Emerging out of the SCCA’s Formula A class of the mid-1960s, the adoption of a ruleset which allowed for stock-block engines of up to 5 liters drastically improved the number of competitors, quality of competition, and overall popularity of what would become known as Formula 5000.

A simple concept which sought to duplicate the success and ethos of the Can-Am series for open wheel racing, Formula 5000 quickly became a hot-bed of elite motor racing soon after its debut in 1968, with prominent manufactures like McLaren, Lola, Eagle, March, and Lotus entering competition. Colin Chapman’s team originally benefitted from an ample supply of eligible open-wheel racecars for the formula but eventually decided to construct a dedicated chassis for this emerging format.

Originally designated the Lotus 68, the race car officially debuted in 1969 as the Lotus 70 and featured the characteristic wedge design philosophy adopted by the team at the time. Intended to use both Ford and Chevrolet engines, these cars achieved a relative degree of success, with North American results providing most of the accolades.

The example on offer, bearing an identification plate stamped F5/001, emerged in the early 1990s when it was offered by Roger Cowman’s racing car dealership in the United Kingdom. Correspondence on file details the purchase of the car along with the later procurement of spare parts by a German individual named Helmut Dango. He ultimately paid the mighty sum of £24,000, and soon after taking delivery, the Lotus was awarded a FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form in April 1994. The document contains stamps through 2002 and further lists the previous owners as Bill Brack, a Canadian racer, and Roger Cowman.

Mr. Dango campaigned the car in numerous vintage racing events under his ownership including the Force F5000 Transatlantic Challenge. Then, in 2005, the racecar was acquired by a prominent collector of the Lotus marque in the Netherlands. In 2010 the Lotus 70 was unfortunately damaged at an event in Bavaria but was expertly restored by Peter Denty of Norfolk, England over the course of several years from 2019 to 2023 at the cost of tens of thousands of British Pounds.

Now presented in spectacular condition with a wonderful period correct Castrol Livery, this high-wing open-wheel racecar features Chevrolet V-8 power and a five-speed Hewland gearbox. It is additionally accompanied by a set of spare wheels along with a low rear wing. Documentation includes a great deal of correspondence, the FIA Historic Vehicle Identity Form, invoices, a German Motor Sport Federation form, a purchase agreement, and several historic photos.

The Lotus 70 on offer is a superbly built racecar ready to be campaigned in further vintage racing events—or simply displayed within a collection as a stunning example of a high-wing racer.