Description
The exquisitely proportioned, beautifully compact Lotus-Climax Mark IX was one of the most popular and widely successful small-capacity sports-racing cars of its day. It was also one of the most strikingly beautiful and was to become the first of Climax-engined Lotus cars, marking the beginning of what was to become a legendary racing partnership.
The first two Lotus Mark IXs were completed in March 1955 before being shipped to the USA for the Sebring 12-Hours. Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart co-drove a works entry in that year’s Le Mans 24-Hour race, and with a fastest lap in excess of 97mph.
It was during that pivotal year in Lotus’s history that this wonderfully well-presented example ‘RXM 7’ was built for privateer Tony Page by Paul Emery, of Emeryson Cars fame. It made its debut in July 1955 at Brands Hatch, and was campaigned in August at Charterhall in Scotland, then in the Goodwood 9-Hours race – in which Page drove the then-unpainted car as race number ’41, co-driving with Paul Emery. There followed further outings at Oulton Park, Aintree, Silverstone, Goodwood again, and Castle Combe, and in a single season this car secured four podiums and a significant finish in the Goodwood 9 Hours.
Later part of the Arthur Carter Collection 'RXM 7' debuted in modern historic motorsport in 1990 and
went on to be campaigned by celebrated drivers Alain de Cadenet, Richard Bond and Stephen Archer Brooks.
'RXM 7' was subsequently acquired by Olav Glasius, owner of one of the world’s largest collections of Lotus road and race cars, and raced at the Goodwood Revival in 2008. When the collection was sold in 2012 it returned to racing once again, driven by British driver Brian Arculus, who drove it in the Madgwick Cup at Goodwood the following year.
In more recent years ‘RXM 7’ has appeared extensively in UK motorsport culminating once more with the Madgwick Cup at the Goodwood Revival in 2022.
Historic Lotus Register records indicate that just 30 Lotus Mark IX cars were built, and today they are considered a landmark car. ‘The MK 9 is one of the most significant and important of all the Loti, a great in a long gallery of greats,’ said Mike McCarthy in his feature Ninth in Line in Classic & Sportscar. ‘The shape is totally redolent of a period of great excitement in motor racing… and its progenitor, Colin Chapman, was on the threshold of revolutionising motor racing for all time.’
