109 replies to this topic

[Gary C]

A friend of mine in the States has just posed me a question that left thinking. Do we know the whereabouts of the Lotus 38s? I'm sure there is one with Ford at Dearborn and maybe one in the Indy Museum. Does anyone know for sure??

[Doug Nye]

Well - as divined for the Andrew Ferguson Indy Lotus book which I completed for his widow Jackie after his untimely and very sad death it's like this:

'38/1' 1965 Indy winner in Jim Clark's hands - Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Detroit, Michigan, USA - reputedly being restored to something like a decent standard, having been treated shockingly over many years by uncaring, ignorant Ford staff.

'38/2' - original badly damaged by Roger McCluskey in testing accident at trenton, replaced by car assembled around fresh monocoque (actually the fourth Type 38 nacelle to be built) - Bobby Johns' 7th placed car at Indy 1965 - used by Ford as 'Indy winner' show car - to A.J.Foyt - modified by Eddie Kuzma with Coyote top skin to appear as a Coyote-Ford (we think, Foyt would not confirm) at Indy '500' of 1966 for George Snider - crashed there and parts from this wreck and Foyt's at same evnt combined to create a new car for Indy 500 of 1967 - believed to have been the car written-off in Bob Christie's qualifying accident.

'38/3' - Dan Gurney's AAR car as private entry for 1965 Indy '500' - to Gordon van Liew for Larry Dickson to drive and modified by Eddie Kuzma to Vita Fresh Orange Juice Speical - 1967 Indy '500' driven by Dickson - to Ansted/Foyt - to Dick Smothers - on loan to Cunningham Museum in California - to Harrah Museum - sold by auction - to anonymous ownership and retained I believe to this day???

'38/4' - Built after the 1965 Indy '500' using some salvage from the McCluskey Trenton testing accident - car used by Jim Clark at St Ursanne and Ollon-Villars mountain climbs in Switzerland - briefly tested with de Dion rear suspension - 1966 Indy '500' for Clark in STP Livery finished 2nd - to Ansted/Foyt - crashed at Milwaukee - rebuilt in UK by Lotus - may have been used by Clark in Japan - back to Foyt - Crockey Peterson for Formula 5000 - to Chuck Haines - to Jim Jaeger and retained. Car that has run at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

'38/5' - Abbey Panels-made 'Soft-Alloy Special' - Dean Van Lines/Andretti for 1966 Indy '500' - practiced but did not race - Gene White 1967 for Lloyd Ruby, very successful season - to Paul Wells - to Chuck Haines - to Steve Forrestal/John Mecom - to anonymous owner in USA and as far as I know retained, some guy as owns '38/3'.

'38/6' - 'Soft Alloy Special' - Ansted/Foyt for 1966 - car severely damaged in Foyt's involvement in the Indy '500' startline pile-up - written-off.

'38/7' - 'Soft-Alloy Special' - Al Unser's STP team car for 1966 Indy '500' - crashed - monocque returned to Hethel and discarded after inspection as beyond economic repair - replaced by new monocque around which new car assembled under same serial to beocme STP 1967 team car for Indy '500' - driven then by Jim Clark - to Frank Eggers/Wayne Koch/Art Leers partnership - to Bill Lough - to Chuck Haines - via delaer Steve Forrestal to Japn - with Japanese collector ever since as far as I know, Harada Collection perhaps????

'38/8/S' - 1966 STP team symmetrical suspension car possibly taken to Mt Fuji for Jim Clark. Howevr this car may not have been completed until 1967 which would mean Clark used '38/4' at Mt Fuji instead. Graham Hill's assigned 1967 Indy '500' back-up car - set aside as unraced spare - to Eggers/Koch/Leers partnership - to Jerry Grew - to Jim Haynes who claimed it was in reality the Clark Indy winning car (published in 'Automobile Quarterly' and elsewhere and complete cobblers) - to Sam Foster - to anonymous US collector and as far as I know retained.

SO - there's THE Lotus 38 at the Ford Museum, while the five other survivors - unless having changed hands in recent years - are with Jim Jaeger, Japanese Museum and three in hands of enthusiastic collector who prefers to keep his identity to himself...

DCN

[Gary C]

Doug, fantastic stuff, thanks indeed for this!

[Doug Nye]

Think nothing of it ... sorry I so detested the German GP coverage... nothing personal.

DCN

[Gary C]

Ha! Don't worry about that!!! (do you mean the ITV coverage of the Digital F1 stuff?)

