The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 season. Colin Chapman built it as a conventional back-up to his monocoque Lotus 25 and sold it to privateers, and in World Championship races it rarely scored points.
Lotus 24 at a glance
| Season | 1962 Formula One |
|---|---|
| Construction | space frame (back-up to the monocoque Lotus 25) |
| Engines | Coventry Climax FWMV V8, BRM P56 V8 |
| Also used | Coventry Climax FPF four in at least one car |
| Debut | 1962 Brussels Grand Prix |
| First World Championship race | 1962 Dutch Grand Prix |
| Best championship result | second, Trevor Taylor, Dutch Grand Prix |
| Continued | private entries in 1963 and 1964 |
| Last entry | 1965 British Grand Prix |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the Lotus 24
Having designed the monocoque Lotus 25 for the works team, Chapman decided to build a conventional spaceframe car that he could also sell to privateers. The 24 was a completely different design from its predecessor, the 21, but used much of the same suspension as the 25. It was generally fitted with either the Coventry Climax FWMV or the BRM P56 V8, and at least one car ran with the four-cylinder Climax FPF.
The 24 made its debut at the 1962 Brussels Grand Prix. Jim Clark put it on pole position for the first heat but retired after a single lap; two weeks later Clark won the Lombank Trophy at Snetterton. Its first World Championship race was the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, where Trevor Taylor finished second, and that remained its best championship result.
The Lotus 25 had arrived and was clearly the way ahead, much to the annoyance of customers who had paid for a 24. Chapman had promised that team cars would be mechanically identical to customer cars, leaving himself free to alter what he called their bodywork. The 24 was still run by private teams in 1963 and 1964 with limited success, and in 1965 only one World Championship entry was made, when Brian Gubby failed to qualify for the British Grand Prix.
Design and features
- Spaceframe back-up: a conventional chassis built alongside the advanced Lotus 25.
- Customer car: sold to privateers who wanted a works-level Lotus.
- Shared suspension: much of the 25’s suspension design carried over.
- Two engine choices: Climax FWMV or BRM P56 V8.
Lotus 24 versions
- Climax-engined cars: the usual specification with the FWMV V8.
- BRM-engined cars: with the P56 V8.
- Climax FPF car: at least one example with the four-cylinder engine.
The 24 was overshadowed by the monocoque Lotus 25, and in later seasons it ran alongside the Lotus 33 at club and privateer level. More racing cars are in the Lotus collection.
Sources
- Lotus 24, English Wikipedia: design, engines, racing record
