Makes › Lotus › 38 · Coachbuilt Ultra Rare
Lotus
38
Indianapolis car, 8 built.
Still being researched: why it matters, identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: ian mcwilliams from CHAFFORD HUNDRED, England · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 8 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- 90° V8 · 4,195 cc / 4.2 LFactory: 4,195 cc
- Power
- 373 kW / 507 PSFactory: 500 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Len Terry for Lotus
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Lotus 38 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: ian mcwilliams from CHAFFORD HUNDRED, England · CC BY 2.0
Lotus 38 (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Aaron Headly from Munith, MI, United States · CC BY 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionLotus 38 built (Ultimatecarpage) | 81 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Lotus built the 38 for the 1965 Indianapolis 500 after Colin Chapman's earlier Indy cars, the 29 and 34. Ford supplied the engines and backing, and Len Terry led the design. The 38 used a fully enclosed sheet-aluminium monocoque in place of the open bathtub chassis of the earlier cars.
Jim Clark won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 in a 38. It was the first win for a mid-engined car, a Ford engine and a British car, and Clark was the first foreign winner since Ralph DePalma in 1915.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 38.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | 90° V82 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 4,195 cc / 4.2 LFactory: 4,195 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Hilborn / Ford fuel injection2 Independently researched |
| Power | 373 kW / 507 PSFactory: 500 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource states bhp. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Fully enclosed sheet-aluminium monocoque, split behind the centre bulkhead to cradle the engine3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
- 1
-
2
1965 Lotus 38 Ford Specifications Level C Ultimatecarpage.com
- Ford 90° V8
- Displacement | 4,195 cc / 256 cu in
- Hilborn / Ford Fuel Injection
- Power | 500 bhp / 373 kW @ 8,400 rpm
-
3
1965 Lotus 38 Ford - Images, Specifications and Information Level C Ultimatecarpage.com
- fully enclosed sheet-aluminium monocoque
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