1956 Lotus Eleven Sports Racer

1956 Lotus Eleven LeMans

#180 was original delivered to Tony Ellis of Great Britain in early 1956 and raced by him as a member of the Club Lotus Team of Crystal Palace and Silverstone during 1956/1957. In December 1957, the car was exported to Denmark and raced extensively by Frede Andersen throughout 1963. Different Danish drivers raced the car from 1964 through 1967. Erik Dinesen purchased this car in 1970 and raced it in Denmark for a few years.

Vintage racer Carl Larsen of Minneapolis, MN purchased the car in 1986 through Victor Thomas, HLR Mark Eleven Registrar, and had it shipped to the US. He then spent the next 10 years doing a complete, historically correct restoration. Once completed it was raced sparingly in the Midwest until 1999. The current owner, Jeff Snook of Boling Green, Ohio, purchased the car in February 2000 and has raced it at Gingerman, Mid Ohio, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Waterford Hills, Watkins Glen, and the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. It was a Race Car Concours winner at the Road America BRIC in July 2001 and was invited/shown at the 2002 Meadow Brook Hall Concours d'Elegance.

The engine is a four-cylinder Conventry Climax FWB 1460cc with Weber carburetors. The transmission is a four-speed unit from a BMC Sprite. The brakes are Girling discs in the front and rear.