Team Lotus Type 72D 1972

Team Lotus Type 72D 1972, plastbyggsats.

The Lotus 72 is a British Formula One car that made its track debut at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix and competed in F1 races until the 1976 season. Its designers were Colin Chapman, Tony Rudd and Maurice Philippe. The Lotus 72 was powered by a single Ford Cosworth DFV 8-cylinder engine with a displacement of 3 liters.

The Lotus 72 was developed to replace another highly successful Lotus car: the Model 49. Like its predecessor, it used an aluminum monocoque and the same engine, but on many other levels it was a very avant-garde vehicle in F1 racing. First of all, it was characterized by the shape of the body and spoilers that were an integral part of it. The water cooler was placed on the sides of the car, not in the nose, which greatly improved weight distribution and improved aerodynamic characteristics. The suspension has also undergone significant changes. In the end, a great racing car was born, ahead of many other designs from the early 1970s. Drivers on it won the world championship twice: 1970 and 1972. The most famous drivers who drove this car were among others: Jochen Rindt or Emmerson Fittipaldi. In total, the Lotus 72 participated in 75 F1 races, of which 20 were won.