This month, we look at the precursor to the Esprit, the Europa, and a few of its racing variations.
Spark continues to churn out model after model of the Lotus marque. The past few months saw the release of the Lotus 47. This was a racing version of the Europa...the body being lightweight (a noted Lotus tradition, of course) and utilizing lighter alloy components for various suspension parts. The Lotus 47 went on to win in its class in the 1967 World Sportscar Championship Brands Hatch 500 mile race (the driver being John Miles...another key figure in the Lotus racing heritage). The 47 was raced in various guises through the season, this particular version was raced at LeMans in 1967, and has nice details such as the small light on the top. Again, photo etch parts abound (as is the custom on Spark models), and the details seem spot on!
Not to be outdone on the racing circuit, Lotus developed a "Europastein" car... the Lotus 62! The 62 was intended to compete in the Group 6 Prototype class, the limit to what these cars could be entered in. The bodyshell now comprised three separate parts- the front and rear clamshells could now be removed. The car was built on a multi-tubular spaceframe, and suspension was designed in the fashion of formula one cars of the day. The car really never set the world alight, and sadly there were only two that were ever built. Looks like the only way you can appreciate the car is to purchase this beauty from Spark! Again, Spark hits this one out of the park, with such details as the mesh cooling grills on the front, photo-etched seatbelt buckles, wiper blades... and look at that shine on the rims! In addition, Spark kindly provides gold leaf team lotus decals to be put on the sides of the doors. I just spoke with Jim at Diecasm, and he had three in stock...I suggest if you want this superb model, then give him a call!!
Recently, I was able to score a few goodies from Japan, and as it's a Europa theme this month, I thought I would share! Japan has a rather large Lotus fan base, and because of their enthusiasm for the marque, we have really cool toys...ahem, I mean "models" to enjoy! There is a manga (comic book) called "The Circuit Wolf' written by Satoshi Ikezawa. It's a rally of some sort (I can't read Japanese), and one of the cars in the rally is a Lotus Europa Special. Kyosho recently released this model in 1/64 scale, as part of their minicar collection. This little gem also comes with a small version of the comic book...might be worth checking out on Ebay.
I also recently scored (again, Ebay can be a blessing...or a curse if you're my wife) from Japan, a 1/24th scale motorized model of the Europa Special from the Circuit Wolf comic book. This model already comes pre-painted (they must know my painting abilities), and seems to be pretty straightforward in assembly. Next month, we'll stroll down F1 memory lane!
Happy Hunting!
