Mario Andretti Lotus Team Ford 49B F1 - 1968 USA GP - A Model Q9004

Description: Mario Andretti1978 World Champion Lotus Team Ford Formula 1Gold Leaf1968 U.S.A. Grand Prix––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– A ModelClassic ModelsQ9004 1/18 Scale The Lotus 49 was a Formula One racing car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe for the 1967 F1 season. It was designed around the Cosworth DFV engine that would power most of the Formula One grid through the 1970s. It was one of the first F1 cars to use a stressed member engine combined with a monocoque to reduce weight, with other teams adopting the concept after its success. It also pioneered the use of aerofoils to generate downforce. After a difficult first year for Lotus in the three-litre formula using the heavy and unreliable BRM H16 engine, Chapman went back to the drawing board and came up with a design that was both back to basics and forward-thinking. Taking inspiration from earlier designs, particularly the Lotus 43 and Lotus 38 Indycar, the 49 was the first F1 car to be powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV engine, after Chapman convinced Ford to build an F1 power-plant. The 49 was an advanced design in Formula 1 because of its chassis configuration. The specially-designed engine became a stress-bearing structural member (seen earlier with the H16 engine in the Lotus 43 and BRM P83, and prior to that in the front-engined Lancia D50 of 1954), bolted to the monocoque at one end and the suspension and gearbox at the other. Since then, virtually all Formula 1 cars have been built this way. The 49 was a testbed for several new pieces of racecar technology and presentation. Lotus was the first team to use aerofoil wings, which were introduced at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix. Originally these wings were bolted directly to the suspension and were supported by slender struts. The wings were mounted several feet above the chassis of the car for effective use in clean air, however after several breakages which led to dangerous accidents, the high wings were banned and Lotus was forced to mount the wings directly to the bodywork. Jim Clark won on the car’s debut, in 1967, and it would also provide him with the last win of his career, in 1968. Graham Hill went on to win that year’s title and the car continued winning races until 1970. For the 1967-1968 Tasman Series races Team Lotus’s 2.5 litre engined 49s were painted red, cream and gold - the colours of Gold Leaf cigarettes, after Chapman signed a lucrative sponsorship deal. This colour scheme was introduced for the 1968 World Championship at the second race of the season. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Excellent condition, always boxed, never displayed. Don't miss your chance to own this very rare and highly detailed discontinued model,sold out everywhere long ago,

Price: 120 GBP

Location: Maidstone, Kent

End Time: 2025-02-09T02:57:16.000Z

Shipping Cost: 37.98 GBP