Colin Chapman: Lotus and the Ideas That Changed F1

You should look at the data sheet for almost any new car, petrol or electric, and check the curb weights. And look again; it is likely that the weight has increased compared to the previous model. Colin Chapman spent his life fighting against this expansion, and if the founder of Lotus were alive today, he would be furious about the state of the car industry. If you’re thinking of buying an electric car and only care about range numbers, read on; “weight” is a number no one mentions in the headline. Chapman’s cars have won seven Formula 1 Constructors’ Championships, and almost every design is born from the central question: what can we get out of the car?

Colin Chapman at a glance

From Richmond to Hornsey

Chapman was born on May 19, 1928, in Richmond, Surrey, and grew up in North London, where his father managed the Railway Hotel in Hornsey. He studied engineering at the University of London and joined the University Air Squadron at university – an experience that would prove useful later. In 1948, he acquired a 1930s Austin Seven, rebuilt it for race trials, and christened it Lotus.

Lotus Engineering was founded in 1952 in Hornsey, thanks to a £25 loan from his girlfriend, Hazel Williams, whom he married two years later. Love that number! For several years, Chapman held down a job at the British Aluminium Company, while a financier named Fred Bushell controlled the funds and encouraged him to focus on road cars, starting with the Seven and then the Elite. In 1958, Team Lotus made its Formula One debut at Monaco with drivers Graham Hill and Cliff Allison.

The Lotus 25 monocoque

And here was where the trouble came: in 1962, Chapman built two cars based on the new Coventry Climax V8 engines. The Lotus 24 had a standard body and was delivered to customers – including Jack Brabham – who were told their car would look like a team car. Lotus 25, kept for the works team, has no traditional physical function; the driver sits in an aluminum cab the same length as the tail of a car, like the tail of an airplane. Do you remember that flying lesson? And this is the result! The Lotus 25 was launched at Zandvoort in May 1962, much to the disappointment of customers. He said John Cooper saw the car and asked Chapman: “Where’s the chassis?”. Chapman replied that he could not sell a design that had not been published to customers – a very self-deprecating way of showing his desire to win. In June of the same year, Jim Clark took his first Grand Prix win in this car at Spa. In 1963, Clark won seven of the 10 races in the race, took the title, and also finished a full lap ahead of all the other Zandvoort drivers. In 1965, he won the title again and also won the Indianapolis 500 – both in a Lotus – the same year.

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Cosworth power in the Lotus 49

The Lotus 49, introduced in 1967, took this concept even further. Chapman persuaded Ford to finance the development of a new Cosworth V8, dubbed the DFV, which was pushed to the rear of the vehicle. The engine itself serves as a complement to the gearbox and rear axle. Clark won the first car at Zandvoort, and on both occasions most of the cars used the same engine and design.

1968 was a disappointing year; Jim Clark was killed in a race at Hockenheim in April. However, Graham Hill won in a Lotus 49 painted in red, white and gold, making it one of the first championship cars to have a full-body sponsor. The original wings of this car are mounted on long, slender supports and are retractable. The thought of those wings still haunts me.

Ground effect arrives

But the most recent one that I really admired was in 1977 when Chapman, Tony Rudd, Peter Wright and Martin Ogilvie designed the wing of the Lotus 78 to be a modified wing, with the wing covered by flaps. This causes the car to push air underneath it. Peter Wright had tested this system in a wind tunnel at the Imperial College London. The 1978 Lotus 79 was a huge success, making about 30% more than the Lotus 78. Mario Andretti was 38 years old at the time, and the Lotus 79 brought him five victories, as well as the championship title.

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Chapman’s landmark Lotus cars

Why lightness still matters

“Simplify, then add lightness” is still the best piece of car advice I know, and it matters more now than it ever did. He died of a heart attack at his home near Norwich on December 16, 1982, at 54. On the same day, Lotus was testing its first Formula 1 car with active suspension.

Questions about Colin Chapman

01

When was Colin Chapman born?

He was born on May 19, 1928, in Richmond, Surrey.

02

How many championships did Lotus win under Chapman?

Team Lotus won seven constructors’ titles and six drivers’ titles while Chapman ran it.

03

How many Grands Prix did Team Lotus win?

The works team won 74 Grands Prix in total, 67 of them by the end of 1982, the year Chapman died.

04

Why was the Lotus 25 so important?

It was the monocoque car that changed how F1 chassis were built. It won 14 Grands Prix and carried Jim Clark to the 1963 title with seven wins from 10 races.

05

What made the Lotus 49 different?

Its Ford-funded Cosworth DFV V8 was a stressed part of the chassis, with the rear suspension and gearbox bolted straight to the engine.

06

How did Colin Chapman die?

He died of a heart attack on December 16, 1982, at the age of 54.

Annie is an automotive writer for GreenyCars. Years around Formula 1 paddocks during her marriage to a racing driver left her with strong opinions about drivers and team bosses, and she now writes about everything from Grand Prix racing to EVs and hybrids.