This Lotus car was spotted at the Fuji Speedway.It was home to not just cars but legends from the past..
First of all we will tell you the history of Lotus and how the Lotus Engineering was established.The Lotus marque is now legendary, and you cannot mention the name Lotus without thinking of the man behind it all – Colin Chapman, a man regarded by many as a legend. Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman was born in Richmond, Surrey on 9th May 1928. He grew up living at the Railway Hotel, Hornsey, which his father managed. During his childhood he developed an interest in the motor car and also avaiation. After leaving school he studied engineering at University College, London, where he attained a BSc. During this time at university he and a friend set up a used car sales business where they also improved and modified the cars that they had bought in before selling them on to eager buyers. It was in 1947 though that Colin Chapman embarked on building his first car – a “special” based on an early Austin Seven Saloon, which after tuning, took part in races and trials.
After serving in the RAF until 1949, he continued work at his North London workshop on a second and third car, the Mk II and Mk III, which were also based on Austin Seven components and did extremely well in motor sport with Chapman himself winning many races in them. Built employing principals of aircraft technology that he had acquired at both at university and while in the RAF, these cars were very rigid while also being light resulting in remarkable performance and handling. The Lotus Engineering Company was founded in January of 1951 to cater for the many requests from those who wished to purchase replicas of this successful small car for use in motor sport. The space-framed Mk VI of 1952 was extremely successful selling over 100 models and endearing itself to many contemporary racing drivers. These cars were powered by mainly Ford or MG engines. In the early 1950’s Colin Chapman developed and raced his cars, demonstrating that power was not everything. He left his mark on every race and competition. The cars were legendary for their handling and their power to weight, these cars were racing cars for the road. The Lotus Elite was an exceptional example of his work, by using fibre glass for the body and chassis it was ahead of its time.
My first reaction when I saw this photo for the second time was one of surprise. There was a Lotus 35B…
…and standing next to it, the visage of the legendary man, Colin Chapman. Or maybe it was just my sentimental side playing tricks on me? Haha
But there is an uncanny resemblance…
Jom komen!