1952 Lotus Clairmonte Special Two Seater

Lot details
Registration No: YMV 999
Chassis No: G51
Mot Expiry: None

This historic sportscar is absolutely unique in the history of Lotus, having been specially constructed in 1952 for one of the Clairmonte brothers, who were manufacturers of metal baking tins for Hovis amongst other electro-plated items in London's Muswell Hill, Clive Clairmonte having commissioned marque founder Colin Chapman to produce a 2-litre Riley powered Formula 2 single seater for him to race at the 1953 British GP meeting at Silverstone. However, this ambitious plan had to be modified and, eventually, a 2-seater space frame chassis, designed and built by Chapman (with the likely assistance among others working at the then fledgling Lotus Engineering Company's first workshops in Tottenham Lane, Hornsey, of John Teychenne, Michael and Nigel Allen as well as Mike Madan) was to form the basis of the Clairmonte Special.
With the Lotus VI sports already on the Chapman drawing board, the project was destined to be called the MkVII, although this identity was never actually allocated to the incomplete Lotus eventually supplied in chassis form to Clairmonte. Subsequently, and by now powered by a 1 1/2-litre Lea Francis motor with pre-selector Wilson gearbox and cloaked in handsome Williams and Pritchard made aluminium bodywork, the Clairmonte Special was completed elsewhere and - with chassis number C/S 1 displayed - was first registered 1 May 1953 with YMV 999 registration.
In the car's very first race, during the 27 June Midland Motoring Enthusiast's Club meeting at Silverstone, Clive Clairmonte drove the car to a second place in the 1500cc sportscar event behind Peter Gammon in his rapid MG special. The new car attracted the attention of Autosport who published a photo in their 3 July issue with the caption "Neat Newcomer". In the 1 August West Essex Car Club's Sports Handicap race at Snetterton, the Clairmonte won beating Phil Desoutter's Lotus VI. On the way to finishing second in the 1500 Sports Handicap, it clocked up the fastest lap at 76.90mph. Whilst in the 1500 Sportscar Scratch race, it won and went even faster with a 77.27mph lap. Two firsts and a second in one day!
Indeed, over the next two seasons, car and owner went on to amass over thirty awards - one of them when a friend, a Miss D Naismith, won the 1101-1500cc class at the 5 September 1953 Brighton Speed Trials. The original Lea Francis power unit was later replaced by a 2-litre Lea Francis based Connaught engine and the pre-selector transmission with a David Brown gearbox.
As confirmed by a letter, a copy of which is in the history file, distinguished Lotus authority and engineer Charles E Hunter inspected the car 24 July 1990 noted the presence of several unique design features. In particular, he drew readers attention to the inboard front coil springs and dampers, the forerunner of suspension systems used in later Lotus Formula 1 race winning cars and many of today's F1s. The independent front suspension top wishbones are welded from sheet steel to form box-sections, centrally pivoted on the chassis, and the lower wishbones are of aerofoil-section.
Also technically interesting is the rear suspension as it forms the design basis refined in later Lotus cars of the 1954/55 era, De Dion rear ends being fitted by Chapman to his VIII, IX, X and XI models, whilst De Dion technology was employed by Vanwall for the first British car to win a World Championship. The Claimonte's De Dion, made from heavy gauge tubing, carries at its extremities flanged hub shafts in bearings. The tube is located at the rear centre by a pivoted brass block sliding vertically in a chassis-mounted steel channel (as also used, in fact, on the Lotus MkX NOY I). The De Dion is located by two radius arms per side. There are sliding spline driveshafts with Hardy Spicer universal joints, coil springs around the dampers, while three chassis mounting points for each damper top allow rear ride height to be altered.
Happily, the original chassis-mounted Hallibrand alloy-cased final drive survives. Designed for Indianapolis, with input shaft from the gearbox at the bottom of the casing, the rear of the casing removes to expose a pair of straight-cut gears, mounted on an input shaft and on a pinion. Ingeniously and simply, gears can be interchanged top to bottom to alter the final drive ratio. The front brakes are 11in Alfin hydraulic twin leading shoe with drum faces cut to recess the wheel spokes into the alloy drum, while the rears are inboard hydraulic drum from the Austin A90.
Hunter's very detailed inspection of 1990 confirmed that the Clairmonte with Lotus chassis was generally as it was first manufactured, later additions to the original specification only having been made to maintain the car competitiveness, which has always been normal and acceptable practice throughout motor sport history.
We understand from the present owner that following acquisition in distressed state in 1973 it was fully restored. However, as much of the original bodywork was retained as possible, the main exception being the rear square box-section tail and fin, which was replaced with much more rounded alloy panelwork. Since this refurbishment, he tells us that this exceptional rarity has only been exposed to one hillclimb before being consigned to the garage from which it has been directly consigned for this sale.
Current condition of open sports bodywork is described as good, the BRG paintwork quite good and the cream interior good. The 2-litre motor fitted is claimed to be complete, though is not currently running. However, the 4-speed manual box is reportedly in good order.
Mentioned in a number of motor sport books, this famous racer would make an extremely desirable addition to any Lotus collector's cache, taking its important place, as it does, in the very early history of the marque and providing unrepeatable proof of the engineering talents of Lotus creator Colin Chapman. Included with the car are parts to enable four different final drive ratio changes to be made to the diff as well as two cylinder heads; one in cast iron with single spark plug per cylinder; the other in alloy with twin plugs per cylinder and large valves.
PLEASE NOTE: We have not had this vehicle running.