Colin Chapman's first foray into
single-seater racing, the 12 appeared in 1958. It featured a number of important innovations Chapman would use on later models. To better use the power of the
Coventry Climax engine, it was designed, as usual, for low weight and low
drag, relying on a
space frame. It placed the driver as low as possible, reducing the height of
transmission tunnel by way of a "conceptually brilliant" Lotus 12 was the first Lotus to be fitted with the iconic
wobbly-web wheels. Reflecting Chapman's emphasis on engineering for lightness, these were cast in
magnesium alloy, a kind of crimped cylinder, resulting in minimum material and maximum strength, without the weaknesses induced by slots in conventional designs. Despite its engineering advances, the 12 was not a success in F1. In F2, the car won the class in the mixed F1/F2
1958 BRDC International Trophy, driven by
Cliff Allison, but in spite of a small number of podiums, was usually drowned in a sea of
Coopers. ==Gallery==