[fines]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
'38/5' - Abbey Panels-made 'Soft-Alloy Special' - Dean Van Lines/Andretti for 1966 Indy '500' - practiced but did not race - Gene White 1967 for Lloyd Ruby, very successful season

I take issue with that: AFAIK Rube ran the Lotus only once that year, at Langhorne in June. Fair enough, he won, but else he used the Mongoose Brabham BT12 copy for nine top 5 finishes.

[Doug Nye]

Oops - misread my own notes - car reputedly ran same race number as the Mongoose - results are for the entry number. Errrummm - is that possible????? Heavy attack of chilly feet here...

DCN

[fines]

Hey Doug, put on your slippers! This is VERY difficult territory, after all, no need to be ashamed. Yes, Ruby used #25 all year. His Mongoose was still in Canada for the rain-delayed Mosport race, so he used his backup car, the Lotus which usually carried #95. If you ever find the relevant Dick Wallen book (Roar From The Sixties), buy it, it has lots of pictures to help identify the cars. very much recommended!!!

[Don Capps]

Ah, Michael always beats me to the punch on these sorts of things....

[rmhorton]

At the risk of asking a very stupid question, what type of Indy Lotus is currently on display in the Brickyard musuem at the Speedway?

It would appear, unless I have mised something, that all the 38's are accounted for.

Roger

[Henri Greuter]

The car in the IMS museum is a 29. Exactly which one seems to be anybody's guess and that it looks close to an original car instead of perfect to the detail is good enough too.


Henri Greuter

[Henri Greuter]

Unless you mean the 56 turbine they also own nowadays?


Henri Greuter

[rmhorton]

Originally posted by Henri Greuter
Unless you mean the 56 turbine they also own nowadays?


Henri Greuter

No. It wasn't the turbine I was thinking of. I once given a tour of the museum by Donald Davidson and somehow I always had in my mind that he had referred to the Lotus as a 38. Obviously it must be my mistake.

Thanks.

Roger

[fines]

Originally posted by rmhorton
Obviously it must be my mistake.

... or a very rare one by DD!

[Vrba]

There was a supplement to Formula 1 Magazine some months ago. It was dedicated to Ford's 100 years in racing (IIRC) and, despite being conceived by Ford, contained some good reading.

There was an article on Lotus 38 inside with pictures of one example, obviously a restored one. As it's logical to presume that Ford would look into its own museum if there was a car available there, it's also logical to confirm Doug's words that 38/1 has been restored to good condition.
The car has asymmetrical suspension and looks exactly as Clark's Indy winner (obviously a good restauration).

Hrvoje

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by fines
If you ever find the relevant Dick Wallen book (Roar From The Sixties), buy it, it has lots of pictures to help identify the cars. very much recommended!!!

I do have the Wallen book(s) - simply did not take the time to refer. I am a huge fan and promoter of the Wallen series - I just feel it's a pity he doesn't perhaps give his writers better prominence because the unwritten/unspoken inference is that he's the author - which in essence he ain't. Pretty darned outstanding specialist publisher, however.

DCN

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
...
'38/3' - Dan Gurney's AAR car as private entry for 1965 Indy '500' - to Gordon van Liew for Larry Dickson to drive and modified by Eddie Kuzma to Vita Fresh Orange Juice Speical - 1967 Indy '500' driven by Dickson - to Ansted/Foyt - to Dick Smothers - on loan to Cunningham Museum in California - to Harrah Museum - sold by auction - to anonymous ownership and retained I believe to this day???

I was most surprised to discover that this car is still in the Harrah Collection, now housed in the National Automobile Museum (Reno, NV). It has "Smothers Bros" on the side but I have no idea when Tommy Smothers would have campaigned it, as is claimed.



BTW, I would be interested in any updates anyone has on locations of the Lotus 38s as I was just sent a great collection of pictures of these cars and am tempted to do a page on them.

Allen

[fines]

Hm... Lou Sell ran a #39 "Wynn's-Smothers Bros. Special" (REF - rear engine Ford) in 1968 on the road courses, but that was supposed to be an Eagle, at least according to Phil Harms's data... Hm!

[Allen Brown]

Oh well spotted Michael!

I have never been able to identify that "Eagle" - it just doesn't fit into my 1966, 1967 or 1968 Indy Eagle histories. It was said (by Wallen p480) to be ex-Rindt, implying a '66 car. It would have been very heavily damaged in Sell's crash at Riverside.

