Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I find the odd reference that the twin cam engine may have been used in Formula 1 when the rules changed in 1961. Allegedly the Cosworth TA, but I cannot find any more than there was a Cosworth TA project.

There is a brief mention that with its brief entry into Formula 1, the Lotus 18 used a 'modified Ford 105E' engine when the Coventry Climax 2.5 was banned. Would this have been a twin cam, albeit a very early one?

Does anyone have any more details?

As far as I am aware, Jim Clark's outing at the Nürburgring 1000km in May 1962 was the first competition outing for the Lotus TC.

According to Miles Wilkins, the very first TC ran on 10 Oct 61 at the factory.

On 18 Jan 62 the TC was first fitted to the Anglia development car.

On 21 May 62 Bob Dance took the Lotus 23 fitted with a 1498cc TC to Nürburgring for Jimmy, who began testing it there on 25 May, for the race the next day.

Tim

I believe Jo Siffert bought a 20 or 22 with a TC 1500 for a budget F1 entry. I have seen some of the build records of Lotus 20 and 22. .There may have been others too, but this would have happened in 1962. Those early TC heads were strange birds w/ water passages on the opposite side of the head and only 8 cam bearings. I actually held some of these early heads w/ my own hands in the mid-90's at a visit to a Lotus Elite collection in California

When I bought my ex- Jim Russel 22 I considered building a 1100cc TC for it, but stayed w/ a push-rod FJr engine.
Roger

This may be a similar version to one you saw Roger with 8 cam bearings, thermostat on the inlet side and adjustable inlet tracts. It was on a Lotus 23 from 1962 that was sold by a race car dealer near to me, but the new owner didn't want all the old engine bits!

Mark

The Lotus twin-cam appears to have been used in a couple of cars at the 1964 British (European) Grand Prix, The MotorSport report mentions ''Frank Gardner with his little F.2 Brabham fitted with a 1,500-c.c. Lotus-Cortina Ford engine" and "John Taylor was driving Gerards neatly prepared F.3 Cooper with two o.h.c Lotus Ford engine and Hewland gearbox."

For the start of the 1961 season Coventry Climax did not have the V8 ready but supplied a "Mk II FPF" engine which was a 1495 cc 4 cylinder twin cam design. The block and head were from the 2.5 litre FPF and the bore was slightly larger than the original 1.5 litre variant with the original stroke. It produced 152 bhp at 7500 rpm and would rev to 8200 rpm. (source Coventry Climax Racing Engines by Des Hammill)

This may have caused the confusion.