The Lotus Eleven is a
sports racing car
Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Broadly speaking, sports car racing is o ...
built in various versions by
Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation. In total, about 270 Elevens of all versions were built.
Design and performance
The Eleven was designed by
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman (19 May 1928 – 16 December 1982) was an English design engineer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars.
In 1952 he founded the sports car company Lotus Cars. Chapman ...
and fitted with a sleek body designed by aerodynamicist
Frank Costin
Francis Albert Costin (8 June 1920 – 5 February 1995) was a British automotive engineer who advanced monocoque chassis design and was instrumental in adapting aircraft aerodynamic knowledge for automobile use.
Career
Costin was an engineer ...
. Its top version, dubbed ''Le Mans'', was fitted with a 1100 cc (67ci)
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, racing, and other specialty engine manufacturer.
History
Pre WW1
The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was reloca ...
FWA engine ;occasionally with a 1500 cc (92ci)
[Setright, L.J.K, "Lotus: The golden mean", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 11, p.1224.] Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, racing, and other specialty engine manufacturer.
History
Pre WW1
The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was reloca ...
FWB engine), mounted in the front of a tubular
space frame. The Eleven featured a
De Dion tube
De Dion rear axle
A de Dion tube is a form of non-independent automobile suspension. It is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. Because it plays no part in transmitting power to the drive wheels, it is ...
rear axle and
Girling disc brakes.
Fully loaded, the car weighed only about . Versions for a 1100 cc (67ci)
[Setright, p.1224.] Climax engine (''Club'') and a 1172 cc (72ci)
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
engine (''Sport'') were also produced; both featured a live rear axle and
drum brakes. Several cars were fitted with alternative engines by their owners, these included
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, racing, and other specialty engine manufacturer.
History
Pre WW1
The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was reloca ...
1500cc (92ci) FWB and FPF and 1200 cc (73ci) FWE, Maserati 150S 1500cc (92ci), DKW 1000cc (61ci) SAAB 850cc (52ci) and 750cc (46ci) engines. There were two main body styles: one with a headrest and the other with no headrest, just two small fins. Some cars were later fitted with a closed body with
gullwing doors to meet
GT specifications.
Perhaps the car's most notable race result was 7th overall at the
1956 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was a race for Sports Cars which took place on 28 and 29 July 1956 on the Circuit de la Sarthe. The race was won by Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson driving a Jaguar D-Type for the new Ecurie Ecosse team. This race ...
, driven by
Reg Bicknell and
Peter Jopp
Despite the wide variety of engines installed, the car was primarily designed to compete in the 1100 cc class where it was one of the most successful cars during the mid- to late-1950s. In 1956, an Eleven, modified by Costin with a bubble canopy over the cockpit,
was driven by
Stirling Moss to a class world record of for a lap at
Monza. Several class victories at
Le Mans and
Sebring followed, and the Eleven became Lotus' most successful race car design. A 750cc version won the Index of Performance at
Le Mans in 1957.
In 1957, the Eleven underwent a major design change, including a new front suspension and improvements to the drivetrain. Although officially called ''Eleven Series 2'', these late models are sometimes informally referred to as ''Lotus 13''s, since they were produced between the
12 and
14 models and the 13 designation was not used by Lotus.
There have been several replicas and re-creations of the Lotus Eleven, including the Kokopelli 11, the Challenger GTS, the Spartak and the best known, the
Westfield XI.
References
External links
Lotus Eleven informationThe Historic Lotus RegisterLotus 11 history/photosthe Lotus Eleven Register*http://www.lotusracer.com/
1956 Lotus 11 Gallery/photosrecent Lotus Eleven restoration
{{Lotus Seven
Eleven
Sports cars