Tiff Needell tests the Lotus 49.

Old Top Gear clip of Tiff telling the story of the Lotus 49 and the debut of the Ford Cosworth DFV which he tests.

[@martinjefferies666]

That's a lot of history, information and atmosphere to squeeze into less than seven and a half minutes! Great job

[@BanjoLuke1]

What a good, good piece of television. All the talking heads were experts or were there at the birth. The driving footage was evocative. The car is exquisite. The presenter was speaking about his favourite topic. In truth, any racing car (almost any) is a thing of wonder, but the 49 was just a tiny bit more wonderful than most of the rest. A thoroughly enjoyable little snippet!

[@swiley223]

Absolutely beautiful design! This may be engineering at it's finest. But just as deadly.

[@daviddavis5689]

Yep;built as light as possible with litle safety considered.

[@TheBlaert]

Chapman was an unbelievably clever engineer. A genius. Costin and Duckworth were genius engine designers too. The book "Cosworth, The search for Power" goes deep into the history of Cosworth and the relationship with Colin Chapman. A must read

[@josedacunhafilho]

I would like to see this year's F1 grid in identical Lotus 49 racing for an entire season. We would surely know who the best driver is at the end of the season.

[@DethThrasher1]

i miss old top gear in some ways

[@ajnaguy]

Fantastic video - thanks for uploading!

[@triptechable]

"It's got some poke! Not a bad old tool".

[@leecutler1527]

That's no way to talk about Tiff !!! Lol

[@NbWY1]

Very cool old footage. Thanks for sharing!

[@assylyacine1778]

Brilliant upload. Thank you.

[@SimonWallwork]

Bloody wonderful!

[@catm4403]

The Lotus 25 & 49 in Assetto Corsa in VR on vintage tracks is quite something. It's a very good way to explain how dangerous (and exciting) was F1 in it's golden age.

[@WaRLoKWYATT]

Having people staring off into space as they talk is just weird. Lol

[@tomshiba51]

To me, the Lotus 9 was to Grand Prix as the Spitfire was to WWII.

[@fingersTitan]

Do you mean Overated?

[@wolfgangmarkusgstrein8522]

Brits only have war machinery to compare. That says all about them. They also think fish and chips is the best food on earth. They believe that the Royals are great, TV is teaching and drinking diet coke is healthy. The list can be extended on and on...

[@russellparratt9859]

@@wolfgangmarkusgstrein8522 As Basil Fawlty said, "don't mention the war".... You completely failed to see the analogy made between the machinery, which is what the original comment was about. It seems you are carrying a lot of baggage around, still.

[@alexmilne2842]

THE GODS OF MOTOR RACING AND ENGINES IN GENERAL , I Am truly in AWE of their expertise !!!!!!!!

[@e36racer44]

I see tiff, I press like

[@eatthisvr6]

most beautifull f1 car ever

[@philgiglio9656]

Beautiful machine...decades back Tamiya made a 1:12 scale model that sold for $50, 1968 dollars. I spent a month lovingly building it. Wish I still had it.

[@inquisitor229]

It was re-released by Tamiya in 2014 and should be possible to find on e-bay. Or try ordering one here - hlj.com/product/TAM12053

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

The earlier BRM H6 engined Lotus 43 used the engine as the rear of the chassis

[@stewitr]

Great video, but I'll never understand why they put some music over the natural music of the car.

[@geraldfordman7474]

Can I have one? I've always LOVED the Lotus.

[@rava2107]

In the time of the 49 formula one cars were like a cart in the way it would react to throttle and steering and Jim Clark was just a genius behind the wheel in the 49 if Jimmy finished the race he invariably won the race ,unbelievably talented!!

[@garyspeed8961]

Jack Brabham was pretty gifted... not only designed, built and drove his cars...

[@Ben4810]

OMG...i'd forgotten about the old Snett Control Tower.

[@hcrun]

"A moment recorded for PROSPERITY."!!! (2:14). Dear me....and he's English, too!

[@Tom_Hadler]

Ken Newell yeah. Should've been for posterity. Tiffs cool I'll let him off

[@Johnnycdrums]

I had a plastic model kit as a kid.

