Lotus 48
The Lotus 48 was a Formula 2 racing car , built and used by Lotus in the late 1960s .
Lotus built a Formula 2 car for the new 1.6 liter formula in 1967. The Lotus 48 had a full monocoque and a sub-tubular frame that took on the Cosworth FVA four-cylinder engine. The car made its debut in the 1967 Tasman racing series and was driven in Europe by Graham Hill and Jim Clark for the entire 1967 Formula 2 season . Clark was able to achieve three victories with the agile cars against the strong competition of the Brabham Formula 2 cars.
In 1968 the car was improved and, now painted in the colors of the tobacco sponsor Gold Leaf , was designated as 48 GLTL, with TL for "Team Lotus". The red-white-gold 48 achieved notoriety when Jim Clark had a fatal accident on April 7, 1968 in the Formula 2 race at the Hockenheimring , probably due to a flat tire. The 48 was taken out of service by the works team at the end of the season and replaced by the Lotus 59 in 1969 . In private hands, some 48 ran in the Formula 2 European Championship until 1970. The car also made an appearance in Formula 1 , as Formula 2 vehicles were also at the start at the 1967 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring . Jackie Oliver achieved fifth place with a 48.
literature
- David Hodges: Racing cars from A – Z after 1945. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-613-01477-7 .