As a further digression, anyone know how on earth Crockey Peterson's F5000 Coyote was identified as Lotus 38 R4. That must have come as quite a surprise!

Allen

[Allen Brown]

Anyone know when the Jim Jaeger Lotus 38 ran at the Goodwood Festival of Speed?

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by B Squared
Allen - I just got off the phone with Walter Goodwin, who prepares Mr. Jaeger's cars for him. According to Walter, who was going through his travel records as we spoke, the car was at the Festival of Speed in 1997, 1998, and 2000. The car was left in the U.K. in 2000 so it could then run at the Revival later in the year. Hope this is of help.

Brian

Thanks Brian!

Did you by any chance happen to ask whether Mr Jaeger still owns the car and what year (approximately) he bought it from Chuck Haines?

[Direct Drive]

"....having been treated shockingly over many years by uncaring, ignorant Ford staff."

This is a little over the top Doug, not like your usual fair hand.
There are a lot of intelligent, passionate and caring people at all levels of Ford, and they did care enough to fund the construction of the Lotus/Ford efforts at both Indy and in F1. If its being properly restored by them I'd give the benefit of the doubt and say simply it was neglected for over 40 years.

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by B Squared
...The following photo was taken in 2000 at Walter's shop. I think it was in May, before the car shipped out with others for the Festival of Speed.



Brian

May I use that picture Brian? That gives me pictures of five of the six survivors.

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
May I use that picture Brian? That gives me pictures of five of the six survivors.

I am sure you have shots of the Indy winner. I could check if the Ford Media archive has any classic shots.

[Peter Morley]

Chuck Haines is advertising 38/5 for sale, apparently it is being restored at present.

[roger saretzki]

does anybody have photos from jim clark in the 38-4 at ollon-villars ?

regards from germany , roger saretzki

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by Peter Morley
Chuck Haines is advertising 38/5 for sale, apparently it is being restored at present.

So it is.

So Doug, can you now say who its former anonymous owner was?

[RA Historian]

Originally posted by Direct Drive
"....having been treated shockingly over many years by uncaring, ignorant Ford staff."

This is a little over the top Doug,

Maybe not too much. When I saw the car at the Ford Museum in the early 1990s it was rather haphazardly displayed in a side room with a bunch of unrelated cars and equipment. It was dusty and deteriorating. I was shocked. Such a car should be very prominently featured. At best we could say that the car was neglected. But with such a history, that neglect could be construed as being a product of an uncaring, ignorant Ford staff. Perhaps a little over the top, but not much....
Tom

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by RA Historian
... When I saw the car at the Ford Museum in the early 1990s it was rather haphazardly displayed in a side room with a bunch of unrelated cars and equipment. It was dusty and deteriorating. I was shocked. Such a car should be very prominently featured. At best we could say that the car was neglected. But with such a history, that neglect could be construed as being a product of an uncaring, ignorant Ford staff. Perhaps a little over the top, but not much....
Tom

It's looking fine now:



I've borrowed this from flickr (see here). It was taken last November.

[Alan Cox]

Nice to see it has been tidied up and given the respect which it deserves. However, why can't they get the numeral size correct - the digits are too small in relation to the roundel.
http://images.google...l=h...l=en&sa=N

[Allen Brown]

I've created a Lotus 38 page. I'm still waiting for permission to use the picture of 38/1 above but I thought I'd let you guys see the draft.

All comments welcome of course

Allen

[fines]

Allen, I will have a closer look tomorrow, but I can already see that you have repeated a popular error: George Snider's car in 1966 was never called a Coyote, it was always clear that it was a Lotus! There was only one Coyote in '66, crashed by Foyt in practice as #2. He then renumbered the newer Lotus (originally #45, I believe) and used that in the race. Christie's #82 in '67 was also always known as a Lotus, never a Coyote!

[brickyard]

Originally posted by fines
Allen, I will have a closer look tomorrow, but I can already see that you have repeated a popular error: George Snider's car in 1966 was never called a Coyote, it was always clear that it was a Lotus! There was only one Coyote in '66, crashed by Foyt in practice as #2. He then renumbered the newer Lotus (originally #45, I believe) and used that in the race. Christie's #82 in '67 was also always known as a Lotus, never a Coyote!

Didn't we have discussed this matter before on this thread?

Regards
Luis

[brickyard]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
I've created a Lotus 38 page. I'm still waiting for permission to use the picture of 38/1 above but I thought I'd let you guys see the draft.

All comments welcome of course

Allen

Well done Allen!

