Martin Brundle drives a Lotus 49

[@artysanmobile]

Martin, you are the best commentator ever to grace an F1 broadcast. Please never stop.

[@Juniper458]

Good driver too of course! :)

[@F1god04]

Out of all of Lotus's many GP cars, that one is my fave. The 25 changed it all, but the 49 is the quintessential Lotus car.

[@beagle7622]

Jim Clark never drove with wings . His last drive in a Lotus 49 was the Tasman Series in 1968. The car’s 2nd appearance in the Gold Leaf colours.

[@LeoWuerde]

Exactly, the last win of the unmatched Jim Clark in F1 at Kyalami at newyears day 1968 was in the original 49 R2 without any wings. There were only small front lips at Spa 1967...but no real wings.

[@scottblackett8440]

That’s not strictly true. He raced at Riverside in 1967 in a Vollstedt Ford with a rear wing. Tested a Lotus 49 with front wing in practice for the 67 Spa GP not using it raceday. And finally Tested the Rear wing on the Lotus 49T during 1968 Tasman series. Chapman refused to use it on his car for the race?

[@beagle7622]

@@scottblackett8440 I stand corrected. I really am going on memory . It really was his life driving cars fast & his farm . As a teen I found him fascinating & of course quiet & I did get close to him at practice days in Melbourne Australia. People ask me why I keep my Autograph book . It’s because of the drivers whose autographs are in it . 5 world champions I think. Riverside looked to be a fantastic track especially the corkscrew.

[@oddjobtriumph1635]

My fave F1 car of all time

[@LeoWuerde]

JIM CLARK - By far the greatest driver ever - no doubt. He is and was "The Best of the Best" (Fangio, Senna, Prost, Stewart and countless others about Clark). No other driver in history until today was so superior as Clark - No other driver as so much "Grand Slam" - Pole/Win/Fastest Lap/Leading every lap of the race - like him. And all that from just 72 starts... ! This man is the Olymp of driving - the Michelangelo of racing - a dynamic art at the highest level. So smooth, so precise, so fast....simply out of this world. One, who won in Spa by 5 minutes (!) in monsoon rain with only one hand at the wheel (!) because of gearbox trouble...One, who takes back a complete lap (!) in Monza and back into the lead... One, who took pole on the original 22,8 km Nürburgring track by 9 (!) seconds and more....One who won Indy by 2 whole (!) laps...For eternity and by lightyears unmatched in the sport. That`s just four examples of his mesmeric unique genius...

[@paxwallacejazz]

They cut him off just when he was getting nitty gritty

[@petyrkowalski9887]

The Lotus 25 with the Coventry Climax engine was the first monocoque and that changed the landscape.

[@tbtstt]

Great video - easily my fave F1 car of all time!

[@Scoobydcs]

best looking f1 car and best band ever. it doesnt get any better than that!!

[@FluppiLP]

Oh what I would give to get to drive this magical masterpiece

[@gregj831]

The Lotus is the car which revolutionized the Indy 500 and the turbo charged Cosworth took every Indy 500 from 1978 to 1987. This is absolutely unreal! I was just a kid when Jimmy and Colin came over but to every fan of the 500, their names will be forever etched in the track's mystique and legend. I think back on them and realize how lucky I was to witness such greatness.

[@ivanjulian2532]

Sorry, but Lotus did NOT revolutionise the Indy 500. When Jim Clark won in 1965, fully 27 of the 33 starters were mid engined race cars. If Jim Clark had not won, AJ Foyt and Jim Rutherford in 2nd and 3rd places respectively WOULD have won, in mid engined race cars. The move to mid engined race cars in American USAC racing had overwhelmingly already taken place by 1965. The first "mid engined" car to race in the Indy 500 was in 1949.

[@ivanjulian2532]

Further, it's not even accurate to suggest Lotus "ushered in" the move to mid engined race cars at Indy. That particular achievement is thanks to Jack Brabham who arrived at Indy in 1961 in a mid engined 2.7 litre Cooper Climax, in which he ran as high as 3rd place at one point, eventually finishing 9th.

