Customer Reviews

Lotus Racing Cars (Sutton's Photographic History of Transport)

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John Tipler is no stranger to motoring publications, having to his credit two books on Lotus (Seven and Elise) and a host of books on other marques. Lotus Racing Cars is the latest in his bibliography and consists of two volumes, one spanning the years 1948-1968 and the other 1968-2000. They are reviewed together because the second is a continuation of the first. Why these books were not published in one volume is not clear, I can not imagine anyone buying one volume and not the other.

The subject matter has been extensively covered in other volumes, notably Nye's Theme Lotus, Pritchard's Lotus, All the Cars, and Taylor's The Lotus Book, so little new ground is covered. But the value of the books lies in the format and content. All of the racing cars, from Formula 1 icons to also rans in the minor formulae, are covered. The photos are extensive and appear to have never been published in the compendium of Lotus literature. Tipler includes anecdotal information from those who were there, including notables like Jim Enruweit. Of particular interest are the John Player Special Years where Tipler was on the inside as part of the John Player Special promotion team. Having read all of the previously published books on Lotus and its racing cars, I can say that there is a plethora of detail information that sheds insight into the ups and downs of Team Lotus.

Overall these volumes are a worthy contribution to the annals of Lotus history. The only drawback is the two-volume format. Tipler has clearly shown his knowledge of and dedication to the marque. I'm looking forward to his upcoming book on the Lotus 25/33.