Regards
Luis

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by fines
Allen, I will have a closer look tomorrow, but I can already see that you have repeated a popular error: George Snider's car in 1966 was never called a Coyote, it was always clear that it was a Lotus! There was only one Coyote in '66, crashed by Foyt in practice as #2. He then renumbered the newer Lotus (originally #45, I believe) and used that in the race. Christie's #82 in '67 was also always known as a Lotus, never a Coyote!

Thanks Michael, I've fixed that.

Looking at the thread that Luis mentioned, I am confused by the first three Coyotes but that's probably a subject for another day. If there was only one 1966 car and if it was wrecked at Indy in 1966, what was the Coyote Foyt drove later in the 1966 season? And then how many Coyotes at Indy in 1967? Just Foyt's (the 1967 car? - the "second Coyote"?) and Leonard's? If so, was Leonard's the 66 car again or a new 67 car? I should know this really, shouldn't I?

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by Direct Drive
"....having been treated shockingly over many years by uncaring, ignorant Ford staff."

This is a little over the top Doug, not like your usual fair hand.
There are a lot of intelligent, passionate and caring people at all levels of Ford, and they did care enough to fund the construction of the Lotus/Ford efforts at both Indy and in F1. If its being properly restored by them I'd give the benefit of the doubt and say simply it was neglected for over 40 years.

I am sorry to say I stand absolutely by what I wrote. The car was effectively immaculate when presented into Ford's care. After many trips to motor shows and dealerships the car's suspensions were bent and distorted by having been used as tie-down points on trucks and trailers, the tub was scratched and dented again by lack of due care, the detachable panels torn, cracked and split to add to inherent British GRP moulding delamination. The extent of damage to the car was not the product of mere 'neglect', it was neglect of duty, ignorance of due care for such a property, lack of management and curatorial care with knobs on. In more recent years, thankfully, the sins of the past have to some extent been corrected. Tragically, originality of finish once lost can NEVER be retrieved. Ford were entrusted with a treasure...and failed posterity. Today this is a 90 per cent car. It could so easily have been saved, and cherished, 100 per cent...but this was not the case, and for this - although such strictures seem to be regarded these days as obsolescent - somebody, or something (like a corporate mindset) was to BLAME.

DCN

[mfd]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
Tragically, originality of finish once lost can NEVER be retrieved. Ford were entrusted with a treasure...and failed posterity. Today this is a 90 per cent car. It could so easily have been saved, and cherished, 100 per cent...but this was not the case, and for this - although such strictures seem to be regarded these days as obsolescent - somebody, or something (like a corporate mindset) was to BLAME.
DCN

Ditto Porsche Museum?

[Pullman99]

May I say that I completely agree with Doug Nye's comments on the curatorial responsibilities of museums and that of Ford in particular. What has been done cannot be undone. There is a similar saga with Andrew Cowan's 1968 London to Sydney Marathon winning Hillman Hunter - now restored to 1968 condition and hopefully with a secure future in Coventry Transport Museum. The Museum did try to prevent the car being rebuilt and re-used for a re-enactment 25 years later but rebuilt it was. However, I think that they really need to make more of that achievement as it was a truly significant one for Coventry.

Back to the Lotus 38s. I saw the Smothers Brothers car at Harrah's in 1983 and 1984. I have never seen the 1965 winner in the metal but was aware of concerns over its condition. Automobile Quarterly had a feature on the 38s in about 1980 that purported to claim that the car in the Henry Ford Museum was not actually the winning car, a point subsequently denied / corrected by Andrew Ferguson.

Older British TNF members may also recall that about a week after Indianapolis in 1965, the (presumably) winning car made an appearance on Blue Peter in the (I think) Chris Trace/Valerie Singleton days. Anyway, the non-motorsport press and popular television programmes certainly recognised this significant Jim Clark and Lotus achievement and it does beg the question as to why a UK museum didn't try to secure at least one of the cars for permanent display here. A major exhibition on the UK's involvement with Indianapolis and Indycar/Champcar racing down the years is long overdue although I am aware that there are individual cars on display in the UK - mostly out of context I would suggest. :

Slightly OT, it seems to me that significant events in motorsport received better coverage in the 1960s than now. The recent "discovery" of Jim Clark's 1966 RAC Rally Lotus Cortina reminded me of what I remember as being very good coverage of that event by ITV's World of Sport both live on the Saturday including some stages and the start (with interviews with Clark and Graham Hill joining Team Lotus for 1967) and the following Saturday an interview by Dickie Davies with winners Bengt Soderstrom and Gunnar Palm. I recorded the soundtrack on cassette (no video then) at the time.

