THE MARK II: COLIN CHAPMAN’S FIRST QUEST FOR LIGHTNESS

Colin Chapman graduated as a civil engineer in the summer of 1948 and joined the RAF shortly thereafter. He had already begun working on the Mark II. Passionate as he was, Chapman devoted every moment he wasn’t in RAF-uniform to work on the car.

The Mark II was designed to be a state-of-the-art trials car, as well as road-legal.

Chapman’s later obsession with efficiency and weight started to show already in his design choices for the Mark II. It would be his first deliberate attempt to ‘add lightness’.

EVOLUTION OF THE MARK I

The Mark II bore the registration LJH 702 and, like its predecessor, was based on the Austin Seven chassis.

As was the case on the Mark I, the main Austin Seven chassis members were boxed in. But Colin cut out the original cross members and replaced them with tubing, providing a lightweight but stiff frame.

He used the Ford split front axle, fitted with bushes and suspended from the front of the Austin Seven A-frame. He preferred the lighter Austin Seven unit over the heavy Ford rear axle though. It was easier to connect to the 4-speed Austin Seven gearbox that he used in place of the 3-speed Ford unit.

FIRST OFFICIAL LOTUS

Even though the Mark I bears the name ‘Lotus Mark I’, it was the Mark II that was the first car Colin Chapman named a Lotus. It wasn’t until the Lotus Mark II was sold, that he made the decision to rename his first car by adding ‘Lotus’ to the original name.

BETTER ENGINE. INSTANT RESULTS.

Power initially came from a Ford 8 side-valve engine, but it failed to deliver the pace Chapman demanded. He quickly upgraded to a Ford 10, which made the car much more competitive. Racing in the 1950 trials season Chapman’s record speaks for itself: 4 outright victories, 4 class wins and numerous 2nd and 3rd places.

BEATING A BUGATTI

3 June 1950. Chapman took part in an event called the Eight Clubs meeting at Silverstone. It was the first time he took part in a proper motor race, rather than trials where he was competing alone and against the clock. He beat a Type 37 Bugatti and was hooked.

DESTINY DECIDED

From that point on, Chapman was no longer interested in trials and only wanted to take part in circuit racing. A pivotal moment that shaped the future of both Chapman and Lotus. It wouldn’t be long before Team Lotus was born, followed shortly thereafter by the move to the most prestigious competition — Formula 1.

MARK II AND ITS MANY OWNERS

The Mark II was sold in October 1950 to Mark Lawson, who used it to win the Wrotham Cup. Throughout the 1950s it was raced by a succession of owners in the UK and in Northern Ireland. Later, Hampshire-based trials enthusiast Arthur Hay became the owner, and in 1989 the Mark II was sold to Lotus enthusiast Nigel Halliday who still owns the car today.