Book review: Lotus Racing Cars – Club racers to world champions 1948-1968 by John Tipler
Positives
Negatives
While the return of the heritage British racing green livery with Aston Martin back in F1 is definitely a welcome sight this season for long time F1 fans, it’s a tiny shame that other famous green teams like Team Lotus are no longer on the grid. Most of the notable books on Lotus F1 cars are by Michael Oliver and John Tipler (who was the press officer for the team in the early JPS Lotus days) who are well known to Lotus fans. “Lotus Racing Cars – Club Racers to World Champions 1948-1968” by John Tipler is the first in a two book series alongside Tipler’s other books on Lotus F1 chassis including “Lotus 78 & 79” and “Lotus 25 & 33” and more recently “Black & Gold: Story of the John Player Specials”.
At 160 pages, this book is a small format hardcover binding with gloss paper. Structured into 7 chapters, the focus of this book is the early Lotus history from the Mark 1, Mark 6 sportscar, the Seven and the Eleven, the first F1 car – Lotus 16, through to the Lotus 18, the Lotus 25 and evolution to the Lotus 33. The Formula 2 and Formula 3 cars like the Lotus 31 and Lotus 41 are included alongside the Lotus Cortina saloon cars.
The early chapters are dedicated to the team’s early sportscar heritage and F1 fans need to flick to the middle sections for content that covers the pioneering rear engine and single monocoque cars from the Lotus 18.
Although all the photography is black & white, there is a decent compilation of photos from the author himself and private collections. The resolution and reproduction of the B&W are sharp and there are some beautiful photos of the Lotus 24, 25, 27, 29, 34 Indycar, 35, 38, 41 and 48 in race trim.
This book is perhaps better suited for Lotus history fans as it offers a lot of content on the early variants of the Lotus sportscars. For fans of the Lotus 49 and the JPS Lotus era, the second book is this series is a better bet – although both books have the sticky pages issue.
Wow factor/Money shot: Archival rear view photos of Jim Clark’s Lotus 25 and Lotus 38 Indycar
Suitable for: Lotus, Jim Clark and F1 history fans
