Classic Team Lotus type 49 – Motorsport Heritage Holdall

Description

We are proud to present the second addition to the ‘Heritage Motorsport Collection’ the Lotus type 49 Heritage Holdall. This stylish holdall was designed by Jordan in close connection with Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, and son of Colin Chapman, and is the latest creation in a 13-year official partnership between the two brands.

This latest Jordan Bespoke bag takes inspiration from Colin Chapman’s Lotus type 49; the greatest ever step in F1 performance,  The result is a holdall which celebrates this famous racing car, captures the spirit of the late 60s, celebrating the iconic historic motor racing era

Specially selected Scottish Bridge of Weir leather perfectly matches the Gold Leaf Team Lotus colour scheme of red, white and gold, the flawless nature of the hides reflecting the quality buyers have come to expect from Jordan Bespoke.

As with all Simon Jordan creations, client-led bespoke options are available. In recognition of the time when car numbers changed from race to race, customers can choose to have their holdall customised with a number of their choice. An owner may choose a significant number to them, such as a birthday, or perhaps to depict the number displayed on their own racing car.

A subtle design feature of the Classic Team Lotus type 49  Heritage Holdall is the monogram embossed on the zip pulls, luggage tag and matching key ring. The ACBC monogram was created by Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman who chose to incorporate his personal monogram within the original Lotus logo.

Simon Jordan Founder of Jordan Bespoke, said “Working with Classic Team Lotus and the Chapman family to create this Classic Team Lotus type 49  bag was a genuine honour and privilege. Together we have created a luxurious holdall which respects the contribution Colin Chapman made to motorsport with the type 49, and the unrivalled talent of its drivers. Despite its obvious motorsport connections, the holdall offers a stylish bespoke piece of luggage to anyone who has an eye for detail and a passion for quality and design.”

Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, said “Classic Team Lotus tries its best to celebrate the history of Team Lotus.  I am privileged to work together with an outstanding team of mechanics to preserve the famous cars that established the Lotus legend.  Classic Team Lotus is delighted to have joined forces with Jordan Bespoke to realise this practical and desirable holdall in the highest quality which captures the Team Lotus identity in such striking style.  I am confident it will prove to be an emblem of Team Lotus history which will appeal to proud Lotus enthusiasts worldwide.”

BRITISH DESIGN to be used as Grand Touring Luggage, Kit Bag or Weekend Holdall, travel in style.

History of the Gold Leaf Team Lotus type 49

Few race cars are as celebrated as the Type 49. Yes, it won races and championships, but its real claim to fame is that it marked the debut of the Cosworth-Ford DFV engine. A compact 90 degree V8, it delivered 400bhp at 9,000rpm and would go on to dominate the Formula 1 grid for more than a decade.  To this day, the step change in engine power enabled the type 49 to achieve the greatest ever increase in F1 performance, year-on-year.

Lotus founder Colin Chapman was instrumental in the development of this power unit. He had a long association with Cosworth because its founders, Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, had met at Lotus in 1957. The engine was developed in tandem with the Type 49, and so the powerplant’s integration as a structural element with the monocoque was highly efficient, lightweight, compact, stiff and strong.

The car made an impressive start, with Jim Clark winning in its first Formula 1 race, the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix. The Type 49 took every pole position for the rest of the season, and Clark won three more races to finish the season third overall. Renamed the 49T for the Tasman Championship of 1968, the Type 49 carried Clark to four wins and the overall title.

The year 1968 also saw Graham Hill victorious in the F1 Drivers’ Championship for Team Lotus. The car was now the Type 49B, featuring a slightly longer wheelbase and several other upgrades. The season included a victory at Monaco, a feat Hill repeated 12 months later in the same car – the only time that’s ever happened in F1 history.

The Type 49 is also famous for marking the debut of the iconic red, white and gold colours of Lotus sponsor Gold Leaf.  In 1970 Team Lotus applied this striking livery to its next revolutionary design, the Lotus type 72, which led to Jochen Rindt’s posthumous World Championship victory.

Gold Leaf Team Lotus number 10

In the days when race numbers changed from race-to-race, the number 10 is most significant to the Gold Leaf Team Lotus era.

Graham Hill’s victory at the 1968 Spanish GP laid the foundation for his Championship year.  A poignant victory for Team Lotus in the aftermath of the tragic death of Jim Clark.

Graham’s win in a gripping last race of the season in Mexico – on a day when three drivers could have been crowned World Champion – secured his second Drivers’ crown.

Coincidentally number 10 was on Jochen Rindt’s Gold Leaf liveried type 72 when he laid the foundation for his Championship year, by winning the Dutch GP at Zandvoort; the first of four wins in a row, which signalled the extraordinary dominance of the type 72 for years to come.