The Lotus 32 was a

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 re ...

racing car built by

Team Lotus Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport categories including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar, and sports car racing. Mor ...

in 1964. It was developed from the

Lotus 27 The Lotus 27 was a Formula Junior version of the Lotus 25 Formula One car for the 1963 Formula Junior season. Its body was aluminium monocoque with steel bulkheads. It was originally designed with fibreglass sides which led to flexing problems, ...

Formula Junior Formula Junior is an open wheel formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI (''International Sporting Commission'', the part of the FIA that then regulated motorsports). The class was intended to provide an entry level class ...

model. Twelve cars were produced, four of which were run by Ron Harris Team Lotus, whose drivers included Jim Clark and

Mike Spence Michael Henderson Spence (30 December 1936 – 7 May 1968) was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 8 September 1963. He achieved one podium, and scored a total ...

. Spence won the 1964 Autocar British Formula 2 Championship while Clark was fourth in the Trophées de France Championship.

Development

The chassis of the Lotus 32 was an aluminium monocoque with steel front and rear bulkhead and centre section to bring it up to weight. Suspension followed the usual Lotus practice; coil spring/damper units were mounted inboard at the front and outboard at the rear. The front wishbones were slightly wider-based while rear geometry had changed and was fully adjustable, unlike the Lotus 27. The Girling brakes were outboard all round. The Lotus 32 was powered by the new

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 ...

998 cc engine with twin 40DCM2 Weber carburettors, producing at 8700 rpm. The engine was canted over at an angle of 25 degrees in the chassis and was mated to a Hewland Mk IV five-speed gearbox.

Race history

The Lotus 32 was introduced at the 1964 Pau Grand Prix, where Jim Clark qualified on pole position, set fastest lap and finished first. Despite this auspicious start the rival Brabham BT10 ultimately proved to be the car to beat that year. Clark won three more races, including a second grand slam at the Eifelrennen, and

Brian Hart Brian Roger Hart (7 September 1936 – 5 January 2014) was a British racing driver and engineer with a background in the aviation industry. He is best known as the founder of Brian Hart Limited, a company that developed and built engines for mot ...

and

Jackie Stewart Sir John Young Stewart (born 11 June 1939), known as Jackie Stewart, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland. Nicknamed the "Flying Scot", he competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Cha ...

won a race apiece.

won the Formula Two class at the BARC Aintree '200', and also won the Autocar British Formula Two Championship. Clark finished fourth in the 1964 Trophées de France Championship. At the end of the 1964 season, one chassis was fitted with a 2497 cc Climax FPF engine, 4 speed Hewland HD

transaxle A transaxle is a single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission, axle, and differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual and automatic versions. Engine and drive at the s ...

, and different suspension and wheels. Designated the Lotus 32B, it was driven by Jim Clark in the 1965 Tasman Series, which he duly won. The car remained in New Zealand, being sold to

Jim Palmer James Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1967, 1969–1984). Palmer was the winningest MLB pitcher in the ...

, who drove it to fourth in the following year's Tasman championship. Lotus 32B

Formula Two wins

Complete Tasman Series results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

References

{{Lotus 32 Formula Two cars Tasman Series cars