- The Lotus 49 - Driven by Jim Clark

Taking a Retro Look at the Lotus 49 F1 Car!

Checking out the car that kicked off the successful relationship with Ford Cosworth and Lotus!

3y ago
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I'm kicking off a new series, taking a look at different eras in the history of Formula One! In this series, we will take a look at different cars over the storied history of the World’s premier Open Wheel racing series.

In our first stop in the series, we are taking a look at the Lotus 49. The Lotus 49, first driven by Jim Clark and Graham Hill in the 1967 Formula One championship, was Lotus’ second car in Formula One’s 3 Liter Era, and a followup to the disappointing Lotus 33.

The Lotus 49 features a 3.0L Ford Cosworth V8 Engine, mated to a Hewland-Lotus 5-Speed manual gearbox. The car featured a stressed-member drivetrain, which allowed for a reduction in weight, but still maintaining structural rigidity. The car weighed in at just over half a ton, and with the car producing over 400 horsepower, that meant this car was QUICK. Also, factor in that 1967 Formula One cars did not have wings yet, so there wasn’t much in the way of air pushing the car down. In some instances, the car could actually generate LIFT at speed! That also means the big fat tires and suspension on the car was put to good use, with the car relying on mechanical grip.

The Lotus 49 made its racing debut during the third round of the championship at Zandvoort, on June 4th, 1967. Jim Clark took home the win in the new car, and would bring home 4 more victories in the season. Despite the Lotus 49 being the winningest car in the 1967 season, reliability issues led to Lotus finishing 2nd in the Constructors Championship, behind Brabham and championship driver Denny Hulme.

In 1968, Lotus got off to a great start, with Jim Clark and Graham Hill finishing 1-2 in the South African Grand Prix. Unfortunately, before the second round in the championship, Jim Clark’s life was tragically cut short in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim. Over the course of the season, Lotus made more improvements to the Lotus 49, including being the first team to use aerofoil wings, which made their debut in the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, which Graham Hill won. Ultimately, Gold Leaf Team Lotus dominated the Constructor’s Championship, with Graham Hill bringing home his second, and final championship.

Over the next couple years, Lotus would dabble with replacing the Lotus 49 with other cars, such as the Lotus 63 in 1969, but ultimately, the Lotus 49 was kept in use by Lotus until it was replaced by the Lotus 72 midway into the 1970 season.

The Lotus 49 is definitely a staple of Formula One history, as it kicked off the relationship with Lotus and Ford, which led to a lot of success for Lotus in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

What are your thoughts on the Lotus 49, and its spot in Formula One history? Is there a specific race car you’d like to have us take a look at in this series? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for watching, and have a great rest of your day!

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Comments (3)

  • Beautiful car!

      3 years ago
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      3 years ago
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