Lotus 51

The Lotus 51 was an open-wheel Formula Ford race car built in 1967 by the British motorsport team Lotus. It was powered by a 1.6 L (98 cu in) Ford Crossflow four-cylinder engine (the same type of engine used in the Ford Cortina), developing a respectable 110 hp (82 kW), which drove the rear wheels through either a Renault R-8 type 330 4-speed, or a Hewland 5-speed manual transmission.[1][2]

1968 Lotus 51

The Lotus 51 became a bestseller for Colin Chapman and the Lotus team in 1967. 218 vehicles were built and sold (some sources speak of only 150 vehicles). The price for one vehicle was £955.[3][4]

The car was derived from, and based on, the Lotus 31, a Formula 3 car from Lotus. The racing car was agile and fast, had a short wheelbase, and was extremely light with a curb weight of 900 lb (410 kg). In 1969 the car was replaced by the Lotus 61. In 1968 the 51R - a one-off - was built. The car had wider sidepods and was originally intended as a concept for a successor. The car was sold for £1095 to a US collector who never entered the 51R in racing competitions.[5][6]

References
  1. "1968 Lotus Type 51". conceptcarz.com.
  2. "1967 Lotus 51A Formula Ford". Sports Car Market. 21 October 2021.
  3. "1967 Lotus 51 Formula Ford". Motorsports Market.
  4. "1968 Lotus Type 51 technical and mechanical specifications". conceptcarz.com.
  5. "1967 Lotus Type 51 FF". Sports Car Market. February 2006.
  6. "1968 Lotus Type 51". Hyman Ltd.
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