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Formula 1's great Lotus landmarks - Lotus 49

By:
Co-author:
Matt Kew

As Formula 1 turns 70, Autosport is marking the occasion with a series of track test features in Lotus machinery that dominated the world championship in the '60s and '70s. Following hot on the heels of the Lotus 25, Ben Anderson tried the Lotus 49

Colin Chapman and Team Lotus produced some of the most important and iconic cars in Formula 1 history. The Lotus 25 brought monocoque chassis to the fore, the 49 introduced the Cosworth DFV as a stressed member, the 72 helped set the template for modern single-seaters, and the 79 took F1 into a new realm with ground-effects.

To mark F1's celebration of the 1000th world championship race at last year's Chinese Grand Prix, Ben Anderson conducted a special track test for Autosport magazine at Lotus Cars' circuit at Hethel. And now that the world championship is celebrating its 70th birthday, it seemed a good time to revisit four milestone machines.

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