1954 Lotus Mark VIII

1954 Lotus Mark VIII in Best of British: Lotus, Documentary, 2002

Class: Cars, Racecar — Model origin:

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Author	Message
Sandie ◊ 2011-12-29 21:06
San ◊ 2025-12-03 00:50	San wrote Vehicle Details Vehicle make LOTUS Date of first registration March 1954 Year of manufacture 1954 Cylinder capacity 1467 cc CO₂ emissions Not available Fuel type PETROL Euro status Not available Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Not available Export marker No Vehicle status Taxed Vehicle colour GREEN Vehicle type approval Not available Wheelplan 2 AXLE RIGID BODY Revenue weight Not available Date of last V5C (logbook) issued 4 September 2024 MAR wrote While the Mark VI was still being designed, Chapman had been approached by Clive Clairmonte to design for him a Formula Two race car that he would engine himself. Chapman agreed (there was of course an enticing payment involved!) and designed a space frame chassis for the new car, scoping it under the next sequential type number available, Mark VII. After further re-design work by Clairmonte and his mechanics, the car was eventually fitted with a 1960cc Lea-Francis engine with two-seater bodywork and front cycle wings. Painted black and road registered YMV 999, the (extremely loud!) “Clairmonte Special” as it came to be known raced extensively, and successfully, during 1953-54. By the end of 1954, SAR 5 was regarded as the fastest 1500cc car in the country but it had undergone a punishing first season competing in no fewer than twenty-seven events in seven months including three on the continent. The Team’s first continental excursion had proved particularly encouraging with a fourth place at the prestigious Nurburgring at the hands of German driver Erwin Bauer, once again vanquishing the works Porsche team. As the 1954 season wound up, in its very last race for the “works” team at Snetterton on 9 October 1954, Chapman had a major “coming together” with Scott-Brown’s Lister resulting in serious damage to SAR 5. (A rare photograph of this very incident is included with this article). But as the car had already served its purpose both as a prototype development car and further enhancing the reputation of Lotus on the race track, it was fully repaired and sold on to Austin Nurse who continued to race it very successfully throughout 1955. The success of SAR 5 also of course attracted potential new Lotus buyers wanting to compete in a similar car. The chassis design of subsequent production Mark VIII’s was quickly re-designed to make them more “mechanic friendly” and in total nine Mark VIII’s, including the prototype P3, were made by Lotus. The fifth Mark VIII, sold to Dick Steed, was the first ever Lotus to be powered by the exciting new 1100cc Coventry Climax FWA engine that was to become a mainstay in future Lotus cars. And as a testament to the design and durability of these near seventy-year-old racing machines and the expertise of historic car enthusiasts, of the nine Mark VIII’s built, six still exist to this day including the venerable P3 / SAR 5

Author

Message

Sandie

◊ 2011-12-29 21:06

San

◊ 2025-12-03 00:50

San wrote Vehicle Details
Vehicle make LOTUS
Date of first registration March 1954
Year of manufacture 1954
Cylinder capacity 1467 cc
CO₂ emissions Not available
Fuel type PETROL
Euro status Not available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE) Not available
Export marker No
Vehicle status Taxed
Vehicle colour GREEN
Vehicle type approval Not available
Wheelplan 2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight Not available
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued 4 September 2024

[Image: 1954-04-10_oulton_lotus_viii_prototype.jpg]

MAR wrote
While the Mark VI was still being designed, Chapman had been approached by Clive Clairmonte to design for him a Formula Two race car that he would engine himself. Chapman agreed (there was of course an enticing payment involved!) and designed a space frame chassis for the new car, scoping it under the next sequential type number available, Mark VII. After further re-design work by Clairmonte and his mechanics, the car was eventually fitted with a 1960cc Lea-Francis engine with two-seater bodywork and front cycle wings. Painted black and road registered YMV 999, the (extremely loud!) “Clairmonte Special” as it came to be known raced extensively, and successfully, during 1953-54.

By the end of 1954, SAR 5 was regarded as the fastest 1500cc car in the country but it had undergone a punishing first season competing in no fewer than twenty-seven events in seven months including three on the continent. The Team’s first continental excursion had proved particularly encouraging with a fourth place at the prestigious Nurburgring at the hands of German driver Erwin Bauer, once again vanquishing the works Porsche team. As the 1954 season wound up, in its very last race for the “works” team at Snetterton on 9 October 1954, Chapman had a major “coming together” with Scott-Brown’s Lister resulting in serious damage to SAR 5. (A rare photograph of this very incident is included with this article). But as the car had already served its purpose both as a prototype development car and further enhancing the reputation of Lotus on the race track, it was fully repaired and sold on to Austin Nurse who continued to race it very successfully throughout 1955.

The success of SAR 5 also of course attracted potential new Lotus buyers wanting to compete in a similar car. The chassis design of subsequent production Mark VIII’s was quickly re-designed to make them more “mechanic friendly” and in total nine Mark VIII’s, including the prototype P3, were made by Lotus. The fifth Mark VIII, sold to Dick Steed, was the first ever Lotus to be powered by the exciting new 1100cc Coventry Climax FWA engine that was to become a mainstay in future Lotus cars. And as a testament to the design and durability of these near seventy-year-old racing machines and the expertise of historic car enthusiasts, of the nine Mark VIII’s built, six still exist to this day including the venerable P3 / SAR 5

1954 Lotus Mark VIII

1954 Lotus Mark VIII in Best of British: Lotus, Documentary, 2002

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