MARK VI AND THE TRUE TURNING POINT FOR LOTUS

The Lotus Mark VI. Famous for being the first volume-built model from Lotus founder Colin Chapman. Every model prior to this had been developed as a single car.

The Mark VI was based on Colin’s own design of spaceframe chassis. He now worked full-time at his business, which gradually came into bloom. The Mark VI wrote history as the car that elevated Lotus Engineering to the position of a real car manufacturer. And showed Chapman’s unmatched talent for unconventional and effective engineering.

LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN & SPACEFRAME INNOVATION

Chapman’s approach was never about raw power — it was much more sophisticated. The moment regulations provided the opportunity, he jumped on the chance to fit the Mark VI with an extremely light chassis. 

Even when the brackets and stressed aluminium body panels were riveted in place, the whole structure still weighed just around 40kg.

RAW AND PRACTICAL

The boxy aluminium bodywork was made by the metalworking partnership of Williams & Pritchard, who left the car unpainted. The first Mark VIs had enclosed rear wheel arches, but this was soon abandoned for more practical cut-away wheel covers.

A POWERFUL START

The prototype Mark VI, registered XML 6, competed in the up to 1500cc class with a Ford Consul engine. In its first competition, at Silverstone on 5 July 1952, it scored two 2nd places.

Another version of the Mark VI with a more powerful engine was driven and reviewed by Autocar magazine, hitting a top speed of almost 90mph.

Autocar | 1953

DOMINATING THE TRACK

The Mark VI competition highpoint was probably at Silverstone in 1954. Peter Gammon’s MG-powered Mark VI finished 2nd to Colin Chapman in his Lotus Mark VIII, leaving the works Porsche 550 of Hans Hermann behind them. 

Until production ended in 1955, the Mark VI went on to dominate races. Drivers Chapman, Peter Gammon and Mike Anthony demonstrated how potent the Mark VI was. A prelude to the dominance with which Team Lotus later conquered Formula 1.

A £400 LOTUS

Available as a road and race car, buyers would usually source their own engine and take it to Chapman, whose team of enthusiastic volunteers were ready to modify and fit it to the chassis. A completed car would cost around £400, which was excellent value at the time.

FULLY INVESTED AND DEVOTED

The Mark VI was in many ways a ‘gateway’ car for Colin Chapman. It showed him how to cleverly work with racing regulations. It proved he could build a race winning machine that could dominate a season. And it made perfectly clear the cars he built attracted customers.

At the end of 1954 he gave up his job at British Aerospace and started working full-time at the small but flourishing Lotus.