1964 Lotus 23B news, pictures, and information

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Roadster
Chassis Num: 23S-103K

The Lotus 23 was built in response to the popular new 1100cc sports car class starting in 1962. It was almost immediately successful. In fact, the first outing of the car with Jim Clark driving at the 1962 Nurburgring 1000K race showed it's potential. Clark in a 1500cc version was pulling out 15 seconds per lap on the assembled Porsches, Ferraris, Maseratis, etc. until he was overcome by fumes from an exhaust leak and crashed. There were perhaps 140 23s manufacturer by Lotus from 1962 to 1965 and they were widely copied around the world. The car weighs only 1100 pounds and most are powered by the 1600cc Lotus twin-cam engine which now a-days puts out a reliable 180 horsepower. This means it has a better power-to-weight ratio than a Dodge Viper. Also, because of the light weight and adjustable suspension it can be made to handle beautifully.

In 1962 Lotus introduced their next iteration of the compact, rear-engined sports cars, the Type 23. It was a derivative of the Lotus 19 which had been produced from 1960 through 1961, as well as the Lotus 20, 21, and 22 cars. The Type 23 made its inaugural racing debut at the Nordschleife in May of 1962. The Lotus was fitted with a 100 horsepower engine, but it was enough to propel the car to the front of the pack, ahead of the Porsches, Ferraris, and Aston Martins. At the wheel was the very capable Jim Clark who had brought the car to the front after the first lap, in the wet. Some of the other cars have as much as four-times the horsepower. Sadly, on lap 12 Clark was forced to retire when a damaged exhaust manifold leaked exhaust fumes.

The Type 23 was raced extensively in national and international races winning many class victories and often times beating large-engined competition. It quickly became a popular favorite with many racers and one of Lotus's best selling race cars of all time.

During its production lifespan Louts offered the lightweight car with a variety of options that included the Coventry Climax 750 cc four-cylinder engine and even a 12-cylinder Rotorvic motor for competition at LeMans. In standard form the Type 23 came equipped with an 1100 cc engine. A popular option was to upgrade to the Type 23B specification which included the 1600cc Lotus/Ford twin-cam engine. The Lotus 23B was given a stronger chassis tubes and fitted with a more potent Ford-based 1.5 and 1.6-liter Lotus Twincam engine.

In 1962 a Type 23B driven by Jim Clark easily proved its potential by leading the Ferrari and Jaguar cars at Nurburgring 1000KM before mechanical difficulty led to a crash. The cars dominated many of the races they were entered; even in modern times they still provide podium time for their drivers in vintage and historic racing events.

The Type 23 was constructed of fiberglass and outfitted with a Hewland MK gearbox. The suspension was comprised of double wishbones and dual trailing arms. The steering was rack-and-pinion.

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