34 replies to this topic

[DOHC]

The Lotus 56 has always interested me, because of its innovative
character. A Pratt & Whitney turbine to power it, no conventional
gearbox, no radiators, four-wheel drive, and an unconventional
aerodynamic shape that produced good amounts of downforce. In all
it was a quite radical departure from proven race car design. The
March issue of MotorSport has a short article on it.

In the 1968 Indy 500, Joe Leonard and Graham Hill started from P1
and P2, with Art Pollard in the third car further down the grid.
Leonard came close to winning the race but retired near the end.
The cars were used in a few more races. Leonard's car was sold to
Parnelli Jones, who apparently owned it for the next 30 years, and
according to some sources the car was later equipped with a Ford
piston engine. That car was acquired some years ago by Avon Aero,
who have restored it and installed an Allison gas turbine. That project
is described at the site

http://www.avonaero.com/indycar.htm

where you also find four mpg videoclips of the restored car in a
few test runs on a public street outside Avon's utilities. Great
fun, and you can hear the whistle of the turbine too!

A second car (Hill's) is kept in the Indy museum. According to the
records I have found on the web, four cars were built. One was
later rebuilt as a Lotus 56B formula one car and raced in 1971,
driven by Emerson Fittipaldi and Reine Wisell. That car is still
in World Wide Racing livery and in a museum in England.

I don't know where the fourth car might be, or if it exists. There
were more crashes than Hill's, in particular Mike Spence's fatal
crash during qualifying.

I wonder if some of you on TNF might have more information? I'm
also interested in other questions, like

- Type 56 was designed by Maurice Phillippe, who also designed
the other wedge-shaped cars, type 57/58, type 63 (also 4WD)
and type 72 in a short period, spanning 2-3 years. How closely
related were these projects? Was there some connection between
them or do the designs rather reflect Phillippe's "design
philospohy" or major ideas of race car design at the time? How
much is known about Colin Chapman's input to the concept? Chapman
ideas, realized by Phillippe?

- If I remember it correctly the 4WD system of the 56 was adapted
from a Ferguson system. Was that technically the same as the 4WD
system used in Ferguson's P99 around 1960?

Although these are of a technical nature, any comments of
historical interest are appreciated!

[Gerr]

According to Andrew Ferguson's Lotus at Indy book:
Chassis 56/1,race #60,Leonard is complete and owned by Parnelli.
Chassis 56/2,race #30,Weld/Spence,morphed into 56B/1 the F1 car and is at Donington.
Chassis 56/3,race #70,Hill,is the car at IMS.
Chassis 56/4,race #20,Pollard,is owned by First Brands/STP.

STP/Granatelli or Vel's/Parnelli built other 56s using Plymouths and Offys for the 1969 season.
Two of these chassis(both race #3)and spares were sold at the Vels auction a few years ago and may be the base used for the Avon Aero car.

Do yourself a favour and get the Ferguson book(Team Lotus,the Indianapolis Years).It is a great read and has fabulous photos.

[Gary C]

DOHC indeed for the link to the Avon Aero site, really interesting stuff. How on Earth did you find them??

[Gary C]

I've just taken a look through the video clips! Good God! They run it on the highway, in amongst the traffic!!! If anyone doesn't believe me, take a look at clip 3! Can you imagine what those people in the trucks and cars thought as a Lotus turbine Indycar came up behind them??? Great stuff (of course, we NEVER be allowed to do that here in England....).

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by Gerr
Two of these chassis(both race #3)and spares were sold at the Vels auction a few years ago ...

Gerr

Have I been asleep? What Vels auction? What was sold? When was it?

Allen

[Gary C]

if 56B/1 is the car that is still in WWR livery, then that car is still owned by Team Lotus. When was it out at Goodwood, 1997 (albeit a non-runner)? Doug??