Edited by Pullman99, 19 February 2021 - 12:04.

[brickyard]

Allen, just a quick note:

on your page, you have Lotus 38/2 and 38/3 as "third chassis built".


BTW, did you saw this thread? Your name's on it.;)

Regards
Luis

[Allen Brown]

Thanks Luis - I've fixed that. According to Messrs Ferguson and Nye, 38/3 was the second car built and 38/2 was the third (and then the fourth after McCluskey's crash).

[brickyard]

Thanks Allen.

Did you saw the edit I've made on my message?

[dilettante]

I read with great interest this thread... Thanks to Doug Nye and Allen Brown!
I wonder what kind of Lotus drove Graham Hill at Indy 1967 ? (#81)
Was it also a 38 (what s/n ?) or a 42 ? (s/n 42/1 or 42/2 ?)

Jyl

[fines]

It was a Lotus 42F, i.e. one of the 1966 Lotus/BRMs converted to Ford power. I don't know the chassis number, though.

[dilettante]

Thanks a lot Michael, it's confirm what I was thinking. It could be 42/2... Not sure...

Another point I would like to clarify about the Snider's car at Indy 1966 #82: a lot of reports name it "Coyote/Ford". Could we considere it like a "real" Lotus (and later became a Coyote), or was it at that time already a Coyote?

[fines]

It was a Lotus (38/2 per Allen's site), and never became a Coyote - those reports are simply wrong!;)

[dilettante]

Splendid! I agree... even if the official report is wrong! ( http://www.indy500.c...score/year/1966 )

Thanks
Jyl

[fines]

If they'd pay me for it, I'd point out a few more errors...;)

[Doug Nye]

We have covered this ground before, but I never got anywhere with Foyt and his people in trying to confirm where 'Lotus' ended and 'Coyote' started. Andrew Ferguson, however, remembered A.J. with great fondness and respect, not least because he was that EXTREMELY rare animal amongst Lotus clientele - a racer who paid invoices the instant he received them.

DCN

[WALDO]

I think if you are going to do this you must look at all of them due to the fact you are getting some confused. I know books may say one thing but just about every one of these I saw from close range with eye ball in 1964, 1965, 1966 and 1967.

Lotus 29s----Three Built, 91 Mule, 92 Clark and 93 Gurney.

Mule sold to Lindsey Hopkins and became the #51 Pure Firebird Spl of 1964. Sold after 1964 to Jerry Alderman and Al "Krulac" Miller ran fourth in 1965, ran it again in 1966, got wrecked in first lap crash and sold to Gordon Van Liew and rebuilt. (I got this information from Dickson in 1967, when he was the slowest qualifier in that car and later in 1991in a conversation with him.)

Others, never raced again after the 1963 Milwaukee 200, 1st and 4th.....


Lotus 34s----Three Built, #6 Clark, #12 Gurney, plus one.

The "Plus one" was sold to Agajanian in August of 1964 and stayed in his procession until August of 1967 when Parnelli bought it for his Vel's Team. Joe Leonard did run the car at the Trenton 200. Last Lotus 34 to run. The car in 1964 won both Milwaukee and Trenton 200s. Modified over the winter by Eddie Kuzma and ran second at Indy and won Mays race in 1965. George Snider ran it a few times in 1965. Until Trenton of 1967 was idle.

The #12 Gurney was leased to Foyt for Milwaukee 200 but broke the transmission at the start. Foyt bought the car later and Levosky modified it and Foyt set fast time with it at PIR, Trenton, Indy and Milwaukee but dropped out of all the races, caused Foyt and Bignotti to split after Langhorne. Johnny Poulsen was hired after being released from Agajanian and the car won the Trenton 150, Trenton 200 and Phoenix 200. The car became, the #82 Sheraton-Thompson Lotus that George Snider ran at PIR, Indy, Milwaukee, Langhorne. Foyt was in the car at Trenton and Atlanta. (There is NO DOUBT this was a Louts34 as I saw it way too many times in 1965 and 1966.)

The #6 Clark ran at Indy and again at the Trenton 200 but with no luck. The car was sold to Lindsey Hopkins and after the 1964 PIR 200, Marshman had a Firestone Tire test in that car and the hub failed and Marshman died from his injuries. Nobody knew what Hopkins did with at car as he bought like Foyt and Agajanian, a Lola. The car reappeared in 1967, in the pits as #95, I saw it and some Lotus expert said that was the Marshman 34. I became aware that Bobby did not get killed in the 29 at that point and Wallen in his book talks about around the last win by a Lotus, at the 1967 Langhorne 100 with Lloyd Ruby.

