It was the most successful of the five Lotus 79s built. The example on show will be chassis 79/3, otherwise known as JPS21. This would, in turn, mean less drag. Its 480bhp came from a Ford Cosworth DFV engine, and the 79 was constructed from sheet-aluminium honeycomb. Changes included refinements to the underside, such as venturi tunnels that allowed the low-pressure area to be evenly spaced down the length of the car. To aid this, the rear bodywork and suspension were designed in a way that would allow the air to exit in a cleaner fashion, thus meaning a smaller rear wing could be fitted. The Lotus 79 was one of the first Formula 1 machines to use ground effects, following on from the pioneering developments on the Lotus 78. Mario Andretti took the Lotus 79/3 to the Formula 1 World Championship in 1978. Although the cars on show will be very different, both hold true to the British brand’s ethos. Lotus is bringing an example of its glorious motor-racing past and it bright electric future to London’s Concours on Savile Row (May 24-25, 2023), in association with The Deck.

Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: Lotus/Classic Team Lotus

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