1968 Lotus 51

The Lotus 51 was an open-wheel Formula Ford race car built in 1967 by the British motorsport team Lotus. It was powered by a 1.6 L (98 cu in) Ford Crossflow four-cylinder engine (the same type of engine used in the Ford Cortina), developing a respectable 110 hp (82 kW), which drove the rear wheels through either a Renault R-8 type 330 4-speed, or a Hewland 5-speed manual transmission.[1][2]

The Lotus 51 became a bestseller for Colin Chapman and the Lotus team in 1967. 218 vehicles were built and sold (some sources speak of only 150 vehicles). The price for one vehicle was £955.[3][4]

The car was derived from, and based on, the Lotus 31, a Formula 3 car from Lotus. The racing car was agile and fast, had a short wheelbase, and was extremely light with a curb weight of 900 lb (410 kg). In 1969 the car was replaced by the Lotus 61. In 1968 the 51R - a one-off - was built. The car had wider sidepods and was originally intended as a concept for a successor. The car was sold for £1095 to a US collector who never entered the 51R in racing competitions.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ "1968 Lotus Type 51". conceptcarz.com.
  2. ↑ "1967 Lotus 51A Formula Ford". Sports Car Market. 21 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "1967 Lotus 51 Formula Ford". Motorsports Market.
  4. ↑ "1968 Lotus Type 51 technical and mechanical specifications". conceptcarz.com.
  5. ↑ "1967 Lotus Type 51 FF". Sports Car Market. February 2006.
  6. ↑ "1968 Lotus Type 51". Hyman Ltd.
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