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Founded by: Colin Chapman

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History: 1948 -  Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman modified an Austin Seven, designated the MK1. Building the car for his own use in reliability trails, the Mk. 1 brought Chapman instant success in the trails world, winning two class awards in the frist trails that he entered. 1950 -  Next was the Mk. 2, again an Austin Seven but with a Ford 10 engine in place of a Austin engine. The MK. 2 was first entered in a 16 lap scratch race at Silverstone, winning with ease. 1952 -  The MK. 3 was designed for the 750 circuit racing Formula that existed at the time. Again Chapman started with an Austin Seven, modifying the engine within the rules of the 750 formula. The MK. 3 was so successful in this formula, because the engine modifications, that the 750 Motor Club changed the rules. Chapman had gained too great of an edge over his rivals. This was one of Chapman`s strong points — he would look at the governing rules trying to find ways around them, often with great success. 1957 -  Lotus produced the MK. 12, Chapman`s first serious single seater racing car. 1959 -  The last Lotus front engine racing car, the Mk. 16 was used. 1960 -  The first Lotus rear engine racing car, the MK. 18 was introduced. 1962 -  The Mk. 25 created a sensation by introducing a monocoque chassis. 1982 -  Colin Chapman succumbed to a massive heart attack before Christmas at the age of 54 years. Peter Warr took over the running of Team Lotus. 1987 -  Senna was the last driver to win a Grand Prix for the Lotus team, it was the U.S. Grand Prix at Detroit.

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Statistics

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Statistic	#	Percentage	First	Last
Number of Grand Prix	493	100%	1958	1994
Number of starts	1303	97.38%	1958	1994
Number of finishes	647	48.36%	1958	1994
Number of finishes on podium	172	12.86%	1960	1988
Number of finishes in points	345	25.78%	1958	1993
Number of retirements	591	44.17%	1958	1994
Number of wins	79	5.90%	1960	1987
Number of pole positions	107	8.00%	1960	1987
Number of fastest laps	71	5.31%	1960	1989
Number of doubles (pole position & win)	38	2.84%	1960	1986
Number of triples (pole position, win & fastest lap)	17	1.27%	1961	1985

