Race cars
Britain
1960s

Lotus 51 Race Car

Lotus 51 Race Car Formula Ford

Constructor:

Lotus

Class

Race Car

Years

1967 to 1968

Designer:

Colin Chapman

Chassis:

space-frame

Wheelbase:

90 inches

Engine:

Ford

Width: 59 inches
length:152 inches
Weight:410 kilos

 

The Lotus 51 was a Formula Ford racing car, built in 1967 by the British motorsport team Lotus .in the late 1960s.

History

The Lotus 51 1967 was a bestseller for Colin Chapman and the Lotus team. with around 200 vehicles were built and sold. The price of a vehicle was £955. A 1967 space-frame car for Formula Ford racing based on the Mk 31 the body Resin bonded colour impregnated glass fibre in three sections, comprising undertray, nose section and rear engine cover.
Perspex windscreen is fitted and the car comes complete with removable moulded glass fibre bucket seat..The brakes are mounted outboard on all wheels and the system includes an adjustable balance bar to allow variation in the front to rear braking ratio.

Lotus 51 Technical details and specifications

With Lotus modified Renault 4 speed syncromesh gearbox complete with reverse gear driving via a single plate Cortina GT diaphram clutch. suspension at the front unequal length wide based wishbones with outboard spring/damper units and adjustable anti-roll bar the rear twin radius arms, inverted wishbones and top links with outboard spring/damper units and adjustable anti-roll bar.

Lotus 51 A Race Car

The 1968 version was known as the Mk 51A The car was based on the Lotus 31, a Formula 3 vehicle from Lotus. The 1600 c.c. Ford Cortina GT cross—flow unit fitted with single downdraft Weber carburettor and specially constructed four branch exhaust system.Front mounted cross-flow radiator with integral oil cooler.Main chassis tubes carry liquids from engine compartment to radiators, the oil system being fitted with the necessary regulation catch tanks.

The race car was agile and fast, had a short wheelbase and was extremely light with a curb weight of 412 kg. In 1969, the car was replaced by the Lotus 61. In 1968, the 51R  a single piece  was built. The car had wider side boxes and was originally intended as a concept for a successor model. The car was sold at a price of 1095 pounds to a US collector who never used the 51R in a racing competition.

Related items
Lotus Race Cars | Britain 1960s | Vehicles launched in 1967 | Race Cars

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Technical

Technical

  • Lotus 51 Technical details and specifications (1967-1968)

    CHASSIS
    Multi—tubular space frame with steel under-tray, fabricated bulk head and triangulated rollover bar.

    BODYWORK
    Resin bonded colour impregnated glass fibre in three sections, comprising undertray, nose section and rear engine cover.
    Perspex windscreen is fitted and the car comes complete with removable moulded glass fibre bucket seat.

    ENGINE
    1600 c.c. Ford Cortina GT cross—flow unit fitted with single downdraft Weber carburettor and specially constructed four branch exhaust system.

    TRANSMISSION
    Lotus modified Renault 4 speed syncromesh gearbox complete with reverse gear driving via a single plate Cortina GT diaphram clutch.

    SUSPENSION
    Front - unequal length wide based wishbones with outboard spring/damper units and adjustable anti-roll bar.
    Rear — twin radius arms, inverted wishbones and top links with outboard spring/damper units and adjustable anti-roll bar.

    BRAKES
    Hydraulic disc system With 9%" discs and Girling type 10 calipers at the rear and 9å" discs and Girling 14 LF calipers at the front.
    The brakes are mounted outboard on all wheels and the system includes an adjustable balance bar to allow variation in the
    front to rear braking ratio.

    STEERING
    Mounted rack and pinion With adjustable column
    11" diameter leather covered steering wheel.

    FUEL SYSTEM
    Approximately 5 gallon aluminium seat tank supplying fuel via a Ford G. T. mechanical fuel pump and filter.

    COOLING
    Front mounted cross-flow radiator with integral oil cooler.
    Main chassis tubes carry liquids from engine compartment to radiators, the oil system being fitted with the necessary regulation
    catch tanks.

    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND INSTRUMENTS
    12 volt battery controlled by master switch with separate starter button. 0-8,000 electrical tachometer
    Oil pressure and water temperature gauges.

    WHEELS AND TYRES
    13" diameter bolt on steel wheels
    4 1/2 J (front) and 5 1/2 J (rear) rims fitted with 165 x 13 and 175 x 13 radial ply tyres


    DIMENSIONS
    Overall length 152 inches
    width 59 inches
    Track front 52 inches
    Track rear 51 1/2 inches
    wheelbase 90 inches
    Weight 410 kilos

    © Motor car History