Beschreibung:

Here we are delighted to offer not only one of the prettiest Grand Prix cars of all time, but also one which survives in raceworthy yet highly-original state, which has a fine recent record in Historic 1_-litre Formula 1 racing, which has a superb provenance, which has indelible links with some of motor racing history’s most outstanding drivers, and whose racing record not only includes victory in one World Championship-qualifying Grand Prix, but also in no fewer than three hard-fought and dramatic non-Championship Formula 1 GPs; the Solitude and Austrian events of 1961, and the Cape GP of 1962. What’s more, in addition to this car having been campaigned in period by the legendary Jim Clark, by Stirling Moss and by Innes Ireland and Trevor Taylor, it also saw works team use with the larger 2 _-litre Coventry Climax FPF 40-cylinder engine installed in a ‘Tasman’ Inter-Continental Formula race at Melbourne’s Sandown Park circuit, in Jimmy Clark’s hands, early in 1962 so with justification it could be argued that the larger engine could be fitted for competition where modern Historic or Vintage racing regulations permit today. When built new by Team Lotus in their Cheshunt factory in 1961, ‘933’ offered here made its public debut at Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix that June where it was to be driven by Team’s contemporary number one driver, Innes Ireland. He was forced to retire from the race but the car’s subsequent works team outings through that mid-season were as follows: French GP, Reims-Gueux – 4th; British GP, Aintree – 10th; Solitude GP, Stuttgart – FIRST: German GP, Nurburgring – Rtd. At Solitude Ireland became embroiled in a fantastic battle for the lead with the factory Porsche 718s of Dan Gurney and Jo Bonnier, racing on their home soil. As they blared past the pits into the final lap, with ‘933’ trapped behind the twin Porsches in third place, Colin Chapman turned to his mechanics and said "Either Innes is going to win this race, or that’s the last we’ll ever see of him!". In fact by using a great deal of kerb, and the infield grass in the final hairpin, the irrepressible Innes Ireland – one of motor sport’s most colourful characters – succeeded in hacking past both the silver German cars ahead of him, and screaming home to victory! In the subsequent German GP at the Nurburgring the car caught fire and Ireland had to bale out hurriedly. The car was seriously damaged but personal recollection by the Team mechanics in the 1970s was that the chassis frame was not too badly compromised and after a speedy inspection Colin Chapman instructed them to repaint and rebuild it with fresh fittings and body panels in time for the following Modena GP in Italy. There this car was driven for the first time by Ireland’s team-mate, Jim Clark, and after practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza – when it became apparent that only Stirling Moss could challenge the Ferrari ‘Sharknose’ V6-cylinder team cars to preserve Lotus’s last remaining hope of World Championship prominence – Innes suggested to Colin Chapman that his car should be loaned to the Maestro, in place of his regular year-old 4-cylinder Lotus-Climax 18 which by that stage was completely obsolescent. Chapman concurred, and so Stirling ran this car – ‘933’ – in that Italian Grand Prix, the car carrying a Rob Walker blue nose panel above its standard Team Lotus green side panels. Sadly a wheel-bearing failed, causing Moss’s retirement. Back in full Team Lotus trim, ‘933’ was then driven by Innes in the non-Championship Austrian Grand Prix at Zeltweg aerodrome, where after another exciting battle he scored his second Formula 1 race win of that season in this historic car. In that year’s United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, he was then able to outstrip the field after the retirement of new V8 cars driven by Jack Brabham and Moss to score the only World Championship-qualifying Grande Epreuve victory of his career. This was also the first ever to fall to Team