1957 Lotus 12

I took this photograph at the Donington Park Museum in October 1989.

It's a 1957 Lotus 12, and was Colin Chapman's first single-seat car, which was used in both Formula 2 and Formula 1 races. It was a largely unsuccessful car, although in the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix Cliff Allison, who finished in fourth place in a Lotus 12, might have won the race had it been one lap longer. The winner was Tony Brooks in a Vanwall, but his gearbox seized as he crossed the line. Mike Hawthorn was second in a Ferrari, but his engine failed as he came out of La Source corner and he coasted across the line. In third place was Stuart Lewis-Evans in another Vanwall, but his suspension collapsed on the way into La Source and he managed to crawl across the line, so Cliff Allison finished fourth, over 4 minutes behind the winner. The book 'Great Racing Cars of the Donington Collection' says this about the car:

The Mark 12

Lotus’ first single-seater

The Lotus story is virtually a rags to riches tale, revolving around Colin Chapman, a gifted engineer and dynamic businessman who built his first Austin 7-based trials special in 1948. He christened it ‘Lotus’ – because the Lotus blossom is said to induce drowsiness, and all-night work on the car proved a fair substitute Subsequent Austin 7-based 750 Formula cars were raced successfully by Chapman himself and by friends, and when customers were attracted so Lotus Engineering was founded. From this simple beginning grew an extensive, competition-based, motor manufacturing company, building, selling and racing a continuous line of very successful and sophisticated sports cars with a variety of engines. Very light weight and advanced suspension systems typified Chapman’s designs and in 1956-7 he produced his first single-seater racing car for the new 1½-litre Formula 2. This was the Lotus 12, powered by a Coventry-Climax engine, and although successful it was over-shadowed by the more robust Coopers. Chapman fitted larger and larger Climax engines, starting Formula 1 racing with 2.2-litre variants of the Lotus 12. Best placing was Cliff Allison’s fourth place in the 1958 Belgian GP, before the Vanwall-like Lotus 16 was introduced. Seven of the original Mark 12s were built, this one in the Collection being a replica.