1961 Lotus 19 Sports Racing Car

Chassis 19-963. Original Buick V8 power. Full history.

POA

History

The Lotus 19, also known as the Lotus Monte Carlo, was a highly successful sports racing car built from 1960-62. They were driven to victories by Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Dan Gurney, Graham Hill, Innes Ireland, Peter Ryan, and other luminaries of the 1960s sports car scene. The cars won at Goodwood, Nassau, Mosport, Laguna Seca, and many other circuits. They were the top sports racers of the early 1960s, and were most often powered by Coventry Climax engines and the newly emerging small block V8 engines built in the U.S.

This particular Lotus 19, chassis number 963, was delivered to racers Henry Olds, and Bob Columbosian in the U.S on December 28, 1962. The Lotus was dark blue. It was shipped as a roller, less engine, but was fitted with a Lotus 5 speed gearbox. An aluminum Buick 215 V8 engine was installed for the 1963 racing season.

Reportedly, the Lotus first raced at an SCCA regional race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut in May, 1963. The race results are unknown at this time. The car may have also raced at Bridgehampton, Long Island, or at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut. 

What we do know is that the Lotus then raced in the Canadian Sports Car Championship Players 200 at Mosport June 1, 1963. Colombosian was the driver. Unfortunately, the car suffered a DNF in a race won by Chuck Daigh in a Lotus 19, followed by notables Jim Hall in his Chapparral, Dan Gurney in a Cooper Monaco, and Roger Penske in the Zerex Special. 

Colombosian and the Lotus were back at it two weeks later at the SCCA National at Lime Rock. There they suffered another DNF.

The third and final race for Colombosian and the Lotus was June 30, 1963, the United State Road Racing Championship (“USRRC”) race at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix. The Lotus suffered its third DNF, this time let down by a gearbox problem. Colombosian decided it was time to sell the Lotus. 

The Lotus was then sold to Norm Namerow of Montreal, Canada. Namerow hired local Canadian race car builder, Luigi Cassiani, to convert the Lotus from Buick to Ford power, and to replace the Lotus 19 gearbox with a Colotti. They bought a 289 Ford racing engine from Shelby, and obtained the Colotti from U.S. racer/engineer, Jerry Eisert.

The Lotus was ready for the Indian Summer Trophy race, organized by the British Empire Motor Club, at Mosport on September 7, 1963. Namerow and the Lotus did compete, but the results are unknown. On September 15th, they competed in the Canadian Sports Car Championship race at St. Eugene, Canada. It all finally came good for the Lotus with a victory in the first race of the weekend.

Namerow and the Lotus next traveled to the Bahamas for the famous Nassau Speed Week, 1963. Their best finish would be 15th that week in the Nassau Classic race which was won by Roger Penske.

Back in Canada for the 1964 season, Namerow and the Lotus competed again in the Players 200. Another unfortunate DNF in a race won by Bruce McLaren the Zerex Special.

Namerow would race the Lotus one more time, this time at a July 25, 1964, regional race at Mosport. Here they would claim a modified class victory. 

Namerow then sold the car to Peter Lerch. Lerch raced the Lotus as part of the famous Canadian racing team, Comstock Racing. Lerch’s first race behind the wheel of the Lotus was the 7th round of the 1964 Canadian Sports Car Championship at St. Jovite (now Mt. Tremblant). Lerch immediately put the Lotus on the podium with a 3rd place finish. Two weeks later, however, Lerch would suffer a DNF at the 8th round of the Canadian Championship at the Mosport Grand Prix.

During the subsequent winter Lerch retained race car engineer/builder, Bob McKee, of Palatine Illinois to improve the car’s competitiveness. A new body was fitted along with a new rear end that included a McKee transaxle. 

For the 1965 season, Lotus 19 chassis number 963 was entered under a new name, the “McKee Special (Lotus)” The first race was the Labatt 50 at Mont Tremblant. The results show that Lerch and the Lotus raced, but not a finishing position for them.

The second race of the season, also at Mt. Tremblant, resulted in another victory for Lerch and chassis 963. This time it was the National race on July 4, 1965. They followed that win with a second place at the sixth round of the Canadian Sports Car Championship on August 14th at Harewood Acres. 

On August 19th, Lerch and the Lotus/McKee Special won again. This time it was the main event at Mont Tremblant. 

Lerch would conclude his successful tenure with chassis 963 at Round 7 of the Canadian Championship, the Indian Summer Trophy at Mosport on September 4, 1965. There the pair would finish second in their final race together.

