The Mark I is the holy grail of Lotus’ history
Lotus cars is known for taking already light cars and making them even lighter. Then taking those lightened cars and making a special edition that chops a few more grams from the curb weight. Then doing that over again a few dozen times. But of all of their cars, the lightest one of all sits heavily on their hearts. It’s the very first car the company built. It’s light because it’s missing. And Lotus wants some help finding it.
The British automaker is in the middle of celebrating its 70th anniversary. But it needs help finding the car that started it all. One that’s been missing for decades.
The Mark I was the very first car that Colin Chapman designed and built. Way back in 1948 while he was actually still a student. Since even back then building a car from scratch was a tall order for a university student, the Mark I was built on the chassis and running gear of an Austin 7.
The first Lotus was the first of many to be constructed from composites. Though in this case it wasn’t carbon fibre, or even fibreglass. It was plywood bonded to thin aluminum with the aluminum making up the outer shell.
Modifications to the rear suspension were made to improve the handling and the engine was tuned to make more power. Chapman and his future wife Hazel entered the car in English Trials competitions. Sort of an off-road or rough-road hillclimb event.
Quickly moving on to building the next lightest and greatest, Chapman sold the car in November 1950. And that’s where the trail ends. The automaker says that despite much research the car’s whereabouts have never been established.
The company more recently built a replica of the car, but it’s just not the same.
“The Mark I is the holy grail of Lotus’ history,” said Colin’s son Clive Chapman. “It’s the first time that my father was able to put his theories for improved performance into practice when designing and building a car. To locate this landmark Lotus, as we celebrate the 70th anniversary, would be a monumental achievement.”
So they want you to look in every shed and barn and under every haystack. And while it’s probably not in Canada, stranger things have happened. So if you find a strange rebodied Austin behind some old skidoos in the back of a shed, then there are some folks in Hethel who would appreciate a call.
Keyword: Lotus Looking Longingly For Long Lost First Love