Lotus Eleven Series Race Car, 1956
Lotus 2-Eleven
Lotus 2-Eleven•
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Chassis No.: 189
Auction: Kissimmee 2024
Auction date: January 14, 2024
Lot No.: K177
$50,000 | Sold
- Engine: Inline 4-cylinder
- Transmission: Manual
- Exterior: Silver
- Interior: Red
- Body: Race Car
- 1098cc Inline 4-cylinder engine
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Silver bare aluminum exterior
- No. 115 livery
One of only 270 Lotus Elevens produced, this 1956 Lotus Eleven Series Race car- serial # 189 – is a remarkable survivor and is fitted with its period-correct 1098cc Coventry Climax inline 4-cylinder engine and clothed in bare aluminum with a proper red minimalist interior. Considered by many as the quintessential Lotus, the Eleven series was the car that earned the respect for the Lotus marque. Built from 1956-1958, the Eleven made an indelible imprint on the racing world with its “Index of Performance” award at the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans race, seventh overall finish at the 1956 Le Mans race and its class world record achievement of 143 MPH lap at Monza, Italy, driven by Stirling Moss.
Designed by Colin Chapman, the Lotus Eleven embodied his three main design principles – light overall vehicle weight, light up-sprung rotating mass weight and wind-cheating aerodynamic body design. The Lotus Eleven embodies this design ethos with its feather-light weight of 1,000 pounds and a sleek aluminum body with a very low coefficient of drag. Ironically, Chapman used ubiquitous and easily available parts in the construction of his cars. The Coventry Climax inline 4-cylinder engine was a masterpiece of engineering whose original “reason-for-being” was that of a fire pump engine that boosted water pressure to fight fires.
It was of aluminum construction – as opposed to the heavy cast iron engines of the day – and was mounted on a portable skid when used to fight fires. Its light weight enabled the Coventry-Climax engine to be easily transported to any fire hydrant and hooked up for service. Colin Chapman recognized its brilliance and used it extensively in his racing cars. The body shell material was sourced from war surplus supply houses that held a large inventory of World War II aluminum from the retired Spitfire airplanes.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/1103581/1956-lotus-eleven-series-race-car/
Cost
183,625 AED