Lerch and the Lotus did attend the Player’s Mont Treblant race on September 19th, but an accident during practice damaged the car, and Lerch suffered a sprained ankle. Lerch sold the car and transporter that same weekend to fellow Canadian, Norman Verrault. 

Records indicate that Verrault entered the car in one race in 1966, the very first Can Am race, which was held on September 11, 1966 at Mt. Tremblant. The car was entered as the McKee Mk6 #19-963 (Lotus). Verrault’s driver was Marious Amiot. Race records indicate that the Lotus did attend the race, but for some reason failed to make the start. 

Thereafter it is reported that the Lotus continued to race in Canadian club racing events until being parked in 1972. The car was purchased in that condition by John Maycock in 1982. 

Total Period Races: 21 (including 2 Did Not Arrive)

  • Wins: 4
  • Second Place Finishes: 2
  • Third Place Finishes: 1
  • Most Frequent Drivers:
  • Most Frequent Tracks:
    • Mosport (7 entries)
    • Mont-Tremblant (6 entries)
    • Oakes Field (3 entries)
    • St. Eugene (2 entries)

Thereafter the Lotus has been raced in historic racing. The car’s most significant result thus far has been a second overall at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races, where the Lotus also captured the award for Best Performance and Presentation. 

Ownership/Driver History:

Henry Olds and Bob Colombosian: December, 1962-1963.

Norm Namerow: 1963-1964

Peter Lerch: 1964-1965

Norman Verrault: 1965~1980

John Maycock: 1980

Brad Krause: ~1996

Frank Jellinek: 2004-2005

John Delane: 2005-2006

Tom Claridge: 2007-2010

Current owner

To see the Lotus in historic racing action, please see the Ultimate Car Page photo of the Lotus at the 2007 Monterey Historic Automobile Races. A second Ultimate Car Page photo of the Lotus can be seen at the 2011 Rolex Monterey Reunion. The car was captured as well at The Hawk at Road America in 2014.

Description

The Lotus is powered by its period-correct 215 cubic inch all aluminum Buick V8 engine. It is topped with four 44 IDF Weber downdraft carburetors on a cast aluminum manifold. Fuel is supplied by twin fuel pumps. This is the same type of engine originally fitted to the car and raced in 1963. 

The gearbox currently fitted is the reliable Hewland FT200 five speed. The car will also come with a period correct Colotti Type 32 five speed gearbox. 

The suspension is electroless nickel plated. Springs are 175 lbs. front and 100 lbs. rear. The front brakes are 11” discs with aluminum Girling BR calipers, and the rears are 9.25” discs with Girling NR aluminum calipers. The wheels are the classic magnesium “wobbly web” Lotus wheels fitted with L-Series Dunlop treaded tires. The fronts are 6”X15” and the rears 6.5”X15.” The car also comes with its 5.5” wobbly web spare which is fitted to its correct mounting position above the driver’s legs. 

The electrical system is fully functional and still retains the car’s original fuse boxes.  The Lucas Le Mans headlights, brake lights, sidelights and horn all work. 

The front and rear bodywork is fiberglass. The doors and lower bodywork are aluminum. 

The roll bar has been upgraded from original to provide added functionality and driver protection. The car has a Lifeline halon fire system, which will need recharging. The belts will also need replacing. The 10 gallon fuel cell is housed inside the fuel tank which remains located in its original position on the left side of the car. The original right side fuel tank will come with the car. 

Only seventeen Lotus 19 sports racing cars were built. This is one of them. They were at the forefront of the mid-engine revolution. They also ushered in the era of the V8 powered sports racing cars which would evolve into the Can Am. They were winners in period and remain so today at the finest historic racing events worldwide, including among others Goodwood, the Rolex Monterey Reunion, and the Velocity Invitational. 

Lotus 19 cars are, of course, rare. Even more rarely are they offered for sale. A notable recent Lotus 19 offering was the ex-Stirling Moss car in 2020. The car had an estimated value between £375,000 and £450,000 (approximately $490,800 to $588,960 USD at the time), but did not sell. A replica Lotus 19 sold in 2022 for $270,000. The car offered here is seriously and realistically for sale. The owner is retiring from the sport so the car will be sold. If you want one of the iconic, very rare, milestone Lotus racing cars, this is one of them, and this is the opportunity.  Please contact us.

All vehicle descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Corrections, and supplemental information, are always welcome. Buyers are responsible for confirming vehicle histories, condition, and authenticity to their own satisfaction prior to purchase. Motorsports Market is not the owner of the vehicle and assumes no liability for errors and omissions.

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