19 replies to this topic

[Gary C]

chatting with Cirrus in the pub just now.........we got wondering whatever happened to the Lotus 73's? Anyone have an idea?

[Cirrus]

As I was driving home, I remembered seeing a thick, lavishly produced, glossy book in Chaters a few years ago which had a picture of a Lotus 73 tub undergoing restoration. The cars were offered for sale for peanuts in the mid-seventies, and Joe Ehrlich bought them, but then, as far as I know, the trail went fairly cold.....

[philippe charuest]

the "texaco-star " F2 was build after the 72 and before the 74 so in some way its a 73 no?

[Gary C]

nope, I think I'm right in saying that the 73 was an F3 car in its' own right. The 74's were the Texaco Stars. Cirrus?

[Cirrus]

I'm pretty sure that the Texaco Stars were 74s. The Lotus numbering system did throw up a few anomolies, such as the Lotus 7 and Type 14 (Elite) both being launched at the 1957 Motor Show (although the 7 didn't actually make it to the show itself)

[Twin Window]

These are the 73s;

[MCS]

Didn't somebody say in another thread a while back that the 74s (and maybe the 73s?) were in a lock-up garage somewhere in London?

And that he was sworn to secrecy...?

[Gary C]

yes, the 74's, not the 73's.

[David Beard]

Originally posted by MCS
Didn't somebody say in another thread a while back that the 74s (and maybe the 73s?) were in a lock-up garage somewhere in London?

If they have not been stolen.....

[2F-001]

The first of Stuart's pics looks rather like Mallory Park - (it is sufficiently salubrious) - does anyone know?
People on track-days wouldn't stand for conditions like those nowadays, never mind a works F3 team - not convinced that the world is a better palce for it though...

I saw the 73s race - most memorably at Mallory, with Bernard Vermilio the class of the field.
I recall Tony Trimmer driving one too - but for the moment cannot recall the others.
Several unrelated questions ensue from that:

1) What became of Bernard Vermilio? I know he returned briefly to Formula Ford, where a friend who was competing at the time was pretty gobsmacked at Vermilio's ability level compared to him and most of the others.

2) I've heard folk describe the "JPS" Formula 3s as a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Were they vastly more advanced, technically, than the opposition? They didn't pick up any titles, but I'm not sure they undertook full uninterrupted seasons.
Aside from Monaco, did they race outside the UK?
Weren't they protested or investigated on technical grounds at some point?

3) And what was their purpose? Lotus had already shifted their focus away from customer single-seaters by then, so was the sponsorship level such that the F3s could be run as a business entity or as brand-buiders for JPS or Lotus?
Or were there any thoughts of actually producing customer F3s again?
Or am I, perhaps, displaying a cynicism born of modern times, and in fact they went F3 racing simply because they wanted to - and (seemingly) adequate sponsorship made it possible?

4) How do you think they would go in private hands if racing now, as classic F3s?

Sorry - rather too many questions for one post, perhaps...!

[Cirrus]

One of the reasons that the 73s did not achieve great success is that a large part of the F3 budget found its way to the F1 team.

As to how they'd go in current Classic F3 races - so much would depend on who was behind the wheel. They would probably be winners in the right hands, but the 1600 class in the UK Classic F3 series is not the most competitive.......

As for Bernard Vermilio. A quick Google search uncovered a garage business in Colchester called Bernard Vermilio & Co. Too much of a coincidence, surely. Didn't he race a (Colchester-built) Merlyn in FF2000 at one time?

[MCS]

I think Stuart's first picture is at Oulton Park - I recognise those depressing dustbins!

Yes, Bernard Vermilio was certainly a talented driver. He raced very briefly in Formula Three again in a Merlyn and then pedalled their FF1600 and FF2000 cars for a number of years with some success I seem to remember. After that, I've no idea.

It could probably be said that his season with the Lotus Formula Three team in 1972 scuppered his plans for making it into the higher formulae. But then you might argue that Tony Trimmer's career almost came to a full stop after his spell with the funny looking black and gold cars...

