Lotus Production Model Timeline, 1950s-1970s
Reference material is really only useful if all the facts are included, and not the submitter subjectively deciding what goes in and what stays out.
...a valid point, and one with which i wrestled quite a bit while originally distilling lotus' production history down into a succinct visual timeline...i think i since have found a workable mechanism to communicate a more-comprehensive production history in wikipedia's standard timeline format: by breaking the timeline into two thirty-year periods, 1950s-1970s and 1980s-2000s, much greater information density can be accommodated without overwhelming its primary role as a compact ready reference...
...i've only drafted this first period so far, 1950s-1970s, but here's the raw data i've managed to collate over the past few weeks and how i've roughly categorised it - bear in mind that this doesn't include anything after 1980...
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SPORTS RACER
Mark II (1950)
*1
Mark III (1951)
*1
Mark VI (1952-1955)
*2
Mark VIII (1954)
Mark IX (1955)
Mark X (1955)
Eleven (1956-1958)
Seven (S1 1957-1960)
Fifteen (Type 15 1958-1960)
*7
Type 17 (1959)
Type 19 (1960-1962)
Type 23 (1962-1966)
Seven (S2 1960-1968)
Type 30 (1964-1965)
Three-Seven (Type 37 1965)
Type 40 (1965)
Seven (S3 1968-1970)
Seven (Type 60 S4 1970-1974)
ROADSTER
Elan (Type 26 S1 1962-1964)
Elan (Type 26 S2 1964-1966)
Elan (Type 45 S3 1966-1968)
Elan (type 45 S4 1968-1973)
COUPÉ
Elite (Type 14 1957-1964)
Elan (Type 36 S3 1965-1968)
Elan (Type 36 S4 1968-1973)
Eclat (Type 76 1975-1980)
SALOON
Elan (Type 50 +2 1967-1968)
Elan (Type 50 +2S 1968-1974)
Elite (Type 75 M50 1974-1980)
GRAND TOURER
Europa (Type 46 S1 1966-1968)
Europa (Type 54 S2 1968-1971)
Europa (Type 65 S2 1969-1971)
Europa (Type 74 TC 1971-1972)
Europa (Type 74 Special 1972-1975)
Esprit (Type 79 S1 1976-1978)
Esprit (Type 79 S2 1978-1981)
RACE CARS
Mark I (1948)
*1
Mark IV (1952)
*1
Type 12 (1957-1959)
Type 16 (1958-1960)
Type 18 (1960-1961)
Type 20 (1961)
Type 21 (1961-1962)
Type 22 (1962)
Type 24 (1962)
Type 25 (1962-1965)
Type 27 (1963)
Type 29 (1963)
Elan (Type 26R S1 1964)
*3
Type 31 (1964-1965)
Type 32 (1964-1965)
Elan (Type 26R S2 1964-1966)
*3
Type 33 (1964-1966)
Type 34 (1964)
Type 35 (1965)
Type 38 (1965-1966)
Type 39 (1965)
Type 41 (1966-1968)
Type 43 (1966)
Type 44 (1966)
Type 47 (1966-1968)
*3
Type 42 (1967)
Type 48 (1967-1968)
Type 49 (1967-1969)
Type 51 (1967-1969)
Type 56 (1968)
Type 57 (1968)
Type 58 (1968)
Type 59 (1969)
Type 61 (1969-1972)
Type 62 (1969)
Type 63 (1969)
Type 64 (1969)
Type 69 (1970)
Type 70 (1970)
Type 72 (1970-1975)
Type 73 (1972)
Type 74 (1973)
Type 76 (1974)
Type 77 (1976)
Type 78 (1977-1978)
Type 79 (1978-1979)
Type 80 (1979)
CONCEPT CARS
Mark VII (1952)
Europa (Type 52 TC 1967)
Type 53 (1968)
Type 68 (1970)
Esprit (M70 1972)
Esprit (007 1977)
*5
RELATED CARS
Clairmonte Special (1953)
Vanwall VW1/56 (1956)
Smart Elan (1962-1963)
Hexagon Elan (1962)
Ian Walker Elan (1963)
*6
Ford Lotus Cortina (Type 28
*4 1963-1970)
Frua Elan (1964)
Shapecraft Elan GT (1965-1966)
*6
Lotus-Porsche (1965)
Crayford Ford Lotus Cortina (1965-1970)
*6
LuMo 1600E TC (1967-1970)
GKN 47D (1969)
Else Europa (1969)
Hermes Europa (1971)
Clan Crusader (1971-1974)
Hispano-Aleman Castilla (1972)
*8
Jensen-Healey (1972-1976)
Caterham Seven (1974-present)
GS Europa (1975)
Jensen GT (1975-1976)
Talbot Sunbeam Lotus (Type 81 1979-1981)
OTHER VEHICLES
Moonraker 36 (1971-1980, 1987-1991)
*5 *9
Marauder 46 (1975)
*5 *6 *9
Mystere (1975)
*5 *6 *9
Mamba (1976)
*5 *6 *9
Mistral (1976)
*5 *6 *9
Mirage (1978)
*5 *6 *9
KEY FIGURES
Ralph Bellamy
Fred Bushell
Colin Chapman
Jim Clark
Mike Costin
Bob Dance
Keith Duckworth
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Ron Hickman
Graham Hill
Michael Kimberley
Martin Ogilvie
Maurice Philippe
Tony Rudd
Peter Wright
RELATED COMPANIES
Vanwall
Cosworth
Technocraft
COMMENTS
*1 Production Car, Prototype/Concept Car, or Related Car?
*2 Mark 6 or Mark VI?
*3 Race Car or Sports Racer?
*4 Mark I Only (1963-1966)
*5 Worth Mention?
*6 Conjectural Date
*7 Fifteen or Type 15?
*8 Related Car (Lotus DNA) or Replica (Lotus Inspired)?
*9 Moonraker Marine, not a Lotus Project.
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...i have a working draft of the first part of this updated timeline
here, but don't intend to publish it to the mainline articles until it's vetted and i've ironed out all the orphaned links - i could especially use feedback on a few significant issues...
- Key Figures are listed in alphabetical order, but I'd rather keep them in chronological order to follow the overall timeline format. Any help establishing association periods would be very helpful.
- I need an ownership history of Lotus Cars and any other affiliated companies. Should Moonraker Marine be listed as a Related Company?
- I've noticed in reading articles written by former employees that their shorthand for model numbers tends to follow the 'T80' format rather than simply '80', for example. Did this change take place from T12 onward?
- It should be obvious that I'm only listing major model updates, not minor variants. For Road Cars, this means series or their rough analogs, not trim levels.
- 1964-1965 is a problem, as it requires an additional row in the timeline to accommodate the Three-Seven. This makes the timeline a bit cluttered and ungainly - suggestions?
- Since I published the original timeline, another Wikipedia editor has pulled the Race Cars category down below the Road Cars, I expect primarily to list the timeline first. Unfortunately, that throws off the 'grey area' transition afforded by the Sports Racer category. Is it worth adding a proper Race Cars timeline above the Road Cars, rather than the simple list used right now?
- This version of the timeline has a half-year resolution, which allows model transitions which take place within the same year to be accurately portrayed.
- I've only listed Key Figures who had significant input into the design, development, and administration of Lotus Cars. That means Jim Clark for his extensive testing feedback and Graham Hill for his mechanic work, for example, but not most of the other Team Lotus drivers. There's a separate article on Team Lotus which can go into much more detail about drivers, team managers, and the like.
...again, comments are welcomed...