Lotus 19: a History
By Kevin Whittle
The next offering in marque devotee Whittle’s Lotus History series, this book takes an in-depth look at the fabled 19, also known as the Monte Carlo. Lest we forget, the bulk of Lotus’ early competition successes came in sports cars rather than single-seaters, and the 19 was based on Colin Chapman’s first proper Grand Prix car, the 18, with a widened frame and slick envelope bodywork. The 18 and 19 represented Chapman’s first rearengined designs in their respective categories, and both delivered on the promise of improved performance.
Beyond the author’s own astute assessments, the book is well stocked with reprints of contemporary articles about the car from various magazines that document its birth and progress. In the heart of the book are a dozen or so pages of detailed photos of a replica chassis built by the late Ken Nichols that show most of the componentry in great detail.
The author could have used a good copy editor for this self-published work, but the various grammatical errors do little to detract from the information provided.
Available for £40 (plus shipping) direct from the author/publisher at www.whittlebooks.com