Tell you what though, I'd love to see a restored 73 racing again!

[Andrew Kitson]

The 73s only raced for one season and were only ever seen in JPS livery. Originally designed by Maurice Phillippe in 1971 as an F2 car, the project was stalled with the closure of Lotus Racing. The project was picked up again after Phillippe's departure by Martin Wade and Dave Baldwin as the works F3 car for '72. A hugely complex car with full monocoque and complicated suspension, perhaps a bit OTT for F3 at the time? The diversity of design in the series that year produced so many different varied body shapes and configurations, unlike the sterile F3 of today! Indeed the 73's appeared in different configurations at virtually every event, with or without rear wings, full width noses, smaller rear wheels at Monaco etc.

The closure of Lotus Racing produced other marques as the staff left to form other outfits such as Mike Warner's GRD at Griston near to Snetterton. Argo later took over the building and now it is home to David Sears' Supernova GP2 team. Dave Baldwin later joined Ralph Firman's Van Diemen at Snetterton (where he is to this day). A vast racing industry has built up in Norfolk, largely based upon Chapman's decision to move to Hethel in the 1960s.

Back to the 73s, Trimmer's car was slightly longer than Vermilio's as he felt cramped in the cockpit. The debut at Mallory gave Tony a 6th place and later a 2nd at Monaco behind Depailler's Alpine. Later in the season Tony won at Mallory with several top 6 finishes including a 6th at Anderstorp. Chapman lost interest as the season progressed and canned the F3 project to concentrate on the 74 F2 car for the following season.

[kayemod]

Distinct sense of deja-vu here, didn't we have a Lotus 73 thread a few months ago? Certainly I remember those TW paddock pics. Could they be linked?

[Andrew Kitson]

http://www.f3history.co.uk

The above website gives results from 1972. Click on 'races' then pick the year.

[Tim Murray]

Originally posted by kayemod
Distinct sense of deja-vu here, didn't we have a Lotus 73 thread a few months ago? Certainly I remember those TW paddock pics. Could they be linked?

Indeed we did:

John Player Special Lotus 73

[Mallory Dan]

Re Vermilio and Merlyn, he went very well in the first year of FF2000, 1975. I don't think they made many of these though, maybe only 1 other than his 'works' car.

My interest in racing started about 1974-75, I always thought Merlyns looked a little dated even then, when compared to the VDs/Royales/Hawkes/Crossles in FF and 2000 from that period. The last one I remember doing OK in the higher FF series of that era was Booby Scott in a mk29 in that brilliant summer (FF-wise) 1976. Mike O'Brien had a mk30 the next year, but didn't do much with it.

[Pullman99]

Didn't somebody say in another thread a while back that the 74s (and maybe the 73s?) were in a lock-up garage somewhere in London?And that he was sworn to secrecy...?

Just wondered if anyone had further news on the F3 Lotus 73s and the F2 Lotus 74s? Wouldn't it be nice to see one (or two) at Snetterton on 20th June?

Edited by Pullman99, 27 May 2010 - 05:25.

[Twin Window]

I think Stuart's first picture is at Oulton Park - I recognise those depressing dustbins!

In fact they were both taken at Oulton; the top one in March 1972 and the lower one in the September - both of the OP-hosted British F2 rounds in fact.

[Giraffe]

In fact they were both taken at Oulton; the top one in March 1972 and the lower one in the September - both of the OP-hosted British F2 rounds in fact.

By giraffe138 at 2010-05-27

I was flagging at the March race which saw Trimmer qualify 3rd and finish 7th in the Lotus 73. The race sticks in my mind for Tom Pryce's stunning pole in the Royale, 1.6 secs faster than anyone else, and Roger Williamson's victory in the Wheatcroft entered March 723. Tony Brise was also there finishing in 8th place in a Brabham BT38, meaning it truly was a race of the 'Lost Generation'.
Talking to Tony Trimmer about it recently, he told me he never really wanted to race the 73 but that Colin Chapman had promised him an F1 ride in 1973 if he would take it.......