# Lotus 24

The Lotus 24 was a Formula One racing car designed by Team Lotus for the 1962 Formula One season. Despite some early success in non-Championship Grands Prix, it was eclipsed by the technically superior Lotus 25 and rarely featured in the points in World Championship races.

## Concept

Having devised the monocoque Lotus 25 for use by the works team, Colin Chapman decided to build a 'conventional' back-up spaceframe design which he would also sell to privateers. The 24 was a completely different design from its predecessor, the 21, and used much of the same suspension as the 25. Both Coventry Climax FWMV and BRM P56 engines were generally fitted, with at least one example running with the Coventry Climax FPF four-cylinder.

## Racing history

The Lotus 24 made its debut at the 1962 Brussels Grand Prix. Jim Clark put it in pole position for the first heat, but retired after only one lap. Two weeks later Clark won the Lombank Trophy race at Snetterton. Its first World Championship event was the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, where it finished second with Trevor Taylor. However, that would be its best Championship finish; the Lotus 25 had arrived on the scene and was obviously the way ahead, much to the chagrin of those who had paid good money for their 24. Colin Chapman had promised his customers that the team cars would be mechanically identical to the customer cars, leaving himself free to alter what he classified as the cars' "bodywork".
The 24 continued to be run by private teams in 1963 and 1964 with limited success, and by 1965 only one World Championship entry was made, Brian Gubby failing to qualify for the British Grand Prix.

### World Championship results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Engine | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Points | WCC |
| 1962 | Team Lotus | Climax V8 | | NED | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | RSA | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | Team Lotus | Climax V8 | Trevor Taylor | 2 | Ret | Ret | | 8 | Ret | | | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | Brabham Racing Organisation | Climax V8 | Jack Brabham | Ret | 8 | 6 | Ret | 5 | | | | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Climax V8 | Maurice Trintignant | WD | Ret | 8 | 7 | WD | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | Dupont Team Zerex | Climax V8 | Roger Penske | | | | | | | | 9 | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | John Mecom | Climax L4 | Rob Schroeder | | | | | | | | 10 | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia | Climax L4 | Nino Vacarella | | | | | | | Ret | | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | UDT Laystall Racing Team | Climax V8 | Innes Ireland | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 16 | | Ret | 8 | 5 | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | UDT Laystall Racing Team | Climax V8 | Masten Gregory | | | | | 7 | | | | | | 36 (38) | 2nd |
| 1962 | UDT Laystall Racing Team | BRM V8 | Masten Gregory | | | | 7 | | | | 6 | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1962 | Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel | BRM V8 | Dan Gurney | | | DNS | | | | | | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1962 | Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel | BRM V8 | Wolfgang Seidel | | | | | Ret | DNQ | | | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1962 | Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel | BRM V8 | Tony Shelly | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1962 | Autosport Team Wolfgang Seidel | BRM V8 | Günther Seiffert | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1962 | Ecurie Filipinetti | BRM V8 | Jo Siffert | | | | Ret | | | DNQ | | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1962 | Ecurie Filipinetti | BRM V8 | Heinz Schiller | | | | | | Ret | | | | | 1 | 8th |
| 1963 | British Racing Partnership | Climax V8 | | MON | BEL | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | USA | MEX | RSA | 54 (74) | 1st |
| 1963 | British Racing Partnership | Climax V8 | Innes Ireland | Ret | | | | | Ret | | | | | 54 (74) | 1st |
| 1963 | Bernard Collomb | Climax V8 | Bernard Collomb | DNQ | | | | | 10 | | | | | 54 (74) | 1st |
| 1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | Climax V8 | Maurice Trintignant | | | | 8 | | | | | | | 54 (74) | 1st |
| 1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | Climax V8 | Mike Hailwood | | | | | 8 | | | | | | 54 (74) | 1st |
| 1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | BRM V8 | Hap Sharp | | | | | | | | Ret | 7 | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | BRM V8 | Roger Ward | | | | | | | | Ret | | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | BRM V8 | Chris Amon | | | | | | | | | Ret | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | BRM V8 | Masten Gregory | | | | | 11 | | | | | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Tim Parnell | BRM V8 | Masten Gregory | | | | Ret | | | Ret | | | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Ecurie Filipinetti | BRM V8 | Phil Hill | | | | NC | | | | | | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | British Racing Partnership | BRM V8 | Jim Hall | Ret | Ret | 8 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Siffert Racing Team | BRM V8 | Jo Siffert | Ret | Ret | 7 | 6 | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | 9 | | 4 | 8th |
| 1963 | Selby Auto Spares | BRM V8 | Paddy Driver | | | | | | | | | | DNS | 4 | 8th |
| 1964 | Bernard Collomb | Climax V8 | | MON | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | USA | MEX | 37 (40) | 3rd |
| 1964 | Bernard Collomb | Climax V8 | Bernard Collomb | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 37 (40) | 3rd |
| 1964 | Siffert Racing Team | BRM V8 | Jo Siffert | 8 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | 8th |
| 1964 | British Racing Partnership | BRM V8 | Innes Ireland | DNS | | | | | | | | | | 3 | 8th |
| 1964 | British Racing Partnership | BRM V8 | Trevor Taylor | | | | | Ret | | | | | | 3 | 8th |
| 1964 | Reg Parnell Racing | BRM V8 | Peter Revson | | | DSQ | | Ret | | | | | | 3 | 8th |
| 1964 | Revson Racing | BRM V8 | Peter Revson | DNQ | | | | | 14 | | 13 | | | 3 | 8th |
| 1965 | Brian Gubby | Climax V8 | | RSA | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | NED | GER | ITA | USA | MEX | 54 (58) | 1st |
| 1965 | Brian Gubby | Climax V8 | Brian Gubby | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | 54 (58) | 1st |