Lotus 18, Colin Chapman`s U Turn

Lotus 18, Colin Chapman`s U Turn by Book

Weight 1.5kg By Mark Whitelock
Colin Chapman’s first attempt at an F1 Lotus, the 16, had been a failure and so he started from scratch with the next creation and came up with a design which contrasted with most of his previous thinking. The first mid-engined Lotus, the 18 really came to prominence during the 1960 Easter Goodwood meeting when Innes Ireland beat Moss in the Cooper. Twice. Some Lotus traditions continued though and in its first season the car was fast but unreliable in longer races. The author was at that Goodwood meeting as a small boy and so began his fascination with the car. This well researched history is packed with period photos (mostly in black and white) and covers the development and races the cars took part in. There are detailed results, individual chassis records and also a look at later Lotus types evolved from the 18.