Beschreibung:

Colour: Green Very few small-capacity Gran Turismo cars of the 1960s come even close to matching the on-track charisma of the purebred little Lotus 26R. British constructor Colin Chapman’s Lotus company was at that time riding the absolute crest of a wave in terms of trend-setting fame, fortune and competition success. During the 1963 Formula 1 racing season Chapman’s factory team, Team Lotus, had utterly dominated the Grand Prix world. Their number one driver was the legendary Jim Clark. He had just won a record seven World Championship-qualifying Grand Prix races in the single season to clinch not only the Drivers’ World Championship title for himself but also the Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championship crown for Lotus itself. The year had also seen him and his Lotus-powered-by-Ford turn the American speedway racing establishment upside down, by dominating the pace in the Indianapolis 500-Miles and then shining again in his rear-engined V8 car at Trenton and Milwaukee. It was against this background that Colin Chapman had introduced his typically trend-setting, typically ingenious Lotus Elan. As a production sports car it used a new design of fabricated sheet steel skinned backbone chassis, over which the incredibly neat and compact glassfibre bodyshell sat like a saddle. Combine this structure’s light weight with a magnificent new 1594cc Ford-based 4-cylinder engine, super-tuned by addition of a twin-overhead camshaft Lotus cylinder head, and a sports car had been born which combined tremendous acceleration and disc-braking ability with stupendous road holding power. The Type 26R was the further-lightened, further-tuned, purebred road-racing version of this legendary design. The most attractive example of this model now offered here was, we are advised, imported into the USA new from England by Lotus Racing East. It was destined for an owner named Peter Pulver of Millerton, New York. The car competed in the 1965 Sebring 12-Hour race, the best established and most important American qualifying round for the contemporary FIA Manufacturers’ World Championship. In that classic race on the famous Hendrick Air Force Base circuit in Florida, the car was co-driven by Peter Pulver, Newton Davis and Lance Pruyn. It carried race number ‘59’ and was entered by Duchess Auto of Millerton, NY. The trio finished in 28th place overall and fourth in their GT category. In more recent years the car was owned and restored by noted Vintage racing personality Jamie Mazzotta, from whom it passed to Ernie Spada Jr of Portland, Oregon. It was then acquired by the present vendor. The competition Lotus Type 26R is a rare and much sought-after Historic GT car. They are an absolute delight to drive, and they are eligible for a wide range of present-day Historic and Vintage events. For you it is just a decisive bid away… 1964 Lotus Type 26R Elan Série 1 Coupé deux places de compétition Châssis no. 26-R-10 Couleur: Verte Très peu de voitures légères de la famille des Gran Turismo des années 60 ont pu rivaliser avec l’attitude en piste de la petite et racée Lotus 26R. La société Lotus du constructeur anglais Colin Chapman était à cette époque au sommet de la vague en termes de capacité à lancer des tendances, de prospérité et de victoires en compétition. Durant la saison 1963 de Formule 1, le team d’usine de Chapman, le Team Lotus, a largement dominé le monde des Grands Prix. Leur pilote numéro un était le légendaire Jim Clark. Il a tout simplement établi un record de sept victoires en Grand Prix dans cette seule saison s’attribuant non seulement le titre de champion du Monde des pilotes mais permettant également à Lotus de remporter le titre constructeur à Lotus. Cette saison a également vu le pilote et sa Lotus équipée d’un moteur Ford perturber les habitudes des courses américaines en dominant les 500 Miles d’Indianapolis, puis en récidivant à Trenton et Milwaukee avec une voiture à moteur arrière V8. C’est dans ce contexte que Colin Chapman a présen