1951 Lotus Mark III

1951 Lotus Mark III in Best of British: Lotus, Documentary, 2002

Class: Cars, Convertible — Model origin:

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Author	Message
Sandie ◊ 2011-12-29 20:41	-- Last edit: 2011-12-29 20:42:49
San ◊ 2025-12-03 01:32	San wrote Vehicle Details Vehicle make LOTUS Date of first registration May 1951 Year of manufacture 1951 Cylinder capacity 99999 cc CO₂ emissions Not available Fuel type PETROL Euro status Not available Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Not available Export marker No Vehicle status Not taxed for on road use Vehicle colour NOT STATED Vehicle type approval Not available Wheelplan 2 AXLE RIGID BODY Revenue weight Not available Date of last V5C (logbook) issued 26 September 2014 MAR wrote Chapman had already bought his “donor” car with the proceeds from the sale of his Mark II to invest in his third project. It was a 1932 Austin Seven saloon purchased for the princely sum of £15. The upper bodywork had been discarded leaving only the A-frame chassis which was boxed-in with additional tubular cross members for added rigidity As with Chapman’s previous two machines, a wide range of re-engineering took place on virtually every aspect of the car not regulated by the Formula rules. The rules required the use of the Austin Seven chassis side frame members, engine, gearbox, and back axle. But otherwise the trio were free to exercise their own ingenuity in producing a competitive race car. Chapman’s body design (as with all aspects of his future glittering career) concentrated on lightness and reducing frontal area to a minimum. To this end the car’s headlamps were mounted in the nose cone to reduce drag, a novel design at the time. Panel beaters F L Hine and Co were engaged to make the Chapman designed bodyshell using the thinnest possible aluminium alloy. A 22-gauge aluminium undertray was also included. The end result was a basic 1932 designed 747cc Austin Seven engine now capable of achieving speeds in excess of 90mph and a 0-50mph acceleration time of 6.6 seconds. No other 750 Formula car at the time could live with this pace and it was not uncommon for the car to finish almost half a lap ahead of its competitors even in five to ten lap short circuit events. The little car was road registered with the registration number LMU3. In early 1952 LMU3 was sold for £475 to John Davidson who raced it in 750 Formula for several years. It then passed to Bunty Scott-Moncrieff who continued to race it until about 1962 when it was sold on to Littlewoods Pools and mail order house heir Nigel Moores in Jersey. Moores was a renowned Jaguar enthusiast with an extensive collection of classic race cars. The Mark III stood in Moores’ driveway for several years until he was tragically killed in a road accident. Since then the car has been lovingly maintained in perfect running condition, owned by the Nigel Moores Family Charitable Trust, and looked after by classic car restorer Kelvin Jones who exhibits it at occasional show events

Author

Message

Sandie

◊ 2011-12-29 20:41

-- Last edit: 2011-12-29 20:42:49

San

◊ 2025-12-03 01:32

San wrote
Vehicle Details
Vehicle make
LOTUS
Date of first registration
May 1951
Year of manufacture
1951
Cylinder capacity
99999 cc
CO₂ emissions
Not available
Fuel type
PETROL
Euro status
Not available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE)
Not available
Export marker
No
Vehicle status
Not taxed for on road use
Vehicle colour
NOT STATED
Vehicle type approval
Not available
Wheelplan
2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight
Not available
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued
26 September 2014

MAR wrote
Chapman had already bought his “donor” car with the proceeds from the sale of his Mark II to invest in his third project. It was a 1932 Austin Seven saloon purchased for the princely sum of £15. The upper bodywork had been discarded leaving only the A-frame chassis which was boxed-in with additional tubular cross members for added rigidity

As with Chapman’s previous two machines, a wide range of re-engineering took place on virtually every aspect of the car not regulated by the Formula rules. The rules required the use of the Austin Seven chassis side frame members, engine, gearbox, and back axle. But otherwise the trio were free to exercise their own ingenuity in producing a competitive race car. Chapman’s body design (as with all aspects of his future glittering career) concentrated on lightness and reducing frontal area to a minimum. To this end the car’s headlamps were mounted in the nose cone to reduce drag, a novel design at the time. Panel beaters F L Hine and Co were engaged to make the Chapman designed bodyshell using the thinnest possible aluminium alloy. A 22-gauge aluminium undertray was also included.

The end result was a basic 1932 designed 747cc Austin Seven engine now capable of achieving speeds in excess of 90mph and a 0-50mph acceleration time of 6.6 seconds. No other 750 Formula car at the time could live with this pace and it was not uncommon for the car to finish almost half a lap ahead of its competitors even in five to ten lap short circuit events. The little car was road registered with the registration number LMU3.

In early 1952 LMU3 was sold for £475 to John Davidson who raced it in 750 Formula for several years. It then passed to Bunty Scott-Moncrieff who continued to race it until about 1962 when it was sold on to Littlewoods Pools and mail order house heir Nigel Moores in Jersey. Moores was a renowned Jaguar enthusiast with an extensive collection of classic race cars. The Mark III stood in Moores’ driveway for several years until he was tragically killed in a road accident. Since then the car has been lovingly maintained in perfect running condition, owned by the Nigel Moores Family Charitable Trust, and looked after by classic car restorer Kelvin Jones who exhibits it at occasional show events

1951 Lotus Mark III

1951 Lotus Mark III in Best of British: Lotus, Documentary, 2002

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