Ref 24
Ex-Innes Ireland, Ex-Jim Clark, Grand Prix-Winning
1960 Lotus 18-Climax
Registration Number: N/A Chassis Number: 372
In 1957 Cooper had turned the design of Grand Prix cars on its head when the Surbiton concern ran the sports’ first ever rear-engined Formula One car, the potential of which was truly shown when the T43-Climax won the opening two GPs the following season. Although some rival teams would persevere with front-engined machines, Cooper had started a revolution and such was the performance advantage – the engine layout both reducing weight and increasing front aerodynamics – of its T43, T45 and T51-Climaxes that, by 1959, cemented by Jack Brabham taking that year’s World Championship, it was abundantly clear that they had little choice but to follow suit.
Colin Chapman was one of those who had spent far too long attempting to develop existing cars, in Lotus’ case the 12 and 16, before finally giving into reality and producing the 18, the marque’s first front-engined machine. Chapman’s genius shone through in this car and it’s fair to say that while Cooper started the rear-engined revolution, Lotus completed it and from thereon the face of motor racing was changed for good. Using a light and multi-tubular space-frame chassis, the 18’s very effective suspension was via double wishbones and coil spring/damper damper units at the front while at the rear there were transverse links with coil spring/damper units and radius arms. Power came from the 2.5 litre, twin overhead camshaft, Coventry-Climax FPF four cylinder engine mated to Lotus’ own five speed sequential ‘queerbox’ transmission, designed for both lightness and the ability for swift changes of ratio. Clothed in a mix of alloy and glassfibre panels, the car was also designed to compete in several formulae.
The 18 was to make its mark on its Formula One debut when Innes Ireland led the opening lap of the 1960 season’s first Grand Prix in Argentina before spinning. Such was the impression the Lotus made that Rob Walker immediately replaced Stirling Moss’ Cooper T51 with an 18 and with it the maestro promptly took a win in the ensuing Monaco GP and the first Formula One victory for a Lotus. Moss followed this with fourth place in Holland where Jim Clark made his GP debut, the young Scot then taking fifth in Belgium where Moss suffered serious injuries in practice. Fifth and sixth place followed for Clark and Ron Flockhart in the French GP, second and third for John Surtees and Ireland in the British counter, and third and sixth for Clark and Ireland in Portugal before Moss on his comeback took victory in the United States GP from Ireland; Moss and Ireland would finish third and fourth in the World Championship, Brabham’s Cooper T53 giving the Australian his second title ahead of team mate Bruce McLaren. Meanwhile, throughout 1960, the Lotus 18 had swept the board in Formula Junior and Formula Two events as well as non-championship Formula One races.
With the introduction of a new 1.5 litre engine formula for the 1961 Grand Prix season, British teams were left on the back foot and had to make do with under-powered four cylinder engines before the purpose-built Climax and BRM V8 engines were ready. But despite a 35bhp deficit to his out-dated four cylinder Climax engine, Moss and his Rob Walker Lotus 18 scored a sensational victory on the twisting streets of Monaco in front of the new rear-engined Ferrari 156s of Richie Ginther, Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips. Alongside him in third place on the grid had been Jim Clark in the new lighter and slimmer Lotus 21 but he would soon be sidelined with fuel pump failure. Towards the end of the season, the 18 was given the much sleeker bodywork of the 21, leading to the car being known as an 18/21. In the Dutch GP Moss finished fourth in his 18 behind Clark’s 21 before taking a win in Germany in his 18/21, the Lotus’ last Grand Prix victory. It was the end of two memorable seasons in which the 18 had well and truly put Lotus on the map.
