Lotus race car returns

Classic Team Lotus is restoring an icon from the marque’s history, with its American owner opting for it to put the vehicle back into working order. The four-wheel-drive (4WD) 1968 Type 56 featured gas turbine-powered engine and nearly won the 1968 Indianapolis 500 in an era before wings. The turbine produced ideal horsepower for the oblong-shaped circuit. It didn’t need a traditional cooling radiator and this enabled a striking wedge shape that reduced drag and positive lift, while 4WD gave the car a strong grip. Its high power output and firm suspension set-up saw it well-placed to take out the win, with all four cars built by Lotus performing well-enough to look like claiming victory. However, tragedy struck when driver Mike Spence died at the wheel during an accident that wrote off his Type 56. Of the three remaining cars, Graham Hill’s crashed out due to suspension failure, while Joe Leonard and Art Pollard’s cars suffered fuel-pump failures with a handful of laps to go. Evert rules were later changed to limit the power of gas-turbine cars, but the design of the Type 56 highlighted the importance of aerodynamics and properly tuned suspension, and influenced many race cars for years to come. Clive Chapman, son of the Colin and managing director of Classic Team Lotus, says: “Bringing this innovative car alive again will be an emotional experience.”