The primary Lotus Formula 1 automobile can be among the many featured lots at a Bonhams auction scheduled for May 10 in Monaco.
The unique Team Lotus dissolved within the early Nineties (other unrelated teams subsequently used the Lotus name), however it was once an F1 powerhouse, winning seven Constructors’ and 6 Drivers’ Championships with progressive cars designed under the supervision of legendary Lotus founder Colin Chapman.
This automobile—chassis number 353—is the one which began all of it. A Lotus 12, it was raced by Team Lotus eight times between 1957 and 1959 in each F1 and F2, as the foundations of the time allowed crossover between the 2 categories.
The automobile’s outings included the 1957 BRDC International Trophy, a non-championship race for F1 cars at Silverstone. While not a part of the official World Championship calendar, it marked the F1 debut of each Lotus and driver Graham Hill, who would go on to win two F1 championships and the “triple crown” of the Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
1957 Lotus 12, chassis number 353 (image via Bonhams)
Chassis number 353 was also the primary Lotus to race within the F1 championship proper, when Hill drove it within the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. Historic significance aside, the automobile did not have an especially good racing record, with its best finish being second, achieved in a pair of F2 races.
Exemplifying Chapman’s philosophy of “simplify, then add lightness,” the automobile is claimed to weigh just 700 kilos in racing trim due to a chassis constituted of aircraft aluminum. A Coventry Climax inline-4 makes 141 hp in F2 tune, which is shipped to the rear wheels through a 5-speed sequential gearbox with an unusual lefthand straight-line shift pattern.
Lotus sold chassis number 353 to privateer John Fisher after the 1958 racing season. Fisher raced it 4 times in 1959 before selling it to Australian Frank Gardner, who had plans to proceed racing the historic Lotus but soon sold it. The automobile passed through a number of more owners before being acquired by current owner Mike Bennett and a partner in 1991. Bennett acquired full ownership of the automobile in 1995 and had it fully restored.
Bonhams expects the primary Lotus F1 automobile to sell for between $310,000 and $420,000 at auction. But to dedicated Lotus fans, it just could be priceless.
This Article First Appeared At www.motorauthority.com
