HLR Badge Historic Lotus Register Cars covered by HLR
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The Historic Lotus Register keeps records of most early Lotus cars other than the "production" road cars which usually have their own supporters' club. Links to those clubs are included below.

HLR Car records are held by the Registrars who specialize in their model (or models) of Lotus, and who should be consulted before purchase or restoration. In the table below, click on the small photograph to the left to be transferred to the page of the specialist Registrar. The specialist clubs may keep similar records, so it is well worth asking them.

Owners of ALL Lotus cars, irrespective of model, are most welcome to join the HLR, as are those without a Lotus who are interested in the cars, the company, and the history behind them.

Note: After the Lotus Mk X the cars had "Type" numbers in Arabic numerals and were referred to by their number only, usually written out in full e.g. "Eleven", but by the time the number reached twenty the Type numbers reverted to numerals only. The 'number built' shown is approximate for the early cars as records were not always accurate!

Click image to see registrar details Mark/Type Number Built Description
Lotus-1 Mark I 1 1947 Colin Chapman's first Austin Seven Special.
Lotus-2 Mark II 1 1949 1172cc side valve Ford engine. For trials.
Lotus-Mk-3 Mark III 2 1951-52 Two cars and a chassis frame. For Club sports car racing to the 750 and 1172 Formula.
Lotus-Mk4 Mark IV 1 1952 - built for Mike Lawson for mudplugging trials. 1172cc Ford.
Mark V 0 Was to have been the 100 mph 750 Formula car. Never built.
Lotus-6 Mark VI 110 1952-55 Production Sports Car - used for Club racing mainly in the 1172 Formula, but larger engines were also fitted.
Mk7-Clairmonte Mark VII 1 1952 Originally a Formula 2 car for Clive Clairmonte. Renamed as the Clairmonte Special (and no longer called a Lotus) before it was finished.
Lotus-8 Mark VIII 7 1954-55 International Sports car racing. Usually with 1500cc MG engine.
Lotus-9 Mark IX 30 1955 Club and International sports car racing with 1100cc Climax engine, and 1172 Ford for Club racing. First Lotus to race at Le Mans in 1955.
Lotus-10 Mark X 6 1955 Club and International Sports car racing, normally with 1971cc Bristol engine.
Lotus-11-S1 Eleven S1 150 1956-57 Club and International Sports car racing with 1100cc and 1500cc Climax engine, and 1172cc Ford for Club racing. Class win at Le Mans in 1956 and Sebring in 1957.
Lotus-12 Twelve 12 1957-58 Formula 2 and Formula 1. 1500 and 2 litre Twin-Cam Climax engine.
Lotus-11-S2 Eleven S2 120 1957-58 An updated Eleven with improved chassis and front suspension. Won Index of Performance and Class at Le Mans in 1957. Fitted with 750cc, 1100cc and 1500cc Climax and other engines.
Lotus-Seven-S1 Seven S1 243 Series One 1957 to 1960. Production Sports car with Ford 100E sidevalve 1172cc., Coventry Climax FWA sohc 1098cc. or BMC 'A' Series o.h.v. 948cc. engines.
Lotus-7-2 Seven S2 1310 Series Two 1960 to 1968. Initially Ford 100E sidevalve 1172cc or BMC 'A' Series o.h.v. 948cc engine. Ford 105E 997cc, Cosworth 109e 1340cc and Ford/Cosworth 116E 1498cc engines were fitted during the production run, with some very late S2 cars having the Ford 2255E 1599cc crossflow engine, also fitted to the S3.
