Ed McDonough inquired of the Lotus Elevens at Le Mans in '56.
A history of the 1955 - 1958 has been done:
"LOTUS - the historic years - 1955 - 1958"
Auth : Graham Capel ISBN 09525732.1.0
1995 address from the book:
Graham Capel
Bx 7
Horley
Surrey RH6 ODT
England
There is also a website for the "Historic Lotus Register"
http://idt.net/~lotusf1/historics.htm
which lists the various correspondents for the early Lotus race cars.
>From a quick glance at the coverage of the '56 Le Mans cars, Capel
indicates that there were 3 wide chassis cars constructed and entered and
that the registration numbers were:
Car # 32 reg # 9 EHX 1500cc Chapman/Fraser
Car # 35 " DEC 494 1100cc Allison/Hall
Car # 36 XJH 902 1100cc Bicknell/Jopp
Only the #36 car finished, in 7th position.
The article does not mention chassis numbers . . . Lotus was casual about
chassis numbers on their race cars but HLR may be able to elaborate further
as an extraordinary amount of effort has been made to identify and
"fingerprint" the early Lotus cars. Having said that, I must mention that
Capel and the HLR have, with full knowledge, documented and publicized an
early Eleven which is a fake replication containing not one original part
except a chassis number plate! ( #150 built by Mike Brotherwood who IS
good!)
Tony Clark - Sherman, TEXAS
Eleven S1 Le Mans #153 - very original - the first Eleven as determined by
HLR founder and Eleven correspondent, Vic Thomas and documented in "Lotus
World" magazine in a 2 part article Oct & Nov 1987.
lotus.tony@airmail.net
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