(Photos by Joe Grippo) – If there is one brand of car that elicits visceral responses from both fans and detractors it is Lotus. The company was founded and helmed through its greatest days by the polarizing Colin Chapman a man who was obsessed with simplicity and weight management in his cars. Those two factors made them very fast but also made the cars incredibly dangerous. Many drivers met their end in Chapman built cars over the years and while racing (in particular Formula One) was a very deadly game, the Lotus entries seemed to be even more dangerous than most.
With this being said, the company had many technical and racing triumphs. It racked up numerous F1 constructor championships including the complete domination of the 1978 season with Mario Andretti doing the driving and claiming the championship. In 1965 it was Chapman who was teamed with driver Jimmy Clark and Ford at the Indy 500 and the trio dominated. Leading 190 of the 200 laps, Clark became the first non-American winner of the race since 1916 and the Lotus was the first rear engined car to win the event, doing so in crushing fashion.
While teamed with Ford, Lotus worked on improving one of the company’s best European sellers. The legendary Lotus Cortina was born with more power, less weight, and a tuned suspension that set the precedent for factory tuned special editions from there on out. (Editor’s note: There are few cars I want to own more in the world than a Lotus Cortina. Not many of them made it state side and the ones that are here command big bucks!)
Lotus road cars have had an interesting history. Rude, crude, and minimalist through the early years, the brand grew up in the 1970s and 1980s with is luxury exotic the Espirit. The wedge shaped car was produced for a long, long time and in multiple power levels. While they never really had the cache of the Ferraris and Lamborghinis, you will always know one when you see it because of said familiar look.
We like that this exhibit examines all aspects of the Lotus history. You will see multiple open wheel lower class formula cars, Evoras, crazy racing bicycles, and racers of all shapes and sizes. A great look at a legendary marque.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE OUR PHOTOS FROM THE LOTUS EXHIBIT AT THE AACA MUSEUM –
On one hand this post makes me smile … revisiting the memories of Lotus’s golden glory days gone by .
On the other though it makes me want to cry … seeing the sad travesty of its former self Lotus has become ..
But then again … it also PO’s me to no end … thinking about all the damage that little slime Dany Bahar as well as previously GM has done to accelerate Lotus’s impending demise
Suffice it to say … I’m conflicted on this one … 😉
Growing up in northern NJ in the late 60’s/early 70’s, I saw exactly one Lotus Eroupa(sp). After seeing one close up years later at a car show, I can see why.
Too bad Colin’s obsession with making the car as light as possible came at the expense of driver safety