[Gerr]

Allen, you have to sleep sometime. I didn't receive the auction brochure until a week after it had happened. i don't think anyone was on top of this one.
The brochure has the auction date of October 2,but no year. I am sure it was after Vel Miletich passed away,so 1998? the auction house was Lloyd-Ashman. it was at the shop in Torrance.
Mainly machine and fabrication tools,shop equipment,racks ,dynos,etc.
Racing cars and stuff include:1971 VPJ Colt,former Johnny Lightning,Indy-winning
:(2)1969 Parnelli 4WD Lotus Copy Rollers
:1967 Brabham Copy Indy Race Car Roller
:1975 Eagle Indy Chassis,w/some body and suspension parts
:1972 VPJ1 Dyhedrel Wing Indy Car Chassis,unassembled
:(2)Lola T-332 Formula 5-5000 Tubs
:Offenhauser and Cosworth DFX Engines And Parts
:Can-Am 500 CI Racing Blocks
This is verbatim from the brochure.

The pix show the Lotus copies sitting on pallets(red sides,blue upper panels,both numbered 3), the Brabham copy(orange with a numeral 9),four Turbo-Offys,3 Hewlands with 4WD take-offs, racks and racks of mags,gears,engines etc .

[Allen Brown]

Gerr

As ever, you are an amazing source of information!

The two Lola T332s look very interesting, but the item that leapt out at me was the 1967 Brabham Indy copy. IIRC, the Brabham BT25 was a 1968 design so this must be something based on the 1964 BT12-based Zink/Dean/Brawner-Hawk cars or the 1967 BT11-based Mongoose/Gene White/Lloyd Ruby cars.

Are there any more clues in the brochure on any of these cars? Any chance you could post or send me the picture of the Brabham roller?

Many thanks (yet again)

Allen

[Ray Bell]

This isn't it...

[Gerr]

Allen, The Brabham-copy was entered at Indy in 1968 as #9,light-orange colour for Joe Leonard by Vel's and called a Morris-Ford. Vel's also entered a Mongoose in 1967(#27 Geo. Snider)and 1968(#28 Geo. Snider),the chief mechanic was George Morris. So,I guess the Morris was a copy of the Mongoose (built by Dave Laycock)which was based on the BT11?
And don't forget Howard Gilbert's Cheetah which is identical to the Morris/Mongoose. And Jim Hayhoe's Cleaver-Brooks cars.

Ray, That photo looks like the one and only 1964 BT12 that was in my neighbourhood for many years. Got any more info?

[Ray Bell]

More details? Sure...

Used Fuji 100ASA 35mm film shot at 1/250 sec with Mamiya... hang on, you don't want that, do you?

Been completely rebuilt under the direction of Lou Russo, I gather... bodywork, or some of it, has been done by The Coachbuilders in Melbourne... it sounds good, goes well, laps Phillip Id in top gear and Jack was happy with it all.

[DOHC]

Gary C -- I've been doing some extensive web research on the 56, and that's how I found the Avon Aero project. Glad you enjoyed the video clips!

But I have also searched the web for images of all kinds, and they're rather hard to come by. (It's much easier to find pictures of Hotwheels Lotus 56 miniature models from 1969 than to find pictures of the real car!)

An unusal thing is the way the number/roundel paint changed from white on black to black on white. Does anyone know why?

[Gary C]

Funnily enough, I have been speaking with Bob Dance this evening (former Chief Mechanic at Team Lotus), and I told him about the website. He mentioned straight away that he thought that the Indy 56's were some of the best cars that Lotus ever produced. He was so interested about the restoration of chassis #1 that I have printed the site and will post it to him tomorrow.

[Gary C]

just remembered too, that this months' 'Motorsport' has a big section on Graham Hill, including a short piece on him testing the 56. It includes 2 pictures I hadn't seen before, one a B&W shot with Graham in the cockpit and Chunky and Innes Ireland leaning into the cockpit. Innes has a pair of goggles around his neck, so he obviously took a turn at it. I didn't know that before!

[Gerr]

Here are some recent photos of 56/1 at P.Jones' garage.
http://www.geocities...315442/pjm.html
As wrote earlier,I think the avon car is a 1969 STP or VPJ 56 copy,none of which used a turbine.

[DOHC]

Thanks Gerr, I think you must certainly be right about 56/1.

A trouble with information found on the web is that it's not very reliable in its details. Here's a link to another picture of Parnelli's 56/1 from 1995. And one makes mistakes too; I had this link already before I found the one to Avon Aero, so I should have realized that 56/1 was in original shape. I guess I dismissed it just because in this link the claim is even more outlandish---it says that Parnelli Jones drove this 56 at Indy in 1968.

http://www.vigilanti.../mtani/rd6.html

Gary C---if possible, can you make sure Bob Dance doesn't get incorrect information? A pity if false rumours start to spread from here.

