When racing drivers were more modest ...
02/27/2024
Nowadays, F1 racing drivers drive around in a McLaren P1, a Mercedes-AMG One or a Ferrari SF90 or something like that - you don't treat yourself to anything else.
Things were quite different 50 years ago. Formula 1 drivers like Ronnie Peterson were already earning good money in the seventies, but the sums were hardly comparable to what is paid today if you want to hire a top driver.
And the fact that Ronnie Peterson could drive is proven not only by his nickname "Superswede", but also by his track record. He won four major races as early as 1971, finished third in the 1973 Formula 1 championship in a Lotus and came second overall in 1978. Unfortunately, he died in September of that year, otherwise a world championship title would probably have been possible sooner or later.
But let's go back to 1972, when Ronnie Peterson had probably just signed a contract with Lotus and (presumably) received an Elan Plus 2 S 130-5 as a company car. Certainly, this was an exclusive vehicle, at least more exclusive than the Ford Consul in the picture above, which was probably Peterson's "daily driver".
Incidentally, the Elan survived and was offered for sale at the Iconic Auctioneers auction in Silverstone on Saturday, February 24, 2024. However, it could not be sold because no one wanted to bid more than £42,000. And this bid was not enough to reach the reserve price. So the car would still be on the market if anyone would like to have Ronnie Peterson's Lotus in their garage. Simply contact Iconic Auctioneers ...
