Images: William i’Anson
This beautiful little 1958 Lotus 16 is one of the earliest examples of the Lotus 16 and has history with Formula One legends Graham Hill and Jim Clark. It’s up for sale at William i’Anson.
The Lotus 16 was first seen by the world at the 1958 French Grand Prix. That car, chassis 362, was later damaged while running at Oporto and put into storage. The car we have here today was originally set to be given chassis number 364, but was brought in to replace the damaged car and given number 362-2.
Lotus first showed it off at the 1958 Earls Court Motor Show. It was also used as a test car for a promotional event at Brands Hatch that allowed prospective buyers to give the new model a spin. Graham Hill was on hand for the day, putting on demonstration laps for interested parties. This is where the car’s history with Jim Clark was made, with Clark testing it prior to his first race in a single seater.
362-2 was bought from the show floor at Earls Court, with John Fisher purchasing the car for Bruce Halford to race in 1959. Before it would be delivered to Fisher, on Boxing Day, 1958, Graham Hill was back on board for the Silver City Trophy race. This would be the car’s most successful outing, with Hill winning the race from pole position and setting fastest lap along the way. It was the first single seater victory for both Hill and the Lotus marque.
Bruce Halford climbed into the car for the first time at the Lavant Cup during the 1959 Easter Monday Goodwood meeting, driving it to 9th place. A spate of retirements followed in the British Empire Trophy at Oulton Park, the Aintree 200 and then again at Syracuse.
In a highlight for the pairing, Halford was one of three Formula 2 cars to qualify for the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix. He nabbed the last spot on the grid to start the race behind Wolfgang von Trips and Cliff Allison, who were driving the other two Formula 2 cars that qualified. Sadly, a spin by von Trips on just the second lap would take out all three Formula 2 cars, and leave 362-2 with damage to the front end.
The car was stripped and sent to Progress for repair, returning to Halford for the Coupe International de Vitesse at Reims. Unfortunately, things would not improve for Halford and the Lotus 16. The pair did not see the end of the Coupe International de Vitesse, and the rest of their season went down in much the same fashion. The run culminated in a puncture at Coupe d’Auvergne that left Halford in hospital and 362-2 in for repairs once more.
At the conclusion of the season the Lotus was sold to Tony Kotze, who repainted it red and campaigned it consistently until mid-1961. Kotze would sell the car to Cecil Hooper, who raced it under the Ecurie Aquila team. At this time the car’s nose was modified to improve cooling. As with Kotz and Halford, Hooper would also struggle with the car’s Climax motor and eventually sold the car sans motor.
362-2 passed through a several owners’ hands at this point, eventually finding itself in the hands of Hugh Edgley. It was kept in a garage that eventually fell into disuse, which led to the poor Lotus being lost to time.
Robin Lodge would discover the car some years later, purchasing it and beginning a restoration. He sent it to Bruce Halford, who attained the help of Ken Nicholls and the trio set to work restoring it in as original condition as possible. However, during the work, they ascertained that it had been stolen at some point in its lost years. This halted the process, but an investigation was undertaken and they were able to resolve the situation.
The car was bought by its current owner in 2014. It was in pieces, as Lodge had left it nearly three decades prior in 1988, but still retained its original chassis, bodywork and many major and minor parts.
The chassis was sent to Peter Denty, who completed a four-year no-expense-spared restoration. Chris Gilbert of Init Racing built a new Coventry Climax FPF motor for the car, which was mated to a new Queerbox. Similarly, a new oil tank and aluminium radiator were made and a fuel cell fitted inside the original fuel tank. The original bodywork has been reserved, with a new body made and fitted to the car.
The original dashboard panel, steering wheel, seat and headrest were all retained, as were other details throughout the car.
362-2 is set to return to the track at the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix Historique. With sorted FIA HTPs, a stunning restoration and up-to-date safety gear, it’s in race-ready condition. All original parts that remain will be included in the sale, along with a full history file.
This beautifully-restored car has a fascinating story, including history with some of the sport’s greats. It’s up for sale at William i’Anson, and you can find the full details on their website here.
Images via William i’Anson
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