Summary

Racing legend Graham Hill's 1968 Lotus turbine-powered race car. Meticulously restored in proper STP livery, this is one of four original type 56 cars ever made.

Details

A marvel of automotive engineering, motorsports icon Andy Granatelli and England's Lotus Cars founder Colin Chapman's iconic STP-sponsored #70 Lotus 56-3 Indy Race Car from 1968 housed one of the first turbine engines ever used in an Indy car. Employing the latest aeronautical engineering techniques, Granatelli partnered with Chapman and his team to build four race cars powered by turbine jet engines. Produced at Pratt & Whitney Canada, the ST6N-74 gas turbine engine found in the Lotus 56 race car was developed as a 500bhp powerplant variant model of the PT6 engine for specific use in the 1968 Indianapolis 500. The PT6 family of engines is known for being incredibly reliable. With four-wheel drive, double-wishbone suspensions and the turbine engine, the #70 car was a force to be reckoned with on the track. In other words, the Lotus 56 cars had fantastic control over unbridled power. An innovative design, the turbine engine required around 80% less parts. The Lotus omitted a conventional gearbox because of the turbine's wealth of torque across the entire rev range. As a result, the Lotus 56 cars employed minimalism at its optimal efficiency. It was racing legend Graham Hill—a Classic Team Lotus veteran—who would find himself behind the wheel of the Lotus 56 #70 car in 1968 after winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1966. Hill took to the car immediately, setting a new track record with an average speed of 171.208 mph over four laps in qualifying. Hill pushed the turbine car to fourth place as late as the 110th lap, when a minor crash forced him out of the race. The legend of both the #70 car and the late, great Graham Hill live on. Owned for years by NASCAR legend Richard 'The King' Petty, the #70 Lotus 56-3 turbine was purchased by Austin, TX-based car collector and close friend Milton Verret, who ordered a ground-up restoration. With the support of Clive Chapman, son of Colin Chapman, and Vince Granatelli, son of Andy Granatelli, as well as Ellen Bireley, director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum and her expert team, the Lotus #70 was completely restored back to its 1968 race-day condition as an absolute masterpiece of automotive engineering. Calling upon the original design plans and archived photographs from decades ago, the #70 Lotus was meticulously restored to the exact period specification. It was honored in 2014 with a nomination for 'Car of the Year' at the International Historic Motoring Awards, as well as Octane Magazine Editor's Choice. The one-of-a-kind #70 Lotus has spent the last year on display inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, after Parnelli Jones drove the car during the parade laps of the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Steeped in historical importance, engineering genius and automotive excitement. **SOLD ON BILL OF SALE ONLY**