Chassis 372 is one of six original 1960 Team Lotus cars numbered from 369 to 374 and of which 369, 370, 371 and 373 were all destroyed in period. After Trevor Taylor scored its first win in the Formula Two race at Crystal Palace, Jim Clark went to drive 372 to his first ever single seater victory in the Kentish 200 at Brands Hatch in August the same year. After other 18 chassis were damaged at Spa and Porto, Team Lotus re-installed a 2.5 litre FPF engine and 372 was then driven by Innes Ireland for the remainder of the Formula One season and it this car in which Ireland won the United States GP at Watkins Glen that November; two months earlier he had also taken the Lotus to victory in the Lombard Trophy at Snetterton.
For 1961 372 was shipped to Australia for Ireland to drive in the Tasman series, the Scot’s best result being second place at Warwick Farm, before returning to Great Britain where he and Clark drove it in four Inter-Continental Formula events, Clark scoring the best finish with a second place in the Guards Trophy in August. For the end of the season the car was modified to 18/21 specification and fitted with a 1.5 litre FPF engine, after which it was sold to up and coming American driver, Peter Ryan. Alas, he was later killed in another car and from 1963 until 1984 372 – which had competed in five different formulae and with five different drivers – remained unused in the Charles Kirkbride Collection.
Acquired by the vendor, a founder member of the Historic Grand Prix Car Association, through Joel Finn in 1985, it returned once more to Britain still in exactly the same form as when it was last raced in 1962. Most importantly, 372 is one of only two Team Lotus 18s that retains its original and numbered Lotus chassis and the only surviving Team Lotus 18 that won in period. It was restored to its original and correct 1960 specification with a 2.5 litre Climax FPF engine and queerbox by renowned ex-Lotus mechanic Cedric Selzer, the engine having been rebuilt by Crosthwaite & Gardiner with new Cosworth pistons, new flywheel and clutch assemblies and new bearings and the car was then race-prepared by well known specialist Sid Hoole.
Subsequently 372 has been raced in numerous HGPCA events between July 2005 and June this year with a best result of first place, when driven by Michael Shryver, at the Nurburgring AVD meeting in August 2006. The queerbox, something of an Achilles heel in period, has been fully reworked by incorporating a new quill shaft, new crown wheel and pinion, a new shuttle and radial thrust gears and prior to the car’s last race this year it was fully rebuilt and special hardened, aerospace technology, steel drive shafts have been fitted to the car, while the engine underwent a fresh rebuild by Crossthwaite & Gardiner last winter. New brake pads and tyres were also fitted for the Monaco Historic GP in May, where it also ran in 2006, and all the suspension is fully adjustable.
Remarkably still with its original chassis, this virtually time warp Grand Prix machine, one of just two existing Team Lotus 18s, is not only the finest example available but also the very car in which three-time World Champion Jim Clark recorded the milestone achievement of his first single seater win. Beautifully presented in the correct livery of green with yellow Lotus script, as raced by Ireland and Clark, and absolutely in race-ready condition, complete with a massive file containing invoices for 372’s £100,000 ‘bare-metal’ restoration, of which photographs are included, this stunning racing car also comes with an invitation to race at this year’s Goodwood Revival.
An incredibly significant car in Team Lotus racing history, chassis 372 is a highly competitive single seater, faster and lighter than the contemporary Cooper, and eligible for numerous prestigious events. Its sale represents an extremely rare opportunity for both the serious historic racer and collector to acquire a Team Lotus Grand Prix car with indisputable provenance.
Potential buyers please note that a spare, original and dismantled Climax engine with twin-spark plug cylinder head, a 2.5 litre crankshaft and a 2.7 litre crankshaft – enabling it to be run in either capacity in HGPCA classes twelve and seven – together with many spares, including body panels, wheels, tyres, springs, magneto and exhaust system, are available by separate negotiation.
Ein unglaublich bedeutendes Fahrzeug in der illustren Team Lotus Renngeschichte, ist Chassis Nummer 372 ein sehr kompetentes Rennfahrzeug, leichter und schneller als Cooper aus der gleichen Periode. Eine wirklich einmalige Gelegenheit für den ernsthaften historischen Rennfahrer.
Refer Department