[@JonathanAllen0379]

Snetterton is also where Senna made a name for himself in Britain in the ranks of junior Formulae prior to his entry in F1.

[@MsLilyhorse]

"It's got some poke..." I would love to put one in a Beck 904.

[@Rennpanzer]

Is it your assertion that the drivers who died in Chapman's cars, did so as a direct result of his car being "under-designed", or could the, relatively lax, safety standards of the time have played, at least, an equal part? Because: a) None of the F1 drivers in that era wore seat belts. b) Lotus drivers probably weren't the only one's to lose their lives. and (again) c) Needell's comment @ :27 into this video.

[@user-zy4tg9tz3l]

Great designer's

[@sultanabran1]

chapman's cars were under-designed to be light. modern cars are designed to be light, but at least the parts are designed to withstand the forces they're meant to. that's what i meant. i do understand the risk in any form of motor racing.

[@crusherbmx]

I think he was using it by '82 when he died, well some teams were anyway like McLaren and Brabham.

[@Rennpanzer]

@ :27, Needell (a guy who arguably knows more about the subject than you & I combined) refers to Chapman as, “Probably the most gifted racing car designer of all time.” Point taken, none the less.

[@skyscall]

I loved this car in Grand Prix Legends. But nothing is more fun to drive than that unstable, overweight, H16-engined BRM 115. "Gawdammit, not another spinout!"

[@darkevilapie]

this isnt the brm H16?

[@darkevilapie]

it looks like a v8 to me

[@skyscall]

darkevilapie It's not the H16. I was just comparing it with it. The Lotus 49 used a V8, like you noticed.

[@RevoltingRudi]

Lotus in fact used the H16 in 66 and early 67

[@Loulovesspeed]

Not just a V-8, but the most successful F1 engine ever built, to this day. The venerable Ford Cosworth DFV. It racked up 153 F1 victories, a record that stands today and will most likely never be broken.

[@doktorkraesch9402]

Graham Hill had Movie Star quality charm and charisma.

[@inquisitor229]

Doktor Kraesch - almost all of the drivers in those days had charisma at levels that no longer exist. Most were gentlemen, and drove that way. I'm not suggesting they couldn't be ruthless when required, but corporate pressures have made F1 as much an entertainment industry as it is a sport. Graham Hill would have struggled to toe the line and keep his opinions to himself in to-days circus. The media is also a significant factor in the behaviour of the drivers these days.

[@paulcaswell2813]

Graham was as great a raconteur as he was a driver. A chat with him (or hearing an after-dinner speech) was guaranteed entertaining, informative, and very, very funny!

[@Rennpanzer]

I don't think there are any TUV or USDOT crash standards for 150mph. Also, I've seen F1 & Indy drivers walk away from wrecks that I'm not sure I'd live through in my own car.

[@tedsmith6137]

Lucky they decided to call the engine a Cosworth, or it would have been the Tinduck!

[@sultanabran1]

none of what you're saying had anything to do with my comment. talking about carbon fibre is silly cause it wasn't even invented at the time. i didn't bring up jim clark as a specific driver either. i'm stating the fact the lotus cars were under-designed structurally to save weight.

[@flugplatz21]

The BRM or Ferrari's suspension probably wouldn't have broken in the first place. Colin took Dr. Porsche's philosophy further, "The perfect race car crosses the finish line in first place and promptly falls to pieces." He was a genius, but it seems he viewed the driver as just another part of the car to be replaced, when needed.

[@Loulovesspeed]

Ya, so did Enzo Ferrari who was also sued for unsafe race vehicle. Those were different times and safety, either for the drivers OR the spectators was not much of a concern, unfortunately. We have the great Jackie Stewart to thank for his hard work and determination to improve racing safety.

[@polygamous1]

I've always wondered if Jim C;ark would a been Britain's Senna if he lived longer? i think he was the Best British driver till Hamilton who is the best of the two? lets say they are two of the best ever in the world, in my heart Is J Clark maybe cause of my age

[@carloshernandez4238]

+Takis Sozou I think he indeed was British Senna... actually i Think Clark is better than Senna... why? because Senna always was on the limit... in the edge of crashing... Meanwhile Clark was fast... but he drove smothly, he didn't crash with anybody... i love what senna did! but clark? he was of other universe... i'm sure that if both of them did not died the way they did theese guys would beat Fangio Records...

