Even after more than 40 years since his passing, one man is inextricably linked with the Lotus marque: Colin Chapman. Born in Richmond, West London, in 1928, Chapman studied structural engineering at University College London before a brief spell in the Royal Air Force. Working from a garage belonging to his then-girlfriend Hazel, who also played an instrumental role in the company, he built his first car in 1948 based on a modified Austin 7 and termed the ‘Mark 1’. Evolutions followed and by the time he reached the Mark 6, Chapman was selling customer kits. He formed the Lotus Engineering Company in 1952 with a loan of just £25 and the rest, as they say, is history – and a very rich one at that.
Motorsport soon beckoned. Team Lotus was established in 1954 with competition cars built alongside the road-going offerings. Sporting success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Eleven (Type 11) and Elite (Type 14) was followed by Formula One glory and while Lotus race cars were never the most powerful on the starting grid, their small, lightweight nature and superior handling enabled them to punch above their weight – literally, as they beat giants of the sport such as Ferrari and Maserati.
With Jim Clark at the wheel, Team Lotus won its