[@gregj831]

@@ivanjulian2532 I know the first rear engine car to place in top ten was Sir Jack Brabham's Cooper Climax? I believe he did this in 1961? While this feat was admirable, it did not raise much interest. In 1963 Clark took second in a Lotus and when this happened everyone took notice and knew that 'rear engined cars were going to be the future'. In 1964 Bobby Marshman and Jim Clark destroyed the track record with their Lotus's and this validated what everyone suspected. They then threatened to run away with the race until being stopped by an oil plug falling off on Marshman's Lotus and Clark having a tire malfunction. Foyt would purchase a year old Lotus for next year and set track record with it. In light of all this, I would credit Lotus with revolutionizing Indy Car Racing.

[@gregj831]

@@ivanjulian2532 Though Foyt started on the pole in 1965 using Clark's 1964 Lotus, he dropped out of the race on lap 115. As I recall, he was running a distant second to Clark when he stripped his gearbox? Johnny Rutherford was never a factor in that race although he did win an Indycar race later in the year in a rear engined non-lotus at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

[@ivanjulian2532]

@@gregj831 I disagree. If you said the Lotus of 1963-65 was an outstanding race car then yes, on that I would agree. But the facts are 16 of the starters in the 1963 race were mid engined cars. By 1965 that number had climbed to 27 of the 33 starters.

[@TheLRider]

Yes superb team effort. Stunning results on all fronts. Beautiful design, performance, sound, amazingly talented driver, takes your breath away even now.. I still recall the day he was killed and know exactly where I was. Such a loss but unfortunately one of so many over the years who gave their all and more for our pleasure. I always class him and Henry Toivonen in the same category somehow. Different motor sports and times but such exceptional talents. RIP and thank you for such memories. You were very special.

[@AmericasChoice]

Probably theist looking F1 car of all time. My brother had a matchbox Lotus 49 and I remember playing with it in 1968

[@Josey_Wales]

great video, i enjoy the videos i can find on of jim clark driving. absolutely an amazing driver, very sad how he passed.

[@twillis449]

Lotus 49 - possibly the greatest F1 car of all time IMHO.

[@hmdwgf]

this car is truly epic

[@Clueso456]

you damn right! that was the best era of formula 1, I think. without the wings, and (as I said in the contributory) with the colors of the teams, and not the sponsors

[@34D2234]

possibly the best movie about this and these era cars with alot of actual footage and some pretty dam fast drivers views at the old 11.6 mile monza circuit and the 32.4 mile spa circuits before they shortened these race courses. was the movie Gran Prix. i've been to monza in 1973 while in the navy. they were doing practice runs in what looked like old sebring cars from the 50's and they were running on the banking too.

[@Electroelectro]

You're totally spot on: tune is Black Dog by Led Zeppelin, from their fourth album "IV" (1971).

[@aniketkajrekar4828]

The Most beautiful F1 car ever. Looks Fragile but a winner 🏆.

[@julianporte7677]

Bring on Brundle … the more the better!

[@F1Oversteer]

Bobbyray, Clark did die before wings became big in F1. However, this 49 was raced into '69 as well, with wings added to the chassis.

[@antradienis]

Don't know why, but this is the most beautiful car....

[@redfurylanden4527]

Clark's and Zeppelins this is too much :-)

[@Gfgoodrichtires]

That is disappointing to hear. I hope we find the name in the future, but thank you very much for being so proactive and resourceful in your pursuit for the answer!

[@nedpike2186]

Formula 1 would be a lot more interesting if they were all driving Lotus 49s.

[@rpm1796]

Captain Ned Capatain..you are now a Major

[@SuperSonicSenna]

or McLaren MP4/4s. better yet Benetton B186s. insane power, very little aerodynamic grip, the cars of the 80s were like overpowered go karts really.

[@Metal-Possum]

+SuperSonicSenna You're both making me think of Aurora AFX slot cars, and all the various developments they did for power and grip.

