The Lotus 44 was an

open-wheel An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name return ...

racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

, designed, developed and built by the British motorsport team and constructor Lotus. It was powered by the

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 ...

Cosworth SCA Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industries ...

four-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

. The Lotus 44 was manufactured in 1966 on the basis of the 1965 Lotus 35. The car got the wide suspension of the

Lotus 41 The Lotus 41 was a Lotus Formula 3 and Formula 2 racing car which ran between 1966 - 1968. John Joyce, Bowin Cars Bowin Cars was an Australia, Australian designer and manufacturer of motor racing cars from 1968 to 1976. The company was foun ...

, which was successfully used in Formula 3 in the same year. The cars were fitted with Cosworth engines, but these were clearly inferior to the Honda powerplants used in Brabham's Formula 2 cars. The Ron Harris team entered three 44s in Formula 2 in 1966.

Jim Clark James Clark Jr. OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the Indianapol ...

and

Peter Arundell Peter Arundell (8 November 1933 – 16 June 2009) was a British racing driver from England, who raced in Formula One for Team Lotus. He participated in 13 World Championship Grands Prix, scoring 12 championship points. Born in Ilford, Essex, Ar ...

were only able to achieve partial success with the car. Team Lotus entered two cars in the F2 section of the 1966 German GP for Pedro Rodriquez (#31) and Piers Courage (#32), and the Ron Harris team entered a 44 for Gerhard Mitter (#30). The victory was not possible and in 1967 a new car, the

Lotus 48 The Lotus 48 was a Formula 2 racing car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Phillippe and powered by a Cosworth FVA engine. It won three races in the hands of Jim Clark but was generally uncompetitive against rival machinery. Ultimately ...

, entered the newly created Formula 2 European Championship with the Lotus.

References

{{F1 cars 1966 44 Formula Two cars Open wheel racing cars