Franchitti and Clark's 1965 Lotus

[Rick Jones]

Since the season is over I'm not on the forum as much, and this may have been discussed already. I was reading in Auto Week yesterday about Dario getting to drive Jim Clark's Lotus. I believe this was at IMS. Was this Lotus brought down from the Ford museum for this occasion, or was the car actually the Lotus in the IMS museum, which is not the Lotus Clark drove to Victory Lane in 1965? Just wondering.

[Spike]

It is the real Jim Clark car from the Ford museum. The car was recently the subject of a painstaking, detailed restoration by Classic Team Lotus (Clive Chapman's company) and has been making the rounds ever since. For example, it was at Goodwood in July where Jackie Stewart drove it up the hill and then was brought out to California in August for the Pebble Beach Concours.

[Rick Jones]

Thank you Spike! Dario talked about how emotional he was driving that car and I just could not imagine him feeling that way in the IMS Lotus.

[Grinder-Tank]

That is one of the coolest cars ever. Best looking machine to ever hit the speedway IMO.

[Spike]

Some of the guys involved in the restoration were involved with the construction of the car back in the sixties.

[Joonyah]

The car on display in the museum at IMS is that of Clark's teammate Bobby Johns. I love looking at that thing every year at the museum. It truly is an engineering marvel.

[lotuspoweredbyford]

I am expecting to get my first up-close look at the Clark Lotus Tuesday.

I will let everyone know how it goes!

[Spike]

Here's a very nice video about the restoration of the car carried out by Classic Team Lotus.

[jughead]

Great video. Beautiful car. One of my favorites of all time. I had a Matchbox model of this car when I was little and it was my favorite car toy. I still have it somewhere.

[Rick Jones]

Here's a very nice video about the restoration of the car carried out by Classic Team Lotus.

Too cool!

[Littleman]

Oh how I wish they still ran those type of cars today. It would put a lot more of the driver into the equation.

[BSJracing]

I loved the article where Franchitti told the guy with the car "nice copy" only to find out it was the actual car. I also love the video being as they show the car started for the first time since 65....very cool

[WhirlinGraphics]

Here is my photo of it as it sat during my visit to the Henry Ford Museum in 2008. Took my Nephew to the last Detroit Grand Prix and toured the museum before heading to the race that day.

[indyrjc]

The car on display in the museum at IMS is that of Clark's teammate Bobby Johns. I love looking at that thing every year at the museum. It truly is an engineering marvel.

IMS does not own the Bobby Johns 1965 Lotus. A man in Cincinnati does. The car on display at IMS is a 1963 Lotus and is painted up as Clark's #92. It is actually Dan Gurney's 1963 Lotus which finished 7th.

[indy_bill]

I wish I would have known about it. I could have easily gone out to watch and maybe get a few pictures.