[@ork7137]

Without safety harnesses

[@williamr3840]

Good idea -- we would see the return of racers actually racing, instead of programmers programming.

[@BowWowVideo]

Outstanding opening

[@Pellick]

Love driving this thing in Project CARS.

[@motof1fan137]

Pellick me too of course on pc2 with historic monza !!

[@gcmc2]

@thenicedudejay Yes, it was. Both the Cosworth DFV and the lotus 49 debuted at Zandvoort on June 4, 1967. Lotus has exclusive use of the engine through 1967 and customers started getting engines in 1968.

[@lucamaini4492]

Led Zeppelin & Ford DFV V8? Just Heaven!

[@robertg9001]

+Luca Maini The music ruined it

[@LIGIERJS111979]

@@robertg9001 totally agree, led zeppelin is an overestimated shit, The who was so much better. I doubt any 60s F1 gentlemen listened led zeppelin

[@embassyhill]

Drivers who have raced the machines of that era say that GPL is more difficult than the real thing.

[@gcmc2]

Martin's not quite right with his suggestion that Jim Clark liked the car better with the wings. Clark was gone before the wings were ever fitted. He won the South African GP in early 1968, then the Tasman series in Aus / NZ a few weeks before his death. He never ran the car with any aero setup at all.

[@killerdreck]

The sounds of the old f1 cars ARE the soundtrack, if you meant this.

[@LordYllsacky]

Jim Clark was much happier when they added wings? No, by that time he was already dead.

[@ethownzbh]

+Lord Yllsacky He died before they had it on a car in a Grand Prix but he would've been able to drive a downforce car in testing.

[@beagle7622]

Ethanmeister No no wings at the beginning of 68. It was the 1st time they had advertising which appeared during the Tasman Series ( the Gold Leaf colours from memory).That was about 6 or 7 weeks before the horrible Hockleheim F2 race . I watched Clark throwing this car around by himself for about 40 minutes late Fri Afternoon. The noise of the Cosworth bouncing of advertising signs was incredible. I was around 15 but it’s clear in my memory. Probably the number 1 highlight of all the motor racing I have seen . He was such a gentleman you would not believe seeing him without crowds around that he was such a formidable driver. He stopped at a gate letting me & a friend through, acknowledging us.We used to go from school & were there a lot on Thurs & Fri poking around the paddock. There were no ropes up & we didn’t get in the way.It was said in the magazines like Road & Track that the Brabham was the best handling chassis at that time. I still have the autographs of all he drivers Surtees mentioned including his.

[@pianortd4800]

@@beagle7622 i'm 17, but jim clark is my favourite racing driver of all times, i've never seen him racing in real life, but i read stories about him, and i saw some documentaries and videos about him driving, and there aren't a lot of videos of him driving... But nonetheless he's my favourite driver and person to ever sit in a racing car

[@beagle7622]

@@pianortd4800 I was 16 the last time I saw him. What an amazing weekend that was. Jim got to know us because we we there every year . Thurs afternoon to Sunday we were in the paddock . He was a genuine nice guy . Many other people have said that but he just was. The year before I think I arrived at the paddock gate & he was going for a walk with Sally Stokes. He stopped smiled, said hi & let me through. True story. . I was blown away by that..

[@pianortd4800]

@@beagle7622 what an amazing man he was, he's usually described as a shy man, but i imagine that he was shy only in front of the media, meanwhile in private he was a really friendly and social man, is that right?

[@Gfgoodrichtires]

Does anyone know the name of the song starting at 1:06 in the background? It brings out the tremendous nostalgia of this beautiful era. If it is simply a song composed for this video, that would certainly be disappointing.

[@darkarts59]

Gorgeous Gorgeous car - no doubt the best looking ever.

[@morganrees6807]

Brundle is wrong when he stated that Jim Clark was happier when wings and better tyres were used - Sadly Clark perished, in April '68 before the advent of wings and slicks. Maybe he meant Graham Hill who went on to win the 1968 WDC

[@lamage89]

and he said this car is so light and nimble compared to a f1 car of the 50s what a dork!