[Rainer Nyberg]

I noticed the prominent chassis-plate, clearly marked with 'LOTUS'.
Surely 'replica' or reproduction chassis built by Parnelli would not sport such?

But then again the chassis-plate might also be a 'replica'...
I does look at least restored.

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by Gerr
Allen, The Brabham-copy was entered at Indy in 1968 as #9,light-orange colour for Joe Leonard by Vel's and called a Morris-Ford. Vel's also entered a Mongoose in 1967(#27 Geo. Snider)and 1968(#28 Geo. Snider),the chief mechanic was George Morris. So,I guess the Morris was a copy of the Mongoose (built by Dave Laycock)which was based on the BT11?
And don't forget Howard Gilbert's Cheetah which is identical to the Morris/Mongoose. And Jim Hayhoe's Cleaver-Brooks cars.

Gerr

"Don't forget"!! That is nice of you to give me the benefit of the doubt but I never knew about these things in the first place. Can you tell me more about the Cheetah and Cleaver-Brooks cars?

Allen

[Gerr]

DOHC,I apologise for us getting off the Lotus Turbine topic,but the way things go around here one thread starts another and another,etc.
Allen,I am not an expert in this,however the way I see it,a LOT of tube-frame Indianapolis/USAC rear-engined Champ Cars are based on the Brabham BT12. As I understand it,after the '64 season the (bent) Brabham/McElreath Zink chassis was taken to Clint Brawner in Phoenix to be duplicated. The original Arch Motors silver-brazed style mild steel frame was illegal for '65 and any fabrication had to be chrome-moly tube,and welded. Brawner got the Zink job because he and team-owner Al Dean needed a rear-engined up-to-date car and because he had hired a new welder who was pretty good. The deal was,two Brabham-copy chassis to Zink(for McElreath for '65)and Brawner and Dean could have one copy for themselves,to be driven by the welder,Mario Andretti.
These(Brabham)cars were very simple in design,using Spitfire uprights,Jag steering-rack knuckles(instead of heim- joints),Girling brakes,and other bits anyone could get from a BAP/GEON cataloge. Andretti and McElreath were VERY successful in '65 which spawned refined versions on the same theme:Brawner's Hawk II, Laycock's Mongoose, Howard Gilbert's Cheetah,etc.
The Cheetah(driven by George Follmer)was the first car with a Chev small-block to score a win on the Championship Trail.When i get this scanner-thing hooked up,I send you some pix of it.
DOHC,here is a Lotus 56 pic,I hope it is new to you:
http://hometown.aol....68/hillmosp.htm

[DOHC]

Gerr--no problem. Yes, I've seen that picture before, but thanks anyway!

[byrkus]

I have some questions regarding the engine (gas turbine). I'm interested in comparisment between turbine and classic piston dirven engines of the time, its size, its power output, and I am also interested in fuel consumption, and also, what kind of fuel did it use. Did it run on kerosine, like jet planes??

Thank you for answers

[Doug Nye]

A complex equivalency formula had been agreed with the governing bodies - the Spear-Penney Formula named after Peter Spear - technical director of Rubery Owen, owners of BRM - therefore connected with the Rover-BRM gas turbine Le Mans car project - and Noel Penney of Rover, who had vast gas turbine experience in experimental road cars. the Chapman F1 turbine wedge of 1971 complying with it.

This involved equivalency was carried forward from Le Mans sports car competition in 1965 - the original Rover-BRM of 1963 having run as a demonstration - into F1, After 'Silent Sam's Indy performance beneath Parnelli Jones in 1967 and the Lotus 56 performances at Indy in '68 intake nozzle area limitations were screwed right down which rendered further silent racing unattractive to would-be entrants. Did USAC operate the Spear-Penney Formula to decide initial equivalency, or did they adopt one of their own, unconnected? I can't remember.

DCN

[Ray Bell]

Yes, byrkus, kerosene...

And plenty of it...

