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Lotus 18 Formula Junior chassis 701 - Jörg Wyssbrod


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#1 masermat

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Posted 19 October 2021 - 21:04

I'm looking to find some informations about the Lotus 18 FJ driven by Jörg Wyssbrod in 1961

 

https://www.dropbox....rod AR.jpg?dl=0

 

Is there a chance that this Lotus has been the first 18FJ made driven by Clark?

 

All the helps are welcome.

 

Matteo Panini

Modena - Italy


Edited by masermat, 19 October 2021 - 21:06.


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#2 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 20 October 2021 - 05:33

There was another thread on this car which seems to confirm that it was the Clark car.  Here is a link:

 

https://forums.autos...otus-18-fj-701/

 

I'm sure Michael Oliver can tell you more.

 

Vince H.



#3 hatrat

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Posted 25 October 2021 - 10:13

There are really two questions here :

 

1) Was chassis 701 the first Lotus 18?  - most probably yes as it was the first chassis number allocated to a Lotus 18.

 

2) Was chassis 701 driven by Jim Clark? - not so sure as the first race for a Lotus 18 (presumably chassis 701) was on 26 December 1959 with Alan Stacey driving while Jim Clark didn't race a Lotus 18 FJ until 19 March 1960 and this (from photographs) was car #22 with alloy side panels so is probably chassis 703 being the car that subsequently went to Jim Palmer in New Zealand. Did Clark subsequently race chassis 701 in April or May 1960??


Edited by hatrat, 25 October 2021 - 10:23.


#4 Michael Ferner

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Posted 25 October 2021 - 20:38

Since every Lotus is today assumed to have been driven by Clark, the new £1,000 question appears to be: which one did he drive first...  :clap:



#5 hatrat

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Posted 25 October 2021 - 21:16

Since every Lotus is today assumed to have been driven by Clark, the new £1,000 question appears to be: which one did he drive first...  :clap:

Exactly - it would be very beneficial if a Lotus 18 could be proved to be an ex-Jim Clark car but the problem is with the proof.

 

Jim Clark drove a Lotus 18 FJ 14 times in 1960 and he wasn't driving 701 in his first outing and it could be assumed that subsequently he would have been given the latest works car so not the first built 701?



#6 Michael Oliver

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Posted 01 November 2021 - 00:01

I am very happy to be corrected on this but, as far as I'm aware, there were four Team Lotus entries in 1960 - 701, 702, 703 and 710. The last three were actually bought and paid for by their drivers and run under the banner of Team Lotus and they are listed as the customers for these cars. So I think 701 was the only truly works car in 1960. But it is a long time since I've looked at FJ18s in any detail, so don't take this as gospel! And there was a 700, and a customer (not Team Lotus) is listed for it. Of course, it could have been the Stacey Brands car and then sold on to a customer at some later point...



#7 hatrat

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Posted 04 November 2021 - 18:44

Some background on #703 may be of interest :

After serving Jim Clark well, #703 was taken over by McKee, who made his first appearance in the car at the Oulton Park Cup race in 1960. Although ostensibly part of the Lotus works team, McKee and #703 had switched to the Jim Russell Racing team by the time of the Chichester Cup race at Goodwood in 1960 – #703, having been purchased off Colin Chapman by Jim Russell, with McKee providing £400 towards the purchase price. McKee drove the car for the rest of the 1960 season in the UK and in Europe. At the end of the year #703 was sold, and even today, McKee swears he is still owed the £400 he had supplied for the car’s original purchase.

#8 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 05 November 2021 - 05:36

Sadly, Mike McKee passed away in 2016:

 

https://forums.autos...mike-mckee-rip/

 

Vince H.