Assembled by none other than the legendary Graham Hill over April/May 1956 when he
was working as a mechanic at Lotus Engineering in Hornsey, London, this famous
Eleven Sports was originally campaigned in the 1,200cc class of the Autosport
Production Sports Car Championship. Hill had raced for some years and shown his mettle
behind the wheel but without the money to buy his own car he had taken the job at Lotus
as a way of keeping close to the racing scene.
The car was thus partfunded by Colin Chapman in return for its use as a works car Hill
would very successfully race other works Elevens right through 1956 and the future World
Champion gave his own Lotus its race debut at Oulton Park on June 9 the same year;
he raced it at a further eight meetings that season and in nine races finished on the podium,
four times in first place. It is very likely, incidentally, that the then relatively impoverished
Hill drove the car, registered from new as XJH 902, to and from these race meetings.
Subsequently the Lotus was displayed at the British Motor Show in October 1956 and was used as
demonstrator at a Guild of Motoring Writers test day at Goodwood in November, after which road
test reports appeared in Autosport on 23/1/56 and Motor Sport in February 1957.
Almost there, but ready to show. Graham hill sitting pretty in his own Lotus 11.
Wheels need to be updated with some metal ones, the Lotus is riding on Scalex Ferrari 156 wheels at the moment.
Believe it or not the two little protuberences on the right-hand side of the bonnet are the top of the
S.U. carburettor dash pots, and the bulge hides the Willment Overhead Inlet Valve Cylinder Head.
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Graham should have a white helmet, (he hadn't started wearing his rowing team helmet yet).
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I got lazy and decided hogging out the lense covers etc was too much work.
The car still needs it's licence XJH 902 plates, they'll have to come from Patto's at a later date.
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But I had the energy to install 15 very tiny rivets to hold the windscreen on. I wish they had flat heads.
The body latches are stent wire (the same stuff they installed in me) with fine jewelry wire inside to attach to body.
was working as a mechanic at Lotus Engineering in Hornsey, London, this famous
Eleven Sports was originally campaigned in the 1,200cc class of the Autosport
Production Sports Car Championship. Hill had raced for some years and shown his mettle
behind the wheel but without the money to buy his own car he had taken the job at Lotus
as a way of keeping close to the racing scene.
The car was thus partfunded by Colin Chapman in return for its use as a works car Hill
would very successfully race other works Elevens right through 1956 and the future World
Champion gave his own Lotus its race debut at Oulton Park on June 9 the same year;
he raced it at a further eight meetings that season and in nine races finished on the podium,
four times in first place. It is very likely, incidentally, that the then relatively impoverished
Hill drove the car, registered from new as XJH 902, to and from these race meetings.
Subsequently the Lotus was displayed at the British Motor Show in October 1956 and was used as
demonstrator at a Guild of Motoring Writers test day at Goodwood in November, after which road
test reports appeared in Autosport on 23/1/56 and Motor Sport in February 1957.
Almost there, but ready to show. Graham hill sitting pretty in his own Lotus 11.
Wheels need to be updated with some metal ones, the Lotus is riding on Scalex Ferrari 156 wheels at the moment.
Believe it or not the two little protuberences on the right-hand side of the bonnet are the top of the
S.U. carburettor dash pots, and the bulge hides the Willment Overhead Inlet Valve Cylinder Head.
Graham should have a white helmet, (he hadn't started wearing his rowing team helmet yet).
I got lazy and decided hogging out the lense covers etc was too much work.
The car still needs it's licence XJH 902 plates, they'll have to come from Patto's at a later date.
But I had the energy to install 15 very tiny rivets to hold the windscreen on. I wish they had flat heads.
The body latches are stent wire (the same stuff they installed in me) with fine jewelry wire inside to attach to body.