[@sfbassist1]

@tinySHINEY1 Hey buddy, thanx a lot man, thats pretty much what I was wanting to know. Its hectick to think that they were doing speeds like that back then with little or NO driver safety, no driver aids as well as little or no aerodynamic aids!!! I will even go out on a limb and say that they were the TRUE drivers!!!! I would be such a happy chappy if I got the opportunity to driven one of these for a couple of laps!!! WOW

[@GreatCdn59]

The new F1 Lotus in 2010 looks just like the 49...... the livery anyway. Sexy car. Both of them. Lotus T127. Look it up!

[@curiousuranus810]

Aaaaahhhh!!! The Lotus 49; the DFV Cosworth and Led Zeppelin as a backing track - what more could anyone want?

[@AdminsAnonymous]

a little disappointing that he spent most of his time talking about the history of the car instead of the feel of it...

[@Jimaybob]

The fact it turns by sliding is insane, I don’t even entirely understand it. This cars design is antithetical to grip and downforce

[@Wedge4Life]

yea this car is coming to iRacing... can't wait to drive this

[@gt40mk21]

Too bad Martin wouldn't shut up so we could hear more of "that lovely sound". I saw it at the first Canadian F1 GP in 1967.

[@richardclark7358]

John Ford ...I was there too !

[@blue04mx53]

I went to Mosport in 67 !

[@claudiocalarezi2610]

Lotus 49, carro incrível...

[@sfbassist1]

Hey guys, do any of you have performance figures for this car or one from its era? Acceleration, top speed e.t.c I can't find anything on the internet, only the engine power figures

[@jjmac3561]

They should have had a Lotus 25 or 33 before doing the 49. The dialogue makes no sense even though the 49 was pretty dominant it was not the car that made the leap with rear engine cars. Had they not heard of the Cooper?

[@mrid5850]

The big thing the lotus 49 did was integrating the engine into the chassis. Which was done before granted, but in the lotus 49 it was done to perfection.

[@mark_338]

Availability could have been an issue...

[@coldvoid]

What's the damn song from 1:30?! I've been searching for it for years!

[@davidepaltrinieri3535]

Life, by Simone Benyacar & Craig Garfinkle 🙂

[@coldvoid]

@@davidepaltrinieri3535 THANK YOU soooooooo much! :)

[@charlie866returns2]

welcome back lotus!

[@davepusey]

I see you got the video feed glitchs starting at 05:02 also. Wasn't just me then.

[@beagle7622]

Brundle got a lot of little facts wrong here, maybe he was just enjoying himself. I've said elsewhere when I first saw the 49 (probably this one in Feb 68 at Melbourne's Sandown Park) I was really impressed by the quality of the car and also that it was a full car (except the nose cone) and not just a chassis covered by fibreglass although they still sat on the fuel tank. Probably one of the reasons the drivers did not have seat belts. It was not because of technology.I remember reading articles that drivers were not happy with them. I don't know what year they started to fit them.

[@davepusey]

At least it came out OK when they played it on Sunday.

[@Suprahampton]

Thought the 49's debut was Zandvoort

[@pr3typ0ny]

i wish i could see these, sadly i was born in the age of huge wings, im not complaining but it would have been truly epic

[@wandov8]

Sir Moss has a slick tire at head.

[@ErikGPL]

@EJRocky I agree, so jealous right now!

[@Gfgoodrichtires]

I will absolutely do that, my friend; I only ask you do the same for me. I also appreciate that you recognized I was referring to the violin song instead of the guitar playing of the great Jimmy Page. However, I do sincerely thank the two individuals for providing their input into the discussion.

[@argh1989]

Partly this is because the physics simulation is very good while you cannot feel the car as much as in reality (wheel feedback, G-forces, bumps etcetera).

[@demio13]

I remember it at Monza 1967...

