Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives
greg-bob-dance-clarks-lotus25

Jim Clark’s Cortina

Story and pictures by Greg Bray.

Last year Chris and I did our bi-annual trip back to the UK to see the family. As always it happened to be in the month of September (funny that) so I could go just up the road to the Goodwood Revival with my brother.

Luckily for us, on the Sunday I spotted Bob Dance the famous Lotus mechanic. Bob, now in his 80’s was in the pits working on Jim Clark’s Lotus 25 as he has done since the 1960’s. Bob was giving the car the once over in preparation for the period F1 race in the afternoon.

jim-clarks-cortinaThe Lotus 25 won easily against all the opposition of it’s era, as it did in the 1963 F1 season giving Clark his 1st World Championship.

The point of my story is whilst we were staying with our Welsh Lotus friend Andy, he did what he usually does and drove me through many muddy Welsh lanes to visit one of his many Lotus friends. This time not too far away from Cardiff we turned up at William’s property. William owns four Mk1 Lotus Cortina’s.

cortina-elan-rear-endThe pride and joy of his collection is Jim Clark’s very own early road Cortina. Oh, to be an enthusiast with pots of money. He has the detailed proof, and apparently the car cost him as much as a very good house.

The very interesting part of this car for me being an Elan enthusiast was that Bob Dance had worked on the car in it’s early days. He made a frame to hold the Elan diff, and fitted the whole Elan diff, drive-shafts, struts, discs and put them all in the back of this Cortina. Which would have made the handling of the car so much better with the Elan’s independent lightweight suspension. But with Clark’s excellent driving skills, he did very nicely with standard set-up on the track in his race Cortinas.

Also would you believe in this garage one of the other Cortinas had a “Best in Show” certificate, and the car had been restored by none other than our Derek Dean.

Qld Super Sprints – Round 1, 2016 Jumpers & Jazz Weekend Away

Related Posts

mp-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Morgan Park Sprints R4

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

gold-rush-banner

Events, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Racing

Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022

Random images

IMG_6877 Wybes-Elite-1 IMG_4898 Tony-Dick-Ken MG_9464 IMG_6207 IMG_8426 IMG_4852 IMG_4417 img_1580_2 13-Nosey-Lotuses IMG_4906 image_138 image_087 IMG_6635 IMG_7604 112_1298_IMG DSC_1535 6_IMG_9530 P1060286 Mt-Cotton-Hillclimb-Sep17-01 20220220_093818 IMG_20210501_091901-1 From-Targa-to-short-course Stephen-Susan IMG_0494-5 IMG_0415-Group-8.14-Brad-at-Hungry-Lotus-Exige-Honda-3 Mitch-Ringuet-trying-hard-photo-by-Trapnell-Creations nathan-07 Mt-Cotton-Hillclimb-Sep17-15 IMG_7050 Elites elises-1 carpark-banter Verne Shane surveying the skid pan Scott 20151208_203934_LLS Artist-at-work main-38 HCtW4 main-18 Mar-main-106 Mar-main-47 Jan-main-21 Jan-main-3 Retail-therapy-in-action John-putting-air-into-his-tyres John-followed-by-Mitch 164_164 IMG_4869 Winner_2010_Qld_HC_Champship IMGP2237 IMG_0418 IMG_0367 IMG_0354 IMG_0262 img_1034 20130511_101731 0088 IMG_8097 IMG_0519 IMG_0518 P8310135 DSC03864 P5250025 n751569074_589940_6390 P1090176 IMG_5067 IMGP7364 P8310115 image_147 image_045 IMG_4293 P1060279 At-Mallala-1988 waiting-patiently ess ones Display-2 IMGP8221-the completed restoration Viewing-video-at-Gold-Battery-1 Pits 20201220_170624 IMGP8134 Alans 7 Shane and Luke Carlton-engine-bay no-ordinary-mini off-to-school gostwyck-chapel-photo-by-vyv IMG_8193 20200815_075724 main-26 pit talk MG_3943 main-64 main-44 Love those Avons McLaren The checking and the chatting

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios