus 56B, tory in December 1957, although other sources suggest powered by a Pratt and Whitney gas turbine giving a that it was well into 1958. Nos.446,447, 448 and 449 were claimed 600 horsepower and driving through all four the first to be exported to the us for agents Jay wheels. The pilot was Reine Wisell - the other famous Chamberlain in Burbank, California and John Possellius Swede of the early 1970s - and he did not look a in Detroit, Michigan late in 1958. Give or take a handful, happy viking. The Lotus was hampered by huge power all the first 100 cars (Nos.400 to 499) were made at the lag, had no engine braking and was burdened by a Hornsey factory. fuel load of up to 280 litres. Or several months worth of central heating oil at Maison Aston. For a grounded helicopter it made a pretty mediocre GP car... An early Seven seen here It retired from the race and this became a common competing in a event in 1971. It finished eighth in Fittipaldi's hillclimb, venue hands at Monza, and he even managed a second at unknown Hockenheim. Sadly, the latter triumph was in a Formula 5000 race. Early Sevens racing: A footnote, then, in Lotus history. Paraffin power Like the Mark VI before it, the concept of the Seven never caught on. And, innovation aside, it was not a was as daily transport to work during the week and for great loss. GP cars should assault the ears as well as entry level competition at weekends. The race series that the eyes I think. many entered was in the Seven Fifty Motor Club's 1172 Formula based around Ford's E93A and IOOE side-valve What I most remember about that day was the sight of engines. Of the first 100 cars made, well over half, that the winner, Pedro Rodriguez, in his BRM P160. He was remained in the UK, competed on the race track. Of what sideways every single lap and the Yardley-liveried BRM was to become known as the Series One model, the IOOE was held in a powerslide so long you'd find you'd hold powered version, later known as the Seven 'F', made up your breath. And 90 seconds later you did so again. over sixty percent of total production. • I'd seen Pedro in the paddock, driving his Bentley and wearing shades and trademark deerstalker. Coming next, Chapter 8: The first Lotus Super Seven A glacially cool driver, who died three months later in a Ferrari 512 at the Norisring. He is buried next to Sources and further reading: his racer brother Ricardo in Mexico City. Lotus Seven by JEREMY COULTER, 1986 & 1995 John Aston Lotus-all the Cars by ANTHONY PRITCHARD, 1990 The Lotus Book by WILLIAM TAYLOR, 1998 Lowflying October 2004 23 .