[@erwinruijs8571]

+Carlos Hernandez True, But every generation brings it's own legend. Fangio in the mid 50's (with Ascari), then Moss, then Clark, Stewart, Senna, Schumacher, etc.

[@ninoschier9528]

+Erwin Ruijs Lauda

[@adhdgaming5523]

polygamous1 Sozou I disagree he was no where near Senna as Clark was fast smooth and consistent and could work around problems with the car but seems was fast but stupid as he only thought about him self

[@chrisb8075]

Clark is head and shoulders above senna and Hamilton in EVERY respect.

[@briandouglas5552]

It's somewhat comical, reading these comments... I'm 60 years old now and all I remember of this era in F1 are the three Hot Wheels cars I had at the time. These races were never broadcast in America. Just last month, I watched the movie Grand Prix and also the documentaries filmed at the time about the making of the movie. Most of the staged shots were filmed at something above a warmup lap pace, in order to be safe and have shots that could be followed by audiences in the theatre. The clips from the real races were mostly shot as the cars came around low to medium speed corners or as they drove away down some straight. But, there was one. It was very brief. It was shot with a long telephoto lens just off line from the car as it crested a hill. It was the real Jackie Stewart in the real BRM in the real race, getting light over a berm at the end of a right hand bend. O...M...G.!!! Nothing. I mean NOTHING in 47 years of watching motor racing prepared me for THAT. In a split second, it looked like Jackie must have caught the car 5 or 6 times from flying off until it "settled" on the track again. And the SPEED! Why doesn't Tiff tell us what it's like to drive the Lotus 49? Because, he doesn't know!

[@57acker]

How was it possible to fit Needell into this tiny car ?

[@mickkennedy1344]

Tiffany Dell.

[@kylewaddington1983]

How did Tiff Needle work on Top Gear with Jemery Clarkson for ?

[@smilingskull7827]

Safety was totally out of the question in 67 68, the roll bar was to protect the engine only.

[@Johnnycdrums]

Bring back the 3.0L V8 Cosworth DFV for the general public, except in TT Ecoboost form.

[@Loulovesspeed]

No way, it sounds much better in normally aspirated form. I heard a John Player Lotus 72 at a Vintage event at Watkins Glen and it produced one of the most exciting sounds of any race car engine I have ever heard, and I've heard many in my 70 years!

[@ReverendFrogF1]

what the hell is Keith Duckworth looking at?

[@scottpaul7427]

"...in being the first engine to form part of the structure of the car" is not actually true. The Lotus 43 had done so the previous year with its ridiculous H16 engine, and Lancia had done it with a front engined car in the 50s.

[@TheTukTuk2008]

@4:08 full throttle

[@cvpuga]

what graham said? couldn't understand it

[@KINGOSWALD]

"Well it's got some poke.(power) Not a bad old tool"

[@RaacingAce]

Why played GPL???))))

[@Rennpanzer]

If he had, his cars would have been light while also more sturdy. Nobody forced Jim Clark into the car he died in, and it's doubtful he could have survived that crash any better in a BRM or Ferrari. Is there really anything to be gained from faulting Chapman for that which was considered an acceptable risk, at the time? People, today, are more than happy to fly ultra lights, just as Tiff seemed pretty excited about having the opportunity to turn some laps in the 49.

[@pedrojogador9]

Assetto Corsa

[@skyscall]

Grand Prix Legends

[@mro9466]

Automobilista iRacing :p

[@DNHarris]

Who the * are those old guys talking to, space aliens? Why are they looking up to their left? Will we ever know?

[@Ellis01234567890]

0:49 is false isn't it? The Lotus 43 was the first?

[@Loulovesspeed]

Colin Chapman's Lotus 49 was the first to utilize the engine and transaxle as a stressed member of the car, which of course made it much lighter than other comparable cars.

[@williamr3840]

Didn't really tell us what it was like to drive.

[@robben896]

Why are they all looking at the ceiling?

[@FAT8893]

I'm guessing the interviewer is on the other side.

[@hugoagogo9435]

Jim Clark. Motor sports greatest driver and greatest loss

[@darkarts59]

2.14 'a moment recorded for prosperity' seriously, did he say that?

