1953 Lotus MkVI

I took this photograph in the paddock at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s meeting at Oulton Park in July 2015.

It’s a 1953 Lotus MkVI which was the first production car that Lotus built after a series of one-off specials. Over 100 of these cars were built between 1952 and 1957 with a variety of engines, but mainly the 1,172cc Ford side-valve unit, The DVLA record says the car is still taxed and that it has a 1,567cc engine.

1955 Lotus Mk VI

All the Lotus cars prior to the Lotus Mk VI were "one-off" models, but the Mk VI was the first "production" model, about 100 being built between 1953 and 1957. Here is one that I photographed at the Coys International Historic Festival meeting at Silverstone  in July 2000.

It didn't take part in any of the races, but I have a photograph that I took at an HSCC meeting at Oulton Park in 1992 where it was driven in one of the races by Chris Smith. The Mk VI was generally sold as a kit car into which the owner would fit his preferred engine, usually a Ford, MG or Coventry Climax unit. The DVLA record says that this car has a 1350cc engine and I don't know if I've remembered this correctly, but I seem to recall that the bulge on the bonnet indicated an MG engine.

HSCC Historic Roadsports Championship

These four cars competed in the HSCC Historic Roadsports Championship race at the HSCC's meeting at Oulton Park in June 2001.

There are three Alfa Romeos and a Lotus. On the far left is Justin Murphy's 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider which was produced from 1962 to 1966 and has a 4-cylinder inline 1,570cc engine. The yellow car next to it is  the 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ of Nick Savage which was produced between 1959 and 1962 an has a 4-cylinder inline 1,290cc engine. Next to that is the 1955 Lotus Mk VI of Stewart Couch which is the first production model that Colin Chapman made and was available in kit form for customers to install their own engine. About 110 were built and they were designed to be fitted with various engines, this one having the popular Ford 1,172cc 4-cylinder inline side valve unit. The blue car on the right is Peter Shaw's 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint, produced from 1954 to 1965, and has the same 1,290cc engine as Nick Savage's car.

Lotus VI

All the Lotus cars prior to the Lotus Mk VI were "one-off" models, but the Mk VI was the first "production" model, about 100 being built between 1953 and 1957. Here is one that I photographed at the HSCC Summer Race Meeting at Oulton Park in July 1992.

It was driven by Chris Smith in the QED Seven Club Challenge, a race for Lotus Sevens in which the Mk VI was also allowed to run. The Mk VI was generally sold as a kit car into which the owner would fit his preferred engine, usually a Ford, MG or Coventry Climax unit. The programme of the event doesn't state the engine fitted to this one, but shows the capacity as 1350cc. I don't know if I've remembered this correctly, but I seem to recall that the bulge on the bonnet indicated an MG engine.

Here's Chris Smith returning to the paddock after a practice session for the QED Seven Club Challenge race. The Lotus Seven was a road car, also used for competition, based on the Lotus Mk VI and when Lotus ended production of the Seven in 1972 they sold the rights to Caterham who still produce a model based on the same design.

Here's the car rounding Lodge Corner during the race

The first 10 Lotus models were designated Mark I, Mark II etc to Mark X except for the seventh one which was just called the Lotus Seven. The next one was the Lotus Eleven and all the models after that were known by their numbers, 12, 14, 15 etc (the number 13 wasn't used).