Seasons:	37 (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
Championships:	7 (1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1978)
Leading:	223 times during 5353 laps in 144 Grand Prix with a total of 25466.669 Km
Points:	1478 (Average per start: 1.13)
	Points per season - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 5 49 44 41 58 49 62 21 56 75 59 70 25 61 103 47 9 32 67 116 39 14 22 30 12 47 71 58 64 23 15 3 3 13 12 0 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
Team:	Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel 1962, Brabham Racing Organisation 1962, Brabham Racing Organisation 1963, British Racing Partnership 1963, British Racing Partnership 1964, Brooke Bond Oxo Racing - Rob Walker 1970, Camel Team Lotus 1989, Camel Team Lotus 1990, Camel Team Lotus Honda 1987, Camel Team Lotus Honda 1988, Camoradi International 1961, DW Racing Enterprises 1965, Dorchester Service Station 1959, Dupont Team Zerex 1962, Ecurie Demi Litre 1958, Ecurie Excelsior 1962, Ecurie Filipinetti 1962, Ecurie Filipinetti 1963, Ecurie Nationale Suisse 1962, Ecurie Tomahawk 1965, Emeryson Cars 1962, Equipe Nationale Belge 1961, Equipe Nationale Belge 1962, Garvey Team Lotus 1970, Gold Leaf Team Lotus 1968, Gold Leaf Team Lotus 1969, Gold Leaf Team Lotus 1970, Gold Leaf Team Lotus 1971, J Frank Harrison 1961, J Wheeler Autosport 1961, John Dalton 1962, John Fisher 1959, John Mecom 1962, John Player Special Team Lotus 1985, John Player Special Team Lotus 1986, John Player Team Lotus 1972, John Player Team Lotus 1973, John Player Team Lotus 1974, John Player Team Lotus 1975, John Player Team Lotus 1976, John Player Team Lotus 1977, John Player Team Lotus 1978, John Player Team Lotus 1981, John Player Team Lotus 1982, John Player Team Lotus 1983, John Player Team Lotus 1984, Lawson Organisation 1963, Lawson Organisation 1965, Louise Bryden-Brown 1961, Martini Racing Team Lotus 1979, Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc 1970, Pete Lovely Volkswagen Inc 1971, Prince Gaetano Starrabba 1961, Privateers 1959, Privateers 1960, Privateers 1961, Privateers 1962, Privateers 1963, Privateers 1964, Privateers 1965, Privateers 1967, Reg Parnell Racing 1963, Reg Parnell Racing 1964, Reg Parnell Racing 1965, Reg Parnell Racing Ltd 1966, Reg Parnell Racing Ltd 1967, Revson Racing 1964, Rob Walker - Jack Durlacher Racing Team 1968, Rob Walker Racing Team 1960, Rob Walker Racing Team 1961, Rob Walker Racing Team 1962, Rob Walker Racing Team 1970, Robert Bodle Ltd 1960, Ron Harris - Team Lotus 1966, Scuderia Colonia 1961, Scuderia Jolly Club 1962, Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia 1962, Scuderia Scribante - Lucky Strike Racing 1973, Scuderia Scribante 1965, Scuderia Scribante 1970, Scuderia Scribante 1972, Selby Auto Spares 1963, Siffert Racing Team 1963, Siffert Racing Team 1964, Taylor-Crawley Racing Team 1960, Team Essex Lotus 1980, Team Essex Lotus 1981, Team Gunston 1970, Team Gunston 1974, Team Gunston 1975, Team Lotus 1958, Team Lotus 1959, Team Lotus 1960, Team Lotus 1961, Team Lotus 1962, Team Lotus 1963, Team Lotus 1964, Team Lotus 1965, Team Lotus 1966, Team Lotus 1967, Team Lotus 1968, Team Lotus 1991, Team Lotus 1992, Team Lotus 1993, Team Lotus 1994, Team Rebaque 1978, Ted Lanfear 1963, Ted Lanfear 1965, Tim Parnell 1963, UDT-Laystall Racing Team 1961, UDT-Laystall Racing Team 1962, World Wide Racing 1970, World Wide Racing 1971, World Wide Racing 1972
Driver:	Philippe Adams, Cliff Allison, Chris Amon, Mario Andretti, Elio de Angelis, Peter Arundell, Gerry Ashmore, Richard Attwood, Giancarlo Baghetti, Julian Bailey, Michael Bartels, Eric Bernard, Lucien Bianchi, Bob Bondurant, Jo Bonnier, Jean-Manuel Bordeu, Jack Brabham, Bill Brack, Ivo Bueb, Ian Burgess, John Campbell-Jones, Jay Chamberlain, Dave Charlton, Jim Clark, Bernard Collomb, Piers Courage, Jim Crawford, Martin Donnelly, Paddy Driver, Johnny Dumfries, Bob Evans, Mike Fisher, Emerson Fittipaldi, Ron Flockhart, Olivier Gendebien, Keith Greene, Masten Gregory, Brian Gubby, Dan Gurney, Mike Hailwood, Mika Hakkinen, Bruce Halford, Jim Hall, Walt Hansgen, Paul Hawkins, Brian Henton, Johnny Herbert, Graham Hill, Phill Hill, Jacky Ickx, Innes Ireland, Chris Irwin, Jean-Pierre Jarier, Eddie Keizan, Kurt Kuhnke, Pedro Lamy, Alberto-Rodriguez Larreta, Neville Lederle, Geoff Lees, John Love, Pete Lovely, Tony Maggs, Willy Mairesse, Nigel Mansell, Tony Marsh, Michel May, John Miles, Gerhard Mitter, Roberto Moreno, Stirling Moss, Satoru Nakajima, Brausch Niemann, Gunnar Nilsson, Jackie Oliver, Tim Parnell, Roger Penske, Ronnie Peterson, Ernie Pieterse, Andre Pilette, David Piper, Nelson Piquet, Ernesto Prinoth, Clive Puzey, Hector Rebaque, Brian Redman, Carlos Reutemann, Peter Revson, Jochen Rindt, Pedro Rodriguez, Lloyd Ruby, Giacomo Russo, Peter Ryan, Mika Salo, Ian Scheckter, Tim Schenken, Heinz Schiller, Rob Schroeder, Wolfgang Seidel, Gunther Seiffert, Ayrton Senna, Tony Settember, Hap Sharp, Tony Shelly, Jo Siffert, Moises Solana, Alex Soler-Roig, Mike Spence, Alan Stacey, Gaetano Starrabba, John Surtees, Trevor Taylor, Henry Taylor, Mike Taylor, Dennis Taylor, Maurice Trintignant, Guy Tunmer, Nino Vaccarella, Dave Walker, Rodger Ward, Derek Warwick, John Watson, Eppie Wietzes, Reine Wisell, Alessandro Zanardi
Chassis:	Emeryson, Ferguson P99, Lotus 100T, Lotus 101, Lotus 102, Lotus 102B, Lotus 102D, Lotus 107, Lotus 107B, Lotus 107C, Lotus 109, Lotus 20, Lotus 21, Lotus 22, Lotus 24, Lotus 25, Lotus 33, Lotus 43, Lotus 49, Lotus 49B, Lotus 49C, Lotus 56B, Lotus 63, Lotus 69 Special, Lotus 72, Lotus 72B, Lotus 72C, Lotus 72D, Lotus 72E, Lotus 76, Lotus 77, Lotus 78, Lotus 79, Lotus 80, Lotus 81, Lotus 81B, Lotus 87, Lotus 87B, Lotus 88B, Lotus 91, Lotus 92, Lotus 93T, Lotus 94T, Lotus 95T, Lotus 97T, Lotus 98T, Lotus 99T, Lotus Mk12, Lotus mk12/F2, Lotus Mk16, Lotus mk16/F2, Lotus Mk18, Lotus Mk18/21
Engine:	Borgward, BRM 1.5 V8, BRM 1.5 V8, BRM 1.5 V8, BRM 1.5 V8, BRM 1.5 V8, BRM 1.9 V8, BRM 2.0 V8, BRM 2.0 V8, BRM 2.1 V8, BRM 3.0 H16, BRM 3.0 H16, Climax 1.5 L4, Climax 1.5 L4, Climax 1.5 L4, Climax 1.5 L4, Climax 1.5 L4, Climax 1.5 L4, Climax 1.5 V8, Climax 1.5 V8, Climax 1.5 V8, Climax 1.5 V8, Climax 1.5 V8, Climax 2.0 L4, Climax 2.0 L4, Climax 2.0 V8, Climax 2.0 V8, Climax 2.2 L4, Climax 2.5 L4, Climax 2.5 L4, Ford 4 1.5 L4, Ford 4 1.5 L4, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford Cos. DFV 3.0 V8, Ford HB 3.5 V8, Ford HB 3.5 V8, Honda 1.5 V6T, Honda 1.5 V6T, Judd 3.5 V8, Lamborghini 3.5 V12, Maserati 1.5 L4, Mugen-Honda 3.5 V10, Pratt & Whitney, Renault 1.5 V6T, Renault 1.5 V6T, Renault 1.5 V6T, Renault 1.5 V6T

Created by: system last modification: Thursday 07 of April, 2005 [00:14:28 UTC] by system