Description
1956 – Lotus Eleven Serie 1
Chassis n° 166
French historic registration title
‘A versatile, easy-to-use sports car that's just as at home on the road as it is in a race’.
- Built in 270 examples between 1956 and 1958, the Lotus Eleven brought together all the experience and know-how of Colin Chapman. Intended for endurance and sprint races for small cars, this new Lotus, which introduced the E-names, quickly won over a demanding clientele of sportsmen and gentlemen drivers. In keeping with Chapman's philosophy of ‘light is right ’ and aerodynamic design, the Eleven features a superb chassis made from a fine latticework of round and square steel tubes that weighs just 25kg, yet is surprisingly rigid. The whole thing is covered by a fine aluminium body designed by Frank Costin, chief aerodynamicist at the aircraft manufacturer De Haviland.
- The car was available in three versions: Club, with a rigid rear axle, Ford side-valve engine and drum brakes; Sport, which differed from the previous version in that it had a Coventry Climax engine; and Le Mans, which featured a De Dion rear axle and disc brakes (inboard at the rear). Depending on the class in which it competes, the latter will be powered by Coventry Climax 750 cc, FWA 1, 098 cc and FWB 1, 460 cc 4-cylinder engines. In the latter configuration, power exceeds 100 hp. Weighing in at just 450kg, that's more than enough power for a solid track record.
- It was an explosive combination that would go on to write some of the finest lines in the marque's record books, with 148 significant victories recorded in the model's first full season. At the top of the list was a victory in the 1, 100 cc category, and 7th place overall, at the 1956 Le Mans 24 Hours, and further class wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Le Mans in 1957. Together with its little sister, the Seven, it summed up the genius of Colin Chapman and was to be the success story of the small British firm.
- The Lotus Eleven we are presenting is a 1956 Series 1, built as an 1100, and sold new in the USA to Gunnar Rubini, a Volkswagen dealer (Imported Motors garage in Toledo, Ohio) and sometime driver. After a few races in 1956, he unfortunately crashed #166 during a race in Wisconsin in January 1957 (photos attached). No trace was found of #166, which was re-released 10 years later in the UK, presumably purchased earlier in Belgium. It was not until 1979 that an amateur imported it to France. It was not until 1993 that Mr S., a well-known Lotus enthusiast, bought it: it was then a car in need of restoration. Mr S. carried out a fair and accurate restoration of the car, which was now powered by a 1500 Climax type FWB, and fitted with a De Dion axle and inboard disc brakes.
- Perfectly functional (it was returned to service by the Atelier Rufils in March 2024 after two years of immobilisation), this pretty Eleven, very clean and elegantly patinated, will delight its next owner, on the road or on the track, particularly at the Le Mans Classic where the car is highly eligible!
Est. 150 000 – 200 000 €
This car will be sold by auction by AGUTTES Auction House, in Paris, France, on December the 1srt, 2024.
The digital catalog is available on our website.
Please contact us for any further details.
