1955 Lotus Mk IX

This car took part in a Ten Lap Invitation Scratch Race for 1950's Sports/Racing Cars at the Vintage Sports Car Club's meeting at Oulton Park in August 1996.

It's George Edney's 1955 Lotus Mk IX, about thirty of which were produced. It could be used with a variety of engines, most often the 1,100cc Coventry Climax unit, but the programme of the event says that the engine capacity of this car was 1,466cc. The first Le Mans 24 Hour race contested by Lotus was with a Mk IX in 1955, driven by Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart, but the car was disqualified after 12 hours when Colin Chapman went off the circuit at the Arnage corner into a sandbank and reversed the car back onto the circuit without getting permission from a marshall to do so.

1955 Lotus Mk IX

This car took part in the 1950s Sports Car Race Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1999.

It's George Edney's 1955 Lotus Mk IX, about thirty of which were produced. It could be used with a variety of engines, most often the 1,100cc Coventry Climax unit, but the programme of the event says that the engine capacity of this car was 1,498cc. The first Le Mans 24 Hour race contested by Lotus was with a Mk IX in 1955, driven by Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart, but the car was disqualified after 12 hours when Colin Chapman went off the circuit at the Arnage corner into a sandbank and reversed the car back onto the circuit without getting permission from a marshall to do so.

The number 33 car next to the Lotus Mk IX is the 1958 Lotus Eleven of Ron Gammons and the number 66 car is the 1959 Lotus 15 of Paul Samuels.

1955 Lotus Mk IX

 I took this photograph in the paddock at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1995.

It didn't take part in any of the races at that meeting, but it's a 1955 Lotus Mk IX, and I have a photograph of the car that I took at Donington Park in 2005 when it was owned by Richard Ashmead. About 30 of these cars were built between 1954 and 1955 and several different engines could be provided - 1½ litre MG and Connaught engines and 2 litre Bristol engines were used, but the one most commonly fitted, as in this car, was the 1,098cc Coventry Climax engine. The first Le Mans 24 Hour race contested by Lotus was with a Mk IX in 1955, driven by Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart, but the car was disqualified after 12 hours when Colin Chapman went off the circuit at the Arnage corner into a sandbank and reversed the car back onto the circuit without getting permission from a marshall to do so.

1955 Lotus Mk IX

This was one of the competitors at the British Empire Trophy meeting at Oulton Park in April 1956.

It's the 1955 Lotus Mk IX of Six Mile Stable and was driven by Tom Barnard. About 30 of these cars that were built between 1954 and 1955 and several different engines could be provided - 1½ litre MG and Connaught engines and 2 litre Bristol engines were used, but the one most commonly fitted, as in this car, was the 1,098cc Coventry Climax engine. At this British Empire Trophy meeting there were three heats for cars of different engine sizes with a final run on a handicap basis. Tom Barnard failed to qualify for the final, which was won by Stirling Moss in a 1½ litre Cooper T39 Mk II Climax.

1955 Lotus Mk IX

This was one of the competitors in the up to 2 litre class in the Classic Car Sports Car Race at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone in July 1994.

It's the 1955 Lotus Mk IX of Stephen Archer and has a 4-cylinder inline1,098cc Coventry Climax FWA engine. As with the earlier Lotus Mk VIII the Mk IX was offered with a variety of engines of up to 1½ litres, but the Mk IX most usually had this 1,098cc Coventry Climax unit. The car was originally owned by Tony Page who competed with it in various British events including the 1955 Goodwood 9 Hour race where he and Paul Emery finished in eleventh place overall and fourth in class.

Lotus Mk IX

This was one of the entrants in the 1950s Drum-Braked Sports Racing Cars race at the VSCC's SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2005.

It's the 1955 Lotus Mk IX of Richard Ashmead, one of about 30 of these cars that were built between 1954 and 1955. Several different engines could be provided for the Mk IX - 1½ litre MG and Connaught engines and 2 litre Bristol engines were used, but the one most commonly fitted, as in this car, was the 1,098cc Coventry Climax engine.

On 17 January 2018 I showed a photograph of another Coventry Climax engined Lotus Mk IX, at Oulton Park in 1996.

Lotus Mk IX

This car took part in a Ten Lap Invitation Scratch Race for 1950's Sports/Racing Cars at the VSCC's meeting at Oulton Park in August 1996.

It's George Edney's 1955 Lotus Mk IX, about thirty of which were produced. It could be used with a variety of engines, most often the 1,100cc Coventry Climax unit, but the programme of the event says that the engine capacity of this car was 1,466cc. The first Le Mans 24 Hour race contested by Lotus was with a Mk IX in 1955, driven by Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart, but the car was disqualified after 12 hours when Colin Chapman went off the circuit at the Arnage corner into a sandbank and reversed the car back onto the circuit without getting permission from a marshall to do so.