[@robvt1]

I saw it on TV. A very short summary

[@notlrachtron]

best F1 car ever .... my opinion anyway......

[@beaniebassist]

if you got the money and find someone who was selling on you can get it i found one that had just got auctioned off

[@neathletics2439]

Anorak time! My thoughts on the Martin Brundle erroneous comment regarding "Jim Clark preferred the 49 with downforce wings'. The 49 was introduced in 1967 and given that Jim died in April '68, it is highly unlikely that he ever sat in a version with wings. From memory it was the 49C which had wings (introduced in 1969). Now Clark's team mate, Graham Hill did drive the 49 and 49C and I think that it's more likely to be Hill's thoughts that Brundle is referring to.

[@FormulaVid]

WHAT DID CHAPMAN SAY? NOOOOOOO!

[@701CPD]

Only difference is -- Clark wore no seat belt or shoulder harnesses when driving the Lotus 49 in competition...

[@blue04mx53]

in really didn't matter if you wore one or not back then, You had fuel all around you and the cars were made of thin sheet metal. If you cracked it up, you were likely a goner. the seat belt would have kept you with whatever was left of a disintegrated car but, likely on fire.

[@lawrencewestby9229]

Mahatma Coat, exactly right. As he said in the voice over, "I'm sitting in a bathtub of fuel." Drivers then would rather take their chances being thrown clear of their cars rather than burn while strapped in.

[@smithy4025]

When the boys racing had big bollocks.

[@lamage89]

driving clarks car i would give my life to race that! i would give both nuts to sit in it and rev it!

[@williamr3840]

Lotus!

[@christophernewman5027]

Come on, Martin, do your homework. Clark was in his grave by the time Tean Lotus bolted wings on the 49...

[@almostfm]

By the time it ran in an F1 race, yes. That doesn't mean they hadn't done a lot of testing with the wings before that.

[@christophernewman5027]

@@almostfm Well, no, actually. They ran with beard spoilers during practice at Spa in '67 and again during practice at the Race of Champions in '68 but Clark wasn't there for tax reasons. That was it until Monaco in '68.

[@MsLilyhorse]

Won Indy 500 too.

[@mmutch7575]

You're thinking of the Lotus 38.

[@carsismeZ06]

Are you American?

[@hmdwgf]

ha black dog was released as part of the led zeppelin IV album in 1971. great song nevertheless

[@suppzepp023]

Lotus 49 and Black Dog I just wet myself

[@killerdreck]

Me too. I would run over burning coal to drive one of those legends of the 50's to 80's.

[@rpm1796]

Black 5.

[@robvt1]

Who edited this clip? Its horrible! Who wants to look at the suspension. The whole car was visible for about 4 seconds.

[@ostrich67]

Racing. All other sports require only one ball.

[@chrisfleming5109]

Jim Clark was not the greatest but was the very best driver ever in f1.

[@Khazar01]

Except for snooker :) If you count it as a sport :)

[@sbblakey]

Assetto Corsa, man.

[@alouisschafer7212]

oh what would I give to take this boy out for a day

[@biketech60]

Thumbs down must be tree huggers

[@PolariceSwiss]

Iracing will have it yeahh

[@hutrputr]

oh yeah. and zeppelin as sounndtrack

[@macssafc]

i wouldnt want to drive that car with seatbelts!! no rollover hoop. ouch

[@AnonymoussourceL0L]

what a shame these cars aren't street legal.

[@theownzer]

@Gfgoodrichtires Led Zeppelin something or other :P Mothership album.

[@mickkennedy1344]

Put all present day top F1 drivers in these cars, have them race each other at a special event -- all the cars would get wrecked.............and they' still be enjoying themselves.

[@lamage89]

i know but its sort f stating the obvious dont you think of fucking corse its goning to be beter there ten years apart!

[@XxMusclecarsxX]

mario kart

[@crumblefest]

Dean Martin is perhaps the most disingenous singer of all time... sounds like he's totally full of it. Which he was... as the soundtrack for a Maserati, the car itself provides the music...