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Lotus Eleven
A Lotus Eleven at the Lotus Brands Hatch Celebration 2007 A Lotus Eleven at the Lotus Brands Hatch Celebration 2007
Manufacturer Lotus cars
Production 1956-1958
Class Sports car
Layout FR layout
Engine(s) Coventry-Climax FWA (1098 cc) SOHC Inline 4 cylinder
Transmission(s) BMC A30, 4-speed
Wheelbase 2159 mm (85 in)
Length 3403 mm (134 in)
Curb weight from 412 kg (908 lb)

The Lotus Eleven was a racing car built in various versions by Lotus from 1956 until 1958. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at Hethel, Norfolk, England. Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any A sports car is a term used to describe a class of Automobile. In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels Curb weight is the total Weight of a Vehicle with standard equipment all necessary operating Consumables (e Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at Hethel, Norfolk, England. The later versions built in 1958 are sometimes referred to as Lotus 13, although this was not an official designation. In total, about 270 Elevens of all versions were built.

Contents

The Lotus Eleven

The Eleven was designed by Colin Chapman and fitted with a sleek body designed by aerodynamicist Frank Costin. Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman ( 19 May 1928 - 16 December 1982) was an influential British designer inventor and builder in the automotive Frank Costin was an automotive engineer who pioneered Monocoque Chassis design and was instrumental in adapting aircraft Aerodynamic knowledge for automobile Its standard version, dubbed Le Mans, was fitted with a 1500 cc (92ci)[1] Coventry Climax engine mounted in the front of a tubular space frame and featured a De Dion rear axle and Girling disc brakes. Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump and speciality Engine manufacturer A space frame or space structure is a Truss -like lightweight rigid structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric Pattern. A de Dion tube is an Automobile suspension technology It is a sophisticated form of non- Independent suspension and is a considerable improvement over Lucas Industries plc was a famous manufacturer of components for the motor industry and aerospace industry The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a Wheel. Fully loaded, the car weighed only about 1,000 lb (450 kg). Versions for a 1100 cc (67ci)[2] Climax engine (Club) and a 1172 cc (72ci)[3] Ford engine (Sport) were also produced; both featured a live rear axle and drum brakes. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following A drum brake is a Brake in which the Friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against the inner surface of a rotating Some versions of the Le Mans were fitted with a closed body with gullwing doors to meet GT specifications. Gull-wing door (Flügeltüren is an automotive industry term describing Car doors that are hinged at the roof rather than the side as pioneered by the 1952 Mercedes-Benz

Lotus Eleven at Donington Park
Lotus Eleven at Donington Park

Despite the wide variety of engines installed, the car was primarily designed to compete in the 1100 cc class where it was one of the most successful cars during the mid- to late-1950s. In 1956, An Eleven, modified by Costin with a bubble canopy over the cockpit,[4] was driven by Stirling Moss to a class world record of 143 mph (230 km/h) for a lap at Monza. Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss OBE (born September 17, 1929 in London) is a retired racing driver from England. Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a Motorsport Race track near the town of Monza, Italy, north of Milan. Several class victories at Le Mans and Sebring followed, and the Eleven became Lotus' most successful race car design. Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Sebring International Raceway is a road course Auto racing facility located in Sebring Florida.

In 1957, the Eleven underwent a major design change, including a new front suspension and improvements to the drivetrain. Although officially called Eleven Series 2, these late models are sometimes informally referred to as Lotus 13s, since they were produced between the 12 and 14 models and the 13 designation was not used by Lotus. The Lotus 12 was an unsuccessful Formula Two Racing car. Colin Chapman 's first foray into single-seater racing the 12 appeared in 1957 The Lotus Elite name was used for two vehicles from Lotus Cars.

The Westfield XI replica

Westfield XI
The rear of a Westfield replica
Manufacturer Westfield Sportscars
Production 1982-present
Class Sports car
Layout FR layout
Engine(s) 1275 cc BMC A-Series engine
Transmission(s) 4 or 5-speed
Wheelbase 2286 mm (90 in)
Length 3657 mm (144 in)
Width 1625 mm (64 in)
Height To to top of screen: 863 mm (34 in)
Curb weight From 530 kg (1168 lb)
Fuel capacity 18 L (5 US gal/4 imp gal)

Beginning in 1982, Westfield Sportscars started production of a faithful replica of the 1957 Le Mans racer with a fiberglass body, available as either a finished car or a kit car. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Westfield Sportscars are manufacturers of both factory built and kit versions of several two-seater open top sportscars Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any A sports car is a term used to describe a class of Automobile. In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found Austin Motor Company 's small Straight-4 Automobile engine the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels Curb weight is the total Weight of a Vehicle with standard equipment all necessary operating Consumables (e Westfield Sportscars are manufacturers of both factory built and kit versions of several two-seater open top sportscars Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre see Spelling differences) is material made from extremely fine Fibers of Glass. A kit car is an Automobile that is available in kit form which means that the client buys a set of parts and needs to assemble the car himself / herself The factory-finished cars were usually fitted with an uprated 1275 cc BMC "A" engine (the same engine that was used by such classics as the MG Midget and the Austin Healey Sprite), although some factory cars were fitted with Ford Kent engines. Austin Motor Company 's small Straight-4 Automobile engine the A-Series, is one of the most common in the world The MG Midget is a small Sports car produced by MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1961 through to 1979 Austin-Healey is a defunct British sports car maker The marque was established through a joint venture arrangement set up in 1952 between Leonard Lord The Ford Kent is an Internal combustion engine from Ford of Europe. Kit cars were sold without engines, and owners have fitted anything from the Coventry Climax to Lotus twincams and Alfa engines to the chassis. Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA is an Italian Automaker founded in 1910

In 1983, the magazine Road & Track featured an article about the Westfield XI replica, telling the story of how the magazine's team built a kit car and subsequently took it for a 5,000-mile (8,000 km) cross-country trip from California to Wisconsin. Road & Track is an Automobile enthusiast Magazine in the United States, founded by two friends in 1947 California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States The article is said to have sold more Westfields than anything else the company could do to advertise their cars [1].

Production of the original Westfield XI ceased in 1986, although the company offered unsold kits until about 1988. In 2004 Westfield re-started production of the Westfield XI, still based on the A-series engine.

References

  1. ^ Setright, L. J. K, "Lotus: The golden mean", in Northey, Tom, ed. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 11, p. 1224.
  2. ^ Setright, p. 1224.
  3. ^ Setright, p. 1224.
  4. ^ Setright, p. 1224.

External links


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