It was a big weekend for Lotus Cars as the British brand made its debut at the Villa d’Este’s Concorso d’Eleganza with the Type 66, designed over 50 years ago but brought to life in this decade!
This iconic model was brought to light thanks to the extraordinary collaboration between Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus and son of founders Colin and Hazel Chapman, and the Lotus Design Team.
With a focus on the Can-Am series, Colin Chapman tasked Team Lotus designer Geoff Ferris with
launching the Type 66 project to explore how the brand’s design principles could be applied to this
exciting category. However, Chapman’s primary focus in Formula 1 prevented this innovative project from progressing beyond technical drawings.
To celebrate the brand’s illustrious tradition and sporting heritage, Lotus decided to finally bring this project to life last year, 53 years after the initial sketches. Only 10 examples of this ‘rediscovered and reimagined’ Lotus will be built. It is a number selected to commemorate the total number of races the Type 66 would have competed in during the 1970 season.
Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, who drove the Type 66 during the parade
commented “It was a real honour to be invited to drive Type 66 at the 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza. To be able to showcase ‘Colin’s Can-Am car’ during the event, and be recognised amongst the most iconic vehicles in the world, was a very special moment for the Chapman family and for Lotus. Type 66 is proof that Lotus innovation in performance engineering continues to inspire our present and future line up.”
Lotus also participated at FuoriConcorso during the weekend. The 2024 theme for the event was “British Racing Green,” which provided the brand with a unique opportunity to showcase its illustrious past and exciting future. Two of the most iconic Lotus products, the Type 72 and the all-electric hypercar Evija, were on display.
With 20 Grand Prix victories to its name, the Type 72 was one of the most outstanding Formula 1 single-seaters of the 1970s and arguably the most significant and successful racing car design ever made. In 1972, it won both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with Emerson Fittipaldi, including a legendary victory at Monza. The iconic vehicle was on display not far from the Evija , the most powerful production car in the world.
Simon Lane, Executive Director of Lotus Advanced Performance, said “It has been an unmissable
weekend of automotive excellence at Como. We are so pleased that various Lotus models have been celebrated and enjoyed by those in attendance. Both events were a unique opportunity for us to share our history and continued dedication to performance engineering.”
