LOTUS
TYPE 49
The one that was first with the legendary Cosworth-Ford DFV engine
LOTUS X COSWORTH
HOW LOTUS TYPE 49 CHANGED THE COURSE OF F1
Few race cars have left as deep a mark as the Lotus Type 49. Winning races and championships aside, this was the groundbreaking Formula 1 machine that reshaped the sport’s engineering landscape.
At its heart was the immortal Cosworth-Ford DFV V8. A 3.0-litre, 90-degree engine producing around 400 bhp at a soaring 9,000 rpm. A compact powerhouse that didn’t just power the car — it was part of the car, acting as a stressed member chassis element.
The result? A revolutionary Lotus Formula 1 car that set the standard for more than a decade.
PACKAGE
DESIGN
The DVF was developed in tandem with the Type 49. Engine, gearbox and chassis were beautifully integrated. Simplifying design, reducing weight, improving rigidity, and influencing countless race cars that followed.
THE ENGINEERING
THE COSWORTH DFV AND THE LOTUS TYPE 49
The Lotus Type 49 was more than an evolution of earlier Lotus designs — it was a revolution.
Colin Chapman was instrumental in the development of this power unit. He had a long association with Cosworth because its founders, Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, had met at Lotus.
The perfect package
The DFV engine for Formula 1 evolved as a package with the Type 49 chassis. As a result, the engine, gearbox and chassis were beautifully integrated in one of the lightest racing cars of its era.
With the engine acting as a chassis member, the monocoque became a simple nacelle — inspired by aircraft engineering.
Flexible fuel cells
The aircraft engineering inspiration was also reflected by the 3 aircraft-type flexible fuel bag tanks in the chassis. Equipped with a capacity of 40 gallons, feeding either to an engine-driven Lucas fuel pump, or to an electrically driven pump for starting.
Familiar yet revised suspension
The suspension was well-known Lotus design, but there were new features. At the front, the top rocker arms were of deeper section yet considerably lighter. At the rear, triangulated tubular frames provided upper suspension pick-ups points on the cylinder heads.
Firestone tyres
The lightweight wheels were new, designed for the new, even wider section Firestone Formula 1 tyres that were now available to Formula 1 teams.
Type 49B - Introducing aerodynamic wings
The Lotus Type 49 evolved into Type 49B, which arrived in 1968. It was a refined version of the 49.
At the start of the season, for the Monaco Grand prix, it appeared with an upswept tail-cover (later that season it went to wings) that enclosed the re-positioned oil tank and high-level oil cooler. Larger wheels and adjustable front aerofoils - another F1 first for Lotus - completed the car.
Graham Hill then went on to win the Monaco GP, a feat repeated in the same car in 1969.
The 49B later appeared with a very tall rear aerofoil wing, which proved to be a popular feature on F1 cars for a short period of time in 1968.
The Lotus Type 49B pioneered the use of aerofoil wings — another Lotus first.
“I think this new engine is going to win some GPs and, if we are lucky, we could even win the World Championship.”
~ Walter Hayes
THE RACING YEARS
LOTUS TYPE 49 IN THE 1967 & 1968 FORMULA 1 SEASONS
The goal for the Type 49 was to have its debut at the Monaco GP in 1967. But it was the Dutch GP at Zandvoort where the legendary car finally lined up for its first race.
It proved to be nothing less than spectacular.
Graham Hill and Jim Clark in the Lotus Type 49 had the front row locked, with Hill in pole position. When Hill retired early, Clark took over, set the fastest lap, and raced to the historic first win of both the Lotus Type 49 and Cosworth DFV engine.
To say that this was just the start, was an understatement. For the rest of the year, the Type 49 proved to be an untouchable qualifying machine, taking pole position for every Grand Prix event.
Clark scored 3 more wins and finished 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship.
On the 1st of January in 1968 ‘The Flying Scott’ won his 25th – and final – GP victory in the Type 49 in South Africa, before his tragic death at Hockenheim in Germany.
Red, white and gold
Thereafter the Type 49 race cars wore the iconic Gold Leaf Lotus livery in red, white and gold. It was a time of crisis for Team Lotus – Colin Chapman and Jim Clark were very close friends and Clark’s death affected Colin greatly.
Graham Hill rose to the occasion, taking on a leadership role within the team and helping Team Lotus to the Constructor’s Championships. While at the same time claiming the Drivers’ Championship, with wins in Monaco, Spain and Mexico.
THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
LOTUS TYPE 49 ACHIEVEMENTS
In just two seasons, the Lotus Type 49 racked up an enviable record. Jim Clark’s debut victory at Zandvoort set the tone for a car that would dominate qualifying sessions and regularly win races.
It secured multiple Grand Prix victories across the 1967 and 1968 seasons, took the 1968 Drivers’ World Championship with Graham Hill, and delivered Lotus the Constructors’ title.
But the Type 49 was a car that went beyond statistics and accolades. By developing the engine in harmony with the chassis, Lotus changed Formula 1 engineering forever. A bold breakthrough that became a blueprint for iconic F1 cars and was also copied in other top-tier racing series for decades.
THE DRIVERS
JIM CLARK, GRAHAM HILL AND THE LOTUS TYPE 49
Type 49 quickly cemented its claim to fame in the hands of the most naturally gifted drivers in Formula 1. Jim Clark’s unique abilities made him the perfect driver to unlock the car’s potential.
Clark’s teammate Graham Hill combined consistency with racecraft to claim the 1968 world title in the 49B. John Miles, Jo Siffert, Jackie Oliver, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti also took turns behind the wheel, contributing to the car’s points tally and development.
The tragic loss of Clark in 1968 remains one of the sport’s saddest moments. But his association with the Lotus Type 49 ensured that in his final season, he got to show his skills in one of the most significant Lotus Formula 1 cars ever built.
The Type 49 competed for no less than 4 seasons and won the prestigious Monaco GP 3 times, including the 1970 victory with Rindt. Making it one of the most successful and enduring F1 designs of all time.
DRIVE THE
NEXT GENERATION