Lotus 51

File:1968Lotus 51BFormulaFord.jpg

The Lotus 51 was an open-wheel Formula Ford race car built in 1967 by the British motorsport team Lotus. It was powered by a {{cvt|1.6|L|cuin}} Ford Crossflow four-cylinder engine (the same type of engine used in the Ford Cortina), developing a respectable {{cvt|110|hp|kW}}, which drove the rear wheels through either a Renault R-8 type 330 4-speed, or a Hewland 5-speed manual transmission.{{Cite web|url=https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13002/lotus-type-51.aspx|title=1968 Lotus Type 51|website=conceptcarz.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/1967-lotus-51a-formula-ford|title=1967 Lotus 51A Formula Ford|website=Sports Car Market|date=21 October 2021 }}

The Lotus 51 became a bestseller for Colin Chapman and the Lotus team in 1967. 218 vehicles were built and sold (some sources speak of only 150 vehicles). The price for one vehicle was £955.{{Cite web|url=https://motorsportsmarket.com/racecars/1967-lotus-51-formula-ford/|title=1967 Lotus 51 Formula Ford|website=Motorsports Market}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.conceptcarz.com/s13002/lotus-type-51.aspx|title=1968 Lotus Type 51 technical and mechanical specifications|website=conceptcarz.com}}

The car was derived from, and based on, the Lotus 31, a Formula 3 car from Lotus. The racing car was agile and fast, had a short wheelbase, and was extremely light with a curb weight of {{cvt|900|lb|kg}}. In 1969 the car was replaced by the Lotus 61. In 1968 the 51R - a one-off - was built. The car had wider sidepods and was originally intended as a concept for a successor. The car was sold for £1095 to a US collector who never entered the 51R in racing competitions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/1967-lotus-type-51-ff|title=1967 Lotus Type 51 FF|website=Sports Car Market|date=February 2006 }}{{Cite web|url=https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/4903-1968-lotus-type-51/|title=1968 Lotus Type 51|website=Hyman Ltd.}}