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Written by Ollie Kew
Have you seen this car? If it happens to be lying about in your garage under some oily rags or covered in hay bales in one of your barns, would you mind awfully giving Lotus a call? They"re looking for it, you see. To Lotus, this is genesis. The original. Colin Chapman"s Mark I. As Lotus is celebrating its 70th birthday this year, the Norfolk marque is kick-starting a mega-ambitious quest to find the whereabouts of the first car ever built by its founder, Colin Chapman. The Mark I was hand-fashioned by Chapman and his then-girlfriend, later wife, Hazel. They finished it in 1948, using Austin Seven donor parts and Chapman"s engineering nowse to optimise the weight distribution for better traction. Built in his better half"s parents" garage, the Mark I was then used for trials events it won two class awards in its first two competitions, helmed by Colin with Hazel co-driving. To fund development of the Mark II, this car was then sold in November 1950, for the princely sum of 135 to a buyer in the north of England. It"s not been seen since.
Date written: 25 Sep 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 13452
Have you seen this car? If it happens to be lying about in your garage under some oily rags or covered in hay bales in one of your barns, would you mind awfully giving Lotus a call? They"re looking for it, you see. To Lotus, this is genesis. The original. Colin Chapman"s Mark I. As Lotus is celebrating its 70th birthday this year, the Norfolk marque is kick-starting a mega-ambitious quest to find the whereabouts of the first car ever built by its founder, Colin Chapman. The Mark I was hand-fashioned by Chapman and his then-girlfriend, later wife, Hazel. They finished it in 1948, using Austin Seven donor parts and Chapman"s engineering nowse to optimise the weight distribution for better traction. Built in his better half"s parents" garage, the Mark I was then used for trials events it won two class awards in its first two competitions, helmed by Colin with Hazel co-driving. To fund development of the Mark II, this car was then sold in November 1950, for the princely sum of 135 to a buyer in the north of England. It"s not been seen since.
Date written: 25 Sep 2018
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 13452
