Pity the Poor Historian

Jenks used to write pieces titled, โ€œPity the Poor Historianโ€, where he would list, say, the conflicting reasons for a particular carโ€™s retirement from a race as reported in different publications. I used to think them highly amusing until I became an historian myself. Try this as an easy historical question, โ€œWho designed the body of the Lotus 11?โ€

You thought it was Frank Costin and so did I. Frank thought Frank Costin designed it and he showed the original drawings to Dennis E. Ortenburger when Ortenburger was researching his book, Flying on Four Wheelsโ€”Frank Costin and His Car Designs. After nearly 50 years, however, a guy named Grahame Walterโ€”a man not known to motor racing, but an accredited engineerโ€”has written a paper that claims he played a role in the design.

No Subscription? You’re missing out

Any Text Here

Get Started