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Technology in race cars (8): Lotus 25 - the innovative monocoque monoposto

Name: Lotus 25 1962
Brand: Lotus

Created on August 21, 2021

Text:

Gerhard Schütz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

Bruno von Rotz

Stuart Adams

Antoine Dellenbach

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Gerhard Schütz

Bruno von Rotz

Stuart Adams

Antoine Dellenbach

Archiv

Lotus-Climax 25 (1962) at the Goodwood Revival 2017 - Glover Trophy

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Lotus 25 (1962) - with Jim Clark on the winning drive at Spa 1963 in front of La Source

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Lotus 33 (1964) - Chassis, on the left the support arms for the engine

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Lotus 25 (1962) - even a top team at the time worked on the gravel pit - Silverstone 1963

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Lotus 25 (1962) - monocoque kit. Left and right the inserted rubber tanks

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Lotus 25 (1962) - the chassis as a Formula 1 bathtub

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Lotus 25 (1962) - the front transverse bulkhead with the openings for the internal suspension struts

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Lotus 25 (1962) - Pedals next to the front wheels, radiator as crumple zone

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Lotus 25 (1962) - rear suspension - triangular wishbone and trailing arm at the bottom. Single wishbone and trailing arm at the top

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Lotus 25 (1963) - Rear suspension, later version

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Lotus 25 (1962) - Linkage of the rear trailing arms to the monocoque

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Lotus 25 (1963) - into and around the bend at Silverstone 1963

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Lotus 24 (1961) - predecessor of the Lotus 25 alongside the Ferrari 156, Jim Clark started further forward on pole at the debut of the Lotus 25

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Lotus 29 (1963) - a mid-engined monoposto between front-engined cars

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Lotus 25 (1963) - Jim Clark behind the wheel

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Lotus 25 (1962) - Jim Clark at the wheel

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Lotus 25 (1963) - Jim Clark wins the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in pouring rain

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Lotus 25 (1963) - The Lotus 25 could be admired at the SAR racing car exhibition at the Züspa in Zurich in the mid-1960s

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Lotus 25 (1962) - Winner Jimmy Clark at GP of Rand on the Kyalami circuit

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Lotus 33 (1965) - racing car show - the Jim Clark Lotus in front of Bugatti 35 - Geneva Motor Show 1966

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Lotus 25 (1963) - the reconstructed Lotus 25, chassis R5, at the Goodwood Revival 2000

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Lotus 25 R5 (1962) - Historic Grand Prix Cars Association - Brands Hatch Masters Historic Festival 2020

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Lotus 25 (1963) - with classic paintwork

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Lotus-Climax 33 (1964) - during the demonstration drives on the occasion of the Jim Clark Tribute at the Goodwood Revival 2013

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Summary

With the Lotus 25, Colin Chapman launched the first monocoque single-seater with a central engine in 1962, a design approach that subsequently became the standard. Lotus was not only able to use the new design successfully in the Formula 1 circuit, but also achieved success with it at the Indianapolis 500 miles. This article from the series "Technology in racing cars from 1958 to 1978" describes the construction of the Lotus 25, tells its story and shows it in historical and current images.

This article contains the following chapters

Extensive evolution instead of revolution
Torsionally rigid
Multiple authors
Expensive and time-consuming to repair
Successes also at Indianapolis
Lotus 33 as a further development

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The years 1958-1978 were the two most creative decades in the history of racing technology. This series portrays the most innovative, pioneering and exotic designs of Formula 1, Indy cars, sports cars and CanAm, and at the same time traces the major lines of development that still have an impact today. The series started with Lotus, one of the most important innovation drivers of these two decades. And the series will also finish with Lotus: With the first ground-effect Formula 1 to win a world championship in 1978, the Type 79. From 1958, the English "garagist" (Enzo Ferrari) John Cooper led Formula 1 into the central engine era, which continues to this day and will continue to do so (at least as long as there are combustion engines in this championship). This was the first major revolution in racing car construction, which continues to have an impact today.

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