8 replies to this topic

[Bloggsworth]

Jim Clark won the Indy 500.

 

http://thejudge13.co...s-the-indy-500/

[bradbury west]

A nice find. Whilst they make no mention of the fact that Len Terry drew the car from a clean sheet of paper, this  first fully monocoque Lotus  being all his own design, Len gets a nice mention for the  brilliant time-saving refuelling system which he designed.

with due bias

Roger Lund

[Collombin]

So Jack Brabham's appearance in 1961 was the first rear engined car to race in the 500?
And he finished on the lead lap?

Amazing what you can learn just from the first paragraph.

[VWV]

Take a look at Peter Windsor's blog about the month of May 50 years ago  http://peterwindsor.com/

[RTH]

 

 

Some photos of today's gathering in Delamere Road, Cheshunt. A delightful interlude thanks to Tony Scales ,David Morgan, and Saphire Whitbread for excellent organisation gathering together so many  ex Lotus people in one place  including Clive & Hazel Chapman, Jackie Oliver, John Miles,Mike Costin,Bob Dance, Bob Sparshott, Dick Scammell, Tony Southgate, Maureen McCrae (who worked for Ron Hickman and made the trip from South Africa just for this get together) and indeed literally dozens of others.

 

[Bloggsworth]

Some pictures from the unveiling of the 50th Anniversary Memorial Plaque on the Team Lotus building today:

 

 

 

 

Hazel Chapman who unveiled the plaque.

 

 

Clive Chapman.

 

 

John Miles.

 

 

Bob Dance.

 

 

Bob Sparshott.

 

 

Jim Clark's Elan 1500.

 

 

Rain could not dampen the occasion and it was good to meet those last seen 50 years ago! I'm sure that others who were there will add to this "Album"

Edited by Bloggsworth, 31 May 2015 - 17:01.

[B Squared]

I took these shots of the winning car in Indianapolis during the week of May 11, 2015. Always a neat experience just to be close to this fantastic piece of history. I never tire of hearing its beautiful engine note.

 

photo:B²

[mariner]

I think that despite the intermittent rain everybody enjoyed themselves. Prior to the actual unvieling at Delamare Road about 50 ex-Lotus staff, family  and guests had a lunch at the red Cow pub in nearby Windmill Lane with Clive and Hazel Chapman as special guests.

 

At the lunch Dick Scammell told how  the Red Cow pub was where he and all the Team Lotus mechanics still in the UK went to celebrate after hearing Jim Clark’s 500 win on a short wave radio broadcast from the USA. When they eventually got thrown out they went to Jim Endruweit's flat to carry on drinking then phoned Colin Chapman reverse charge to the USA from a pay phone in the hallway!

 

Peter Windsor has done very nice website post about the day with a video as well.

 

http://wp.me/p1V55D-113

[mariner]

I have come back this topic because I have just remembered a funny quip made by the Team Lotus people just before the curtain was pulled back.

 

When it was annouced that the plaque was about to be unveiled some Team Lotus wag said " its not a plaque, it's Chapman job list"

 

This raised a laugh but immediately another ex Team Lotus mechanic with memories of many an  all nighter said " No its not, its too short" !!

 

Even 50 years later the TL mechanics stil talk of the insane hours they put in. When Bob Dance was asked why he worked so long so often his reply? " we wanted to win"