This Lotus is a formidable force
The Lotus 23 was a formidable force from the moment it made its debut, famously pulling out a 27-second lead on its first lap at the Nürburgring. The legendary Jim Clark extended his lead on the following pack, which contained many more powerful cars, every lap until a mechanical issue put it out of contention on lap 12.
The Madgwick Cup had an entry of no fewer than 14 Lotus 23s, and the car featured here was involved in a terrific three-way battle with two other 23s. It was driven in this weekend’s race – its fourth appearance at Goodwood Revival – by Andrew Hibberd. If you’ve already seen the video, you’ll know he brought the car home in second place.
The car has been in the Hibberd family since 2003, when father Michael bought it. It was in need of restoration work back then, but since the rebuild it has been used regularly in historic motorsport. A consistently front-running car, it came within two points of winning last year’s Guard’s Trophy Championship.
Photography by Tom Shaxson.
Revival
Revival 2016
Lotus
2016
