1968 Lotus 51B Formula Ford

History

Like many Formula Fords, this car’s early history has yet to be fully unearthed.  It was reportedly purchased new by an SCCA pro on the East Coast.

In 2002, Patricio Junco bought the car.  Junco restored it in Mexico, then raced it in Texas and Oklahoma until 2010.

Since purchasing the Lotus from Junco, the current owner has raced the Lotus 20 times, including at Texas World Speedway, Hallett, Eagles Canyon, Road America, VIR and COTA.  Its last race was at Texas Motor Speedway in 2018.  Well respected tuner Bob Merrill maintained the Lotus from 2002 until 2018.

Description

Ater the 2018 racing season, the Lotus was stored until early this year. The owner asked Nathan Thompson of Competition Services in Dallas, Texas to completely go through the Lotus 51 to make sure all systems were in proper working order. This included but was not limited to; rebuilding the brake master cylinders and all four calipers, the frame was inspected and repaired as needed, and the gearbox received a new pinion and bearing. The rest of the gearbox checked out fine. A new fuel cell was also installed. New belts were installed in March 2026, and the fire system was updated. 

The Lotus is equipped with an Ivey dry sump engine, built using an all new block. The log books show 8 races on the engine since Ivey built it, that’s approximately 12 hours of run time. Ivey engines are generally good for 45-50 hours of run time before needing a refresh. Having said the foregoing, the head on this engine has just been refreshed as of March 2026. So it really is ready to go. 

The Lotus is equipped with Truechoice Koni double adjustable aluminum shocks. The gauges are Smiths and Racetech. The gearbox is a Hewland with outboard disc brakes. The fuel and oil lines are Aeroquip. The suspension is attached by adjustable heim joints. Exhaust is handled by a stainless steel header.

The car will come with a spare set of steel wheels, and four gear sets that should cover most, if not all, major US tracks. 

This Lotus is well prepared and well maintained. It is a clean, great looking, iconic Lotus 51 Formula Ford – the car that started Formula Ford, and the last of the generation of great looking cigar shaped formula cars from the heydays of early formula car racing. Its appearance at any event is enjoyed by fans and competitors alike, it even looks great standing still. Enjoy it, have fun with it at all the vintage racing events, and then get your money back and maybe even a little more when you sell it. What’s not to like there?

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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