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Lotus 56 Turbine Engine Indy Car
Vehicle Model: Model 56
Vehicle Serial Number: Chassis 56/3
Per Autocar & Autosport Magazine
History:
For the 1968 Indy 500, Andy Granatelli commissioned Lotus to build four cars utilizing the Pratt & Whitney Turbine Engine, and with a Ferguson four wheel drive system that he had used in 1967 with Parnelli Jones' Paxton car.
Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe designed the Lotus 56 that was then known as the "STP Wedge".
The cars were the most technically advanced and popular racecars ever built.
With drivers Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mike Spence, & Jackie Stewart contracted to drive them; they generated massive publicity for both STP and the Indy 500.
When the turbine engines were outlawed at the end of 1968, this car was placed into the lobby of STP headquarters where it stayed for 28 years. This car was acquired from STP by Richard Petty in 1996 and has been in the Petty Museum since then.
This is the first time in 42 years that an original, un-restored, authentic Lotus 56 has been made available to purchase. The car has been repainted, but otherwise is exactly as it was in 1968. It is in excellent mechanical condition and is the only surviving Lotus 56 with its original Lotus chassis plate.
"THE Lotus 56 S.T.P. turbo car is the latest of a long line of cars from Colin Chapman.
It was with this wedge-shaped car.
the support of his two drivers (Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart), and the great reliability of the turbine engine that he and his sponsors S.T.P. hoped to win the 1968 Indianapolis 500-mile race on May 30th.
The car was propelled by a Pratt and Whitney S.T.N.674 gas turbine which is a modified version of the PT6 turbo prop engine.
It has the 14.9 sq. in. air intakes as laid down by the U.S.A.C. regulations. This is 10 sq. ins. smaller than that used by the S.T.P. Paxton turbine in 1967. As the turbine revs at some 40,000 r.p.m. it is necessary to reduce this figure by a reduction box placed at the front of the engine. This reduces the revs to a usable six to 7000 r.p.m. at which the car gives approximately 550 hp Fuel for the car in the race was a mixture of paraffin and petrol which is housed in rubber tanks down the sides of the monocoque booms. The exhaust for the engine is housed in the funnel-like projection upwards behind the driver's head. The chassis is of monocoquc construction running the full length of the wheelbase and it is made of 16 gauge aluminum. Unlike the Paxton turbine the Lotus 56 has its turbine mounted behind the driver and not at the side; this enables a slimmer chassis to be constructed. Incidentally, there is no off-set on the chassis and the car would probably make a useful normal fast track car such as at Monza and Spa. The suspension is by means of wishbones all round, pivoted in nylon bearings. The wishbones are connected to rocker arms which operate spring coil dampers, mounted inboard of the airstream. These dampers are placed forward of the front suspension and rearwards of the rear suspension. Steering is by rack and pinion and dampened by two hydraulic dampers. The power from the turbine is transmiled to all four wheels, first through a compound differential in the centre and then fore and aft to Z l differentials by 25 mm. diameter shafts. All the main parts or the transmission were designed and built by Harry Ferguson Research Ltd. Drive from the dioerentials to the wheels is by Hardy Spicer shafts with constant velocity joints. The wheels which are the Lotus four-spoke type arc held on by three eared knock O's which enable quick pits stops for tyre changes. Braking is by Girling lOt in. ventilated discs. To aid cooling they are mounted just outside the body in the airstream. The two Lop body panels are made out of fibre glass and are quickly detachable. The two N.A.C.A. intakes on the top collect air which is ducted into the engine compartment and to the turbine intake. The back of the car is dished in, and at the centre is a panel which when removed reveals the rear of the engine. A NCRF bar is fitted across the rear concave of the chassis. The driver's roll bar is partly faired in by the cowl over the exhaust." -
Specifications:
Chassis: Monocoque Type, principally aluminum alloy sheet with Integral fuel tanks.
Engine: Pratt & Whitney of Canada Model ST6N74 Turbine Engine
Serial Number: 406
Transmission: Engine output shaft coupled directly to Harry Ferguson, Ltd. Transfer drive. Transfer by 3-in. Morse roller chain to "Monolok" planetary limited slip unit. Distribution to final drives by solid shafts without U-Joints. ZF spiral-bevel gear final drives front and rear, drive to wheels by Hardy Spicer constant-velocity jointed shafts.
Brakes: Girling, 10.25 x 1.1-in. vented discs, mounted inboard.
Wheels: Lotus, magnesium alloy, knock-off type, 15 or 16-in. dia., 9.5-in rim width.
Tires: Firestone.
Suspension: Double A-arms with inboard colt springs and tube shacks operated by rocking arms in top A-arm on all wheels.
Steering: Rack and pinion type mounted behind and in line with top wishbones. 12-inch diameter steering wheel
Fuel Cells: By Fireproof Tanks, Ltd., cells in four bays with Avery Hardoll quick refuel couplings.
Fuel Capacity: Approx. 70 US Gallons.
Body: Made of fiberglass.
Wind tunnel developed anti-lift low drag wedge type with twin flush NACA type engine air intakes.
Principal
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 102.0-in
Track, front/rear: 62.5/62.5-in
Overall Length: 170.0-in
Height: 32.0-in
Width 75.0-in
Ground Clearance 3.3-in
Lotus 56 Vehicle Information:
Chassis 56/1
Operated as Car Number 60
Qualified on Pole by Joe Leonard
Retired after lap number 191 due to a broken fuel pump drive and finished 12 TH
The car was sold to Parnelli Jones after the Milwaukee race in June of 1968.
Parnelli ran the car in several races during the 1968 season, developed parts for it, and modified the car to accept piston engines for the 1969 season. After the car was retired, it was converted back to turbine engine power and there existed enough spare and development parts to build another car.
Parnelli Jones has chassis 56/1 in his museum in Torrance, CA, and Bruce Linsmeyer has chassis 56/1 RE in his collection in Avon, IN.
Chassis 56/2
When STP driver Greg Weld failed to get up to speed in the car at Indy, Lotus driver Mike Spence got in it and turned the fastest speeds of the month.
Unfortunately he hit the wall May 7th and later died of head injuries.
The car was sent back to Lotus in England for repair and was the basis for the 56B Formula 1 car. Lotus 56/2 is now in the Historic Team Lotus collection as Lotus 56B in Hethel, England
Chassis 56/3
Operated as Car number 70
Qualified 2 ND and raced by Graham Hill.
Finished 19 TH
A left rear suspension failure put Graham out of the race on lap 110 and the car was sent back to Lotus for repair.
After the 1968 season ended, it was put in the lobby of the STP corporate headquarters where it stayed until 1996. Lotus 56/3 is now in Richard Petty's collection. It appears to be the only surviving Lotus 56 Indy car that was not converted to a piston power engine at some point.
Chassis 56/4
Operated as Car Number 20
Qualified 11th and raced by Art Pollard
Retired after lap number 188 due to a broken fuel pump drive and finished 13 TH