Owning and racing a Formula car, especially a car with heritage like this 1961 Lotus 18, is the lifelong dream of many motor racing enthusiasts (myself included).
The Lotus 18 was designed by the iconic Colin Chapman as Lotus’ Formula Junior, Formula Two, and Formula One car in 1960.
The car was incredibly successful and won the world drivers championship in the year of it’s launch, it was much faster than the German Auto Union cars that had previously been the dominant force in F1.
This version is the Formula Junior car was fielded with the slightly smaller Cosworth Ford 105E engine and is the same model that famously gave Jim Clark his first win in 1960.
It’s listed on eBay for $55,000 USD Buy It Now, which seems pretty frugal considering the cars bloodline.
Ben Branch has had his work featured on CNN, Popular Mechanics, the official Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
The Jack Brabham Trophy Race was held at Brands Hatch in 1971, identical cars were piloted by the Formula 1 paddock’s team bosses, and there would be absolutely no love lost in the competitive battle around the British circuit. The bosses that lined up on the start grid were Frank Williams, Jack Brabham, Colin Chapman,…
The Belstaff Whitwood 2.0 Short Boots are made from a water-repellent, full-grain buffalo leather (1.4 to 1.6 mm thick) designed to offer maximum protection from both the elements and the asphalt. The boots have a full calf leather lining for comfort and an extra layer of leather across each forefoot to protect the boots from…
The BSA Hornet was developed on the same A65 platform as the British motorcycle marque’s Lightning model, to satiate demand from the United States for a stripped back desert racer to compete with the Triumph TR6C and the Norton P11. The BSA Hornet BSA would sell the Hornet in two main iterations, the Spitfire Hornet of…
The Dobbertin HydroCar is an amphibious vehicle that took 10 years to develop with over $1 million USD invested in research, development, and construction. The HydroCar can be driven on land for extended periods thanks to its articulated sponsons (side pontoons) that can be raised or lowered. In the raised position the four wheels are…
This 10 minute films shows the process of building an engine from scratch, including the casting process, machining, final assembly, and the completed motorcycle’s first test ride. It’s an interesting look into how motorcycle (and car) engines were painstakingly built back in the early days of motoring, every step of the process involved highly-skilled machinists,…
Bruce F. Meyers, the inventor of the Meyers Manx, grew up in California deeply involved in the surfing scene, and driving a 1930’s vintage Ford to the beach. His interest in surfing and the ocean naturally led into sail boats and thus to a journey into the South Seas on a schooner shared with a few friends where he learned about sailing outrigger canoes, and learned a great deal about the sea and boats.