Lotus-7-3 Seven S3 340 Series Three 1968 to 1970. Either Ford 2255E, Ford-Holbay crossflow, or Lotus twin-cam.
Lotus-7-4 Seven S4 - Type 60 650 Series Four 1970 to 1973 - approximately 650 made with Ford Cortina 1300 or 1600, and Lotus twin-cam. The Seven design was then sold to Caterham Cars who soon abandoned the S4 version and continued to make the Series 3 and developments of it, which they are still doing to this day.
.Lotus-14 14 Elite 1050 1957-63. Production sports car. "A race car for the road." The first 255 were series 1 and the rest series 2. Most were powered by Coventry Climax FWE 1216cc engines, a few by 1460cc FWB. Successful in GT racing including six consecutive class wins at Le Mans. Click HERE for the Elite World Register website.
Lotus-15 Fifteen 27 1958-60. International Sports Car racing with 1500 and 2 litre Climax FPF engine.
Lotus-16 Sixteen 8 1958-59 Formula 2 and Formula 1 with Climax FPF engine.
Lotus-17 Seventeen 23 1959 Sports Car racing with 750 and 1100 Climax engine.
Lotus-18FJ Eighteen FJ 120+ 1960-61 Formula Junior with 1000cc Ford 105 ohv engine.
Lotus-18 Eighteen F1 & F2 29 Formula 2 and Formula 1 with Climax FPF engine. First Lotus to win a Grand Prix in 1960.
Lotus-19 Nineteen 17 1960-62 The sports-racing version of the Lotus 18. Climax FPF engine and others.
Lotus-20 20 118 1961 Formula Junior - 997cc and 1098 cc Ford engines.
Lotus-21 21 (and 18/21) 11 1961 Formula 1 - 1500cc Climax FPF engine.
Lotus-22 22 77 1962 Formula Junior - 1097cc Cosworth-Ford engine
Lotus-23 23 131 1962-64. Small capacity rear-engined sports racing car. 1097cc Cosworth-Ford.
Lotus-24 24 15 1962 Formula 1 - 1500cc Climax FWMV.
Lotus-25 25 7 1962-63 Formula 1. The first "monocoque" Lotus. Winning car of the 1963 World Championship.
26 2053 1962-64 Elan S1 & S2. Not covered by the HLR. See Club Lotus website here
Lotus-26R 26R 97 1964 Competition Elan. Lotus Ford Twincam 1558cc.
Lotus-27 27 35 1963 Formula Junior - 1100cc Ford Cosworth 109E
Lotus-28 28 - Lotus Cortina 2894 1962 Not covered by the HLR. See Lotus Cortina Register website here
Lotus-30 30 33 1964-5 Group 7 Sports racer. 4227cc Ford 289 Fairlane V8
Lotus-31 31 31 1964-65 Formula 3. 997cc Cosworth-Ford engine.
Clark at 1964 Dutch Grand Prix 33 6 1965 Formula 1. developed from the Lotus 25. Winning car of the 1965 World Championship.
Lotus 35 35 22 1965 Formula 2 & 3. Cosworth-Ford 1-litre engines.
Lotus-38 38 8 1965 Indianapolis 500 winner
Lotus-40 40 3 1965 Group 7 Sports Racer. 5295cc or 5754cc Ford V8
Lotus-41 41 61 1966-68 Formula 3 - 997cc Cosworth-Ford Formula 2 - Cosworth FVA, and the US Formula B with 1600cc Twin Cam Lotus.
Type -46 46 644 1966-68 Europa S-1 mid-engined, production sports car. Renault 1470cc engine. Not covered by the HLR.
See Club Lotus website here
Lotus-47 47 71 1966-68 Racing version of the Europa. Cosworth Ford twin-cam dohc.
Lotus-48 48 4 1967 Formula 2 - Cosworth FVA dohc.
Lotus-51 51 200 1967-68 Formula Ford - 1500cc (later 1599cc) Ford Cortina push rod engine.
Lotus-59 59F 44 1969 Formula 2, F3 and Formula Ford. At present only the Formula Ford 59F is covered by HLR.
Lotus-61 61 248 1969-71 Formula Ford - 1599cc Lotus Holbay LH105 Ford push rod engine.
Lotus-69 69F 55 1971 Formula Ford - 1599cc Lotus Holbay LH105 Ford push rod engine. At present only the Formula Ford 69F is covered by HLR.