[DOHC]

Byrkus---Gas turbines can run on many different fuels. The March issue of MotorSport mentions from the spec sheet of the Pratt & Whitney ST6B-70 turbine as used in the 56: weight 260 lb (120 kg), power output 500 bhp when run on gasoline. I suppose the car might very well have used different fuels at Indy and when later converted to the 56B formula 1 car.

[byrkus]

Thank you, DOHC, that's just what I wanted to hear!! So, in other words, the engine itself was about as heavy and as powerful as any other conventional piston engine of the time? If so, the only disadvantage (as I see it) was the unability to accelerate from slow corners...

[Ray Bell]

At 120kg, I'm sure you'll find it was lighter than a DFV by a fair margin.

There's been a post the past day or two about DFV weight... probably in the thread about them.

[DOHC]

The DFV lost weight over the years, and increased its power output. But around 1970 a DFV must have weighed around 150 kg. Also, a typical Hewland gearbox of the time would weigh around 50 kg.

So the weight saving was quite substantial as Ray points out, not least because with a turbine you need "less" gearbox as well.

The drawback of the concept was the poor driveability as a turbine has a slow throttle response. That was not so harmful at Indy, where speeds don't change quickly and are constantly high, but it was a rather big problem on the twisty tracks used in European open wheel racing. The 56 was in every way an Indy car.

Not surprisingly, the 56B F1 car was mostly used on high speed tracks like Silverstone (Wisell) and Monza (Fittipaldi) in 1971. The only exception I can remember was that Dave Walker drove a 56B at Zandvoort that year. The car was certainly not used in Monaco!

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by byrkus
:So, in other words, the engine itself was about as heavy and as powerful as any other conventional piston engine of the time? If so, the only disadvantage (as I see it) was the unability to accelerate from slow corners...

Most frightening drawback for the drivers was that the gas turbine provided virtually zero braking effect on the over-run - hence the need for enormous brakes with copious cooling. The original paintwork on 56B/1 today - based on the Spence Indy chassis I believe - bears charred testimony to this demand around its inboard brake cooling chimneys. The Lotus 56B also ran at Hockenheim.

DCN

[DOHC]

Doug---what Hockenheim event was that? Perhaps my memory is fading, but I thought that the German GP was held at Nurburgring that year?

(I have no ref literature at hand for the moment)

[Megatron]

I think that Walker was running well in the rain in Holland until he lost it. Of course, it is up to debate whether the turbine or the 4wd was to blame. Chapman had another turbine car in his mind, but time and budget made more sense to run another year (or two, or three!) with the 72...

[Doug Nye]

Originally posted by DOHC
Doug---what Hockenheim event was that? Perhaps my memory is fading, but I thought that the German GP was held at Nurburgring that year?

This comes from the record books' infatuation with World Championship GPs rather than Formula 1 races per se. Jochen Rindt Memorial race, 1971, as I recall without double checking. Statistics for ALL races run for the contemporary premier-Formula class would place the current Schumacher fixation in more adequate perspective... Ferrari's most successful driver ever? - huh.

DCN

[Allen Brown]

DOHC

Doug's nearly right. It was a F5000 race at Hockenheim (12 Sep 1971). For all the 56B's results, see here.

The car raced seven times, only three of those in GPs.

Allen

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by Allen Brown
DOHC

For all the 56B's results, see here.

Allen

On your page the 56B's 1971 BRDC International Trophy's result is given as "not classified". That's true, but it's because the car retired on lap 2 in heat 1. In the second heat, Emerson Fittipaldi finished 3rd behind Graham Hill and Chris Amon - perhaps the 56B's best result as a F1 car.

[DOHC]

Ah, thanks! Yes, I've seen that page before. I misunderstood Doug as I immediately thought of the German GP and couldn't possibly remember it from Hockenheim---my mistake!

[Allen Brown]

Originally posted by scheivlak
On your page the 56B's 1971 BRDC International Trophy's result is given as "not classified". That's true, but it's because the car retired on lap 2 in heat 1. In the second heat, Emerson Fittipaldi finished 3rd behind Graham Hill and Chris Amon - perhaps the 56B's best result as a F1 car.

Good point, but that then depends on how you define a result. Do heat results count? I think we had this discussion on TNF recently but I can't find it at the moment.

My attitude would be that it was only a heat so therefore it's not a "result" at all. However, I would agree with you that it was probably its best performance.

Allen