ALL 34s in 1965 with the wider tires had a hub failure at Indy as both Jones and Foyt used up over 1000 feet each to get both stopped. USAC grounded all Lotus, 29, 34s and 38s and all Lolas until an inspection could be made and a corrections to the 29 and 34s.

1965: Lotus 38 #17, #82, #83 and #84

#82--- I buy your explanation 100% (1965 Indy winner in Jim Clark's hands - Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Detroit, Michigan, USA - reputedly being restored to something like a decent standard, having been treated shockingly over many years by uncaring, ignorant Ford staff.)


#83----Bobby Johns' 7th place car in 1965 and according to its owner, the 2nd place spinner in 1966. Car was sold to Foyt after the 500 in 1966 to replace wrecked Lotus. He paid $50,000 and on Friday before the Mays at Milwaukee completing his 10th practice lap, the suspension failed sending him into the front stretch wall rupturing his fuel tank. Foyt trying to get out was knocked back into the car and when he got out he suffered third degree burns to the face and hands. ($50,000 for 10 laps was this cars legacy). Car was rebuilt and raced by Foyt at PIR, 5th and Trenton plus Gary Congdon, wasted this car efforts trying to get it in to the 1967 500 as car #84.

#84a----Became the AAR Yamaha Lotus with Gurney at Indy and McCluskey, Milwaukee and Langhorne. Yes McCluskey tore this car up in a Tire Test at Trenton. I heard it was parted out.

#84b-----Became the #15 Eagle that Gurney drove then renumbered to #28 and both Gurney and McCluskey drove. This car sat next to Foyt, in a dirt car at the Milwaukee 200 of 1965. No clue to where it went.

1966----#1, #18 and #45.

#1 "Soft Alloy" was going to be the Primary Dean Van Lines car at Indy but was so bad that Al dean got his money back. The car was pictured on the cover of the Indy Star in 1966. Became known as the Lemon and occupied an empty garage of Sid Weinberger. Champman rebuilt the car and it became the #80 car that Graham Hill struggled to go fast enough to make the 1967 500 and it didn't.

#18-----You got this car totally right as it was also the #31 in 1967 of Jimmy Clark.

#45----This car was not intended to be used but after Foyt crashed the Coyote then this car still in a crate was uncrated and built overnight and set fast time on Day 2. It was all white with a black square with the number 45. The car was repainted and petitioned USAC for a number change which was done and the car got tore up on lap one. It was not a write off, it was rebuilt and raced with Joe Leonard as the #82 car at PIR and Trenton. Bob Christie and Bob Wente both practiced this car at Indy and Christie wrecked it on the first day and that ended its time with Foyt. It became the Peterson Lotus-Chevy entry in 1968.

1966----Lotus 42

A Lotus 42 was a 38 that was meant to take a H-16 BRM, In 1966 two were entered but on chassis did show but no engine.
In 1967 one was entered with the BRM but it never showed up so the car was converted to Ford power and Graham Hill did get the #81 car into the 1967 500. The car was entered in 1968 as the #80 but was for sale and no buyers.

Coyote:
The Coyote built in 1966 by Foyt was a Lotus Copy on the Lola chassis. It looked almost like a 38 but it was all Foyt except the modified 1965 Lola chassis. I saw this car at PIR at race one in 1966. Even Fred Gerhardt built 1966 Gerhardts to look like Lotus 38s. After the car got a little bent in the race, Johnny Poulson backed into the PIR wall so Foyt had to bounce Snider out at Trenton of the Lotus 34.

In 1966 there was one Coyote and in 1967 there were two with both being ground up and a chassis still modeled after the Lola.

[dilettante]

Lost in the supermarket (The Clash)

Far away from me the idea of discuss about the reality or not of the facts. I'm just trying to understand the "history" as closer as the truth... (but may be "the truth is out of there"). Nothing personal.;)

Here is my datas about the Lotus at Indy from 1963 to 1969. (according to the informations of this thread, personal research and others...)

Sort by chassis. In bold the differences after "Waldo's" informations (actually, what I understand!)



So, can anyone check the "mistakes", please ?

EDIT: It's just the cars that start the race, without the DNA, DNQ, DNS...