Hazel Chapman and the 100,000th Lotus in 70th celebrations

• Widow of Lotus founder joins sports car company’s
celebrations
• Helping mark the 70th anniversary of Colin Chapman’s first car
• 100,000th Lotus built in tribute to Team Lotus racer Jim Clark
• Commissioned to support the Jim Clark Trust
• Enter the competition to win the car at www.jimclarklotus.com

Joining the celebrations for one of the world’s most iconic sports car manufacturers, the widow of company founder Colin Chapman has personally approved the 100,000th Lotus, as part of the marque’s 70th anniversary celebration.
Hand built on the same site that Hazel Chapman helped establish, the Jim Clark Trust special edition Lotus Evora GT410 Sport is the 100,000th Lotus built and a milestone in the
iconic British company’s history.  
 

Reviewing the car for the first time with her son Clive Chapman, Hazel Chapman said: “70 years ago, I never dreamt that there would be a 100,000th Lotus. I’m immensely proud of
the company and Colin’s legacy. Today Lotus still builds such fantastic sports cars and I’m touched to be able to see the 100,000th car.” The Evora continues a lineage of lightweight
car design that can trace its roots back the very first Lotus - an ethos that drives the
company to optimise mass and aerodynamics in order to maximise performance and
handling.
In 1948 Colin Chapman built his first competition car, following his own theories for
improved performance. He formed Lotus Engineering in 1952 and from there the company
continued to innovate in both road and race cars. Changing the very nature and intent of
vehicle design forever, Chapman was in the vanguard of a new way of thinking and his
principles remain as relevant today as they were 70 years ago.
Hazel was the first investor in Lotus. Loaning her then boyfriend Colin the £50 he needed to
establish Lotus Engineering in a lock-up borrowed from Hazel’s parents. Colin Chapman re
imagined and re-engineered an Austin Seven to create the first Lotus – the Mark I. Built by
hand, and with Hazel helping where needed, Colin completed the car in the spring of 1948

and immediately entered it in competitive trials. With Hazel in the passenger seat and Colin
behind the wheel, they picked up two class awards in the Mark I’s first events.

From that small garage on the outskirts of London sprang a global brand and Hazel worked
alongside Colin as the business grew and found fame. She was even instrumental in
establishing the company’s current site in Hethel, working on the layout and design, as the
old airbase was rebuilt as the Lotus headquarters and manufacturing facility.
A fitting tribute to one of the most successful racing drivers of all time, the 100,000th Lotus
Evora GT410 Sport is a one-off produced in collaboration with the Jim Clark Trust, which
has launched a competition to win the landmark Lotus while raising funds to help complete
its new museum. Inspired by the very first Lotus Elan, driven by Clark in the 1960s, the new
Evora was conceived and constructed at the famous Hethel site – the home of the company
for the last 50 years.  
Commissioned to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Clark’s tragic death while competing at Hockenheim in 1968, the 100,000th Lotus was unveiled at this year’s Goodwood Festival
of Speed. Echoing the original Lotus Elan’s colour scheme, with red paintwork, a silver roof
and silver wheels, plus tartan upholstery, it commemorates the legacy of the one of
motorsport’s most enduring figures.  
About the Evora GT410 Sport
Launched in Lotus’ 70th year, the Evora GT410 Sport is a winning blend of raw ability and
style. Drawing from its more potent stablemate, the Evora GT430, it incorporates many
high-performance elements yet retains a subtler, understated profile.

Forged though a process of continual evolution, the Evora GT410 Sport incorporates
specifically designed composite front and rear body panels and advanced aerodynamics,
so that the GT-class coupe generates up to 96kg of downforce. As with all high
performance Evoras, visible-weave carbon fibre plays a considerable role in the car’s
construction, enabling a lightest possible dry weight of just 1,256 kg.  

The Evora GT410 Sport is powered by a specially calibrated version of Lotus’
supercharged, 3.5-litre 6-cylinder engine. With an integrated water-to-air charge cooler, it
produces 410 hp at 7000 rpm and 420 Nm of torque from 3500 rpm, allowing the Evora
GT410 Sport to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds
As an alternative to Lotus’ slick, six-speed manual gearbox, with a Torsen type limited slip
differential (LSD), the Evora GT410 Sport can be ordered with an automatic transmission,
which is slightly quicker through the gears. The six-speed auto gearbox utilises an
optimised ECU for ultra-fast changes and gear selection is made via lightweight aluminium
paddles mounted to the steering wheel.