LOTUS MARK VIII – FIRST F1 VICTORY – JOHN COOMBS 1954
The Lotus MK VIII is one of those cars, perhaps unknown, that marked the history of motoring, and that deserve to be remembered. Without the Mark VIII, Lotus would not have been the great brand or the great team we all know.
Since the first day at Modelant we have wanted to make an English car, and actually the modeling of the Lotus VIII I started one rainy day in November 2014, after our reference M-02. But much to my regret I had to abandon it until a few months ago, because I was not able to come up with a mechanics that would fit in our budget and that would fit in a car with closed rear wheel arches and a usable space of less than 40 mm width. Now, thanks to 3D technology, I have been able to create a chassis that fits perfectly and engages the mechanics with finesse. Now – ten years later – we can offer a worthy tribute to the genius of Colin Chapman.
For the second decoration of the VIII, we offer you the first Lotus winner of a Formula 1 race. Driven by John Coombs in the II Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race in 1954. It was a non-championship event, which brought together Formula 1, F2 and Sport cars under Formula 1 regulations. Since it is not a Formula 1 car, the victory would not be reflected as official.
The Lotus participated unpainted, with its aluminum body exposed. This practice, repeated on several occasions by Colin Chapman, made Team Lotus famous for reducing the weight of the car by up to 20 kg by simply removing the paint. Sometimes sanded on the circuit itself to speed up the regulation.
This edition will be limited to only 50 units, and its presentation includes a diorama and a walnut trunk box.