[@FAT8893]

Recorded by Ford Motor Company nonetheless, I mean the driving montage. ^_^

[@jackallen6261]

NO he said posterity, which means for future generations, lol.

[@dumptrump3788]

I miss Tiff & tge old Top Gear team. If this were Clarkson he'd find some way of snidely being unpatriotic & bashing British achievements.

[@spwicks1980]

Er.... this was Clarkson era. He was in it, with Vicki Butler Henderson aswell. He also is about as patriotic as it gets? Dunno what you were watching...

[@JolietJakeProduction]

actually, no one is looking in to the camera.

[@Delta1music]

Probably a script. Even if he's legit, he might do bad interviews or something. Idk, I don't know anything about him.

[@Rennpanzer]

Ah, but what if Collin Chapman had had the opportunity to work with carbon fiber?

[@briandouglas5552]

There is a Goodwood video about the twin-chassis type 88 which did use carbon fibre, but was banned before allowed to race. So, the first F1 car to race with a carbon fibre chassis ended up being a McLaren.

[@5naxalotl]

what mystifies me is why Lotus doesn't make copies of the 49. like many amazing old-school cars, they could be built for far less money than a modern lotus coupe. ok, it's totally an issue that they are terrifying death hazzards. i understand there'd need to be a whole pile of caveats. but imo the real issue is that, with motorsport continuing to get more expensive and less interesting, nobody in the industry wants to admit to the unparalleled joy of *way too much power* on *way too little grip*, and that a chinese factory could probably achieve this recipe for ten thousand dollars

[@phililpb]

so it could very well have been a ducktin engine

[@uffdabike9503]

The way cars should still look. I hate all of those wings. Today's cars look like beasts, no beauty to them at all.

[@Gromit801]

Colin was a great designer, but I'd put Jim Hall a step higher.

[@garyspeed8961]

Jack Brabham, designed...built... drove and won 2 world champonships in his

[@chrisfleming5109]

Ayrton Senna is the greatest but Jim Clark was the best ever.

[@sultanabran1]

but he didn't. so what if he did. drivers were still killed in his under-designed cars.

[@DaveMcIroy]

Chapman best car designer of all time? Sure he was brilliant (and rutheless), but ever heard of Adrian Newey?

[@theant9821]

Adrian newey just does aerodynamics, not chassis, power plants, sponsorship, aero too, and running the team. lotus 25 had the first monocoque chassis, this had the first structurally integrated engine, the 72 was the first to be designed to use down force, either the 76 or 77 (I can't remember which) was the first to be designed in a wind tunnel, then there's the first ground effect cars, then the twin chassis car which was banned during its first practice session as it was so much faster than all the other cars, and the gas turbine car, and the first car to use active suspension was being designed when he died, it first raced on the 99t. Gordon Murray has a more impressive cv than newey too.

[@michaelslack6227]

+DaveMcIroy Gotta include Bruce McLaren as well I think.

[@agskytter8977]

I think you have to count in some pre WW2 German racing car designers. Remember the Silver Arrows?

[@DaveMcIroy]

+Agskytter Ahm, the silver arrows were after WW2.

[@theant9821]

DaveMcIroy he's probably referring to or thinking about the auto union (audi) gran prix cars from the 30s

[@deezynar]

No seat belts, and the roll bar is lower than the driver's head. Is that stupidity?

[@hcrun]

No....that's moor racing in the early 1960s. If Needall had been driving the '49 in a race meeting, then current regulations would require seat belts and a higher rollbar, but this car is not raced, only demonstrated.

[@hcrun]

Typo! :) (I'm Australian, not English.)

[@hcrun]

Fair enough. I'm descended from English stock, so that's acceptable. :)

[@deezynar]

***** I hadn't thought of that! You are probably right. It's strange that people building race cars in the early days didn't think of things we take for granted now. Race cars started off being really high off the ground, had skinny tires, no seat belts, and there wasn't any thought of aerodynamic down force.

[@IAmMeridianTX]

***** Are you really going to criticize him for forgetting the "t" in motor racing and then say "your English"? haha

[@wendellfugate9069]

BLIMEY.