1956 Lotus Eleven Le Mans wide chassis
- Engine
- 1.5L Coventry Climax FWB inline engine, 138 bhp
A 1956 Lotus Eleven Le Mans variant, this car is among an estimated ten examples constructed with the wider chassis Colin Chapman devised to satisfy FIA Appendix Group C rules for Le Mans. Uniquely, it is also the only known Eleven to combine the wide chassis with the extended door frame — a period modification made to four cars competing at the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours. It has passed through notable collections, been restored, and competed in the Mille Miglia Storica on multiple occasions.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$180,000 – US$225,000
- 1969 →Private saleEarliest known owner via Birmingham dealerpartial documentation
Purchased from a Birmingham dealership; the chassis plate had been lost earlier in the car's life, so this owner provided the chassis number the car carries today. Inspected by the Historic Lotus Register during the 1970s.
- 1989 →Acquisition unknownJason Wrightpartial documentation
Well-regarded collector and active competitor who reportedly commissioned a full restoration of the car around 1999.
- 2002 → 2017Acquisition unknownSeries of four Italian ownerspartial documentation
Car was exported to Italy and passed through four separate owners during this period; it was entered in the Mille Miglia Storica on three occasions while under Italian ownership.
- 2017 → 2021Acquisition unknownBelgian ownerpartial documentation
Entered the car in both the Zoute Grand Prix and the Mille Miglia Storica during their ownership.
- 2021 →Acquisition unknownCurrent ownerfull documentation
Had the car exported to Dubai; documentation includes FIA HTP papers, FIVA and CSAI passports, historic UK registration records, and old MoT certificates.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownCount Hubertus von Dönhoffpartial documentation
Car remained in England when it joined this collection around the mid-1970s.
Competition
- 19571957 Sebring 12 Hours
This car is believed to be one of four Lotus Elevens fitted with extended door frames by the factory to allow quicker driver changes at this event.
- 20212021 Mille Miglia Storica
Entered by the current owner shortly after acquisition.
- 20222022 Mille Miglia Experience UAE
Competed in Dubai after being exported there by the current owner.
- —Mille Miglia Storica
Entered three times while under Italian ownership between 2002 and 2017; specific years not stated.
- —Zoute Grand Prix
Competed during the Belgian owner's tenure, 2017–2021; exact year not specified.
- —Mille Miglia Storica
Also entered during the Belgian owner's tenure, 2017–2021; specific year not stated.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1969Maintenance
The 1.5-litre Coventry Climax FWB engine was installed in the car, and the Historic Lotus Register assigned a chassis number following loss of the original chassis plate.
Register inspection in the 1970s confirmed the car as a period-built example.
- 1999Restoration
A full restoration was reportedly carried out on the car during Jason Wright's ownership.
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