Factory Twincam Specification, From 51 Year Ownership
1965 Lotus 22 Twincam
A unique, factory specification Lotus 22 Twincam built new for hillclimbing by special request of first owner, Tom Elton.
Campaigned from new in the British Hillclimb Championship.
Coming from an ownership spanning 51 years, 22-TC-75 stands as one of the most clear Lotus 22s in existence.
Restored and cared for by Simon Hadfield Motorsport, 22-TC-75 has been kept in exceedingly clean condition, presenting beautifully today.
Accompanied by a set of Lotus ‘Wobbly Web’ wheels and its original steering wheel along with an extensive history file including original correspondence from its first owner.
Whether attacking the hills again or expanding potential use by setting up for Historic Formula Junior, 22-TC-75 will no doubt excite its new custodian and demonstrate why the model is reputed as a sweet-spot of Lotus’ production.
Price: £85,000 GBP
Chassis Number: 22-TC-75
The Lotus 20 and 22
For the 1961 season, Lotus brought out a new Formula 1 design, the 21. Their first rear engine design, the 18, had been a triumph through 1960 with Innes Ireland taking Lotus’ first F1 victory in the non-championship Glover Trophy at Goodwood in April and Stirling Moss winning the Monaco and U.S. Grand Prix. The new 21 refined that concept with sleeker bodywork and a lower centre of gravity while retaining the same Coventry Climax FPF four cylinder engine.
As they had done with the 18 in 1960, Lotus produced a Formula Junior version of the Formula 1 car, the 20. Within an advanced yet lightweight space frame chassis housing an 1,100cc Cosworth MAE engine, customers could choose from either Renault Dauphine or Hewland modified VW gearboxes.
Suspension was double wishbone with coil sprung dampers around a Triumph upright on the front while the rear used a cast Lotus upright, with twin trailing arms, a bottom wishbone, and with the fixed-length driveshaft forming the top link of the assembly. The 20 was built with drum brakes front and rear, although most were quickly upgraded to disc brakes all around.
A new Formula Junior model was released for 1962, the 22. Building on the success of the 20, the 22 featured disc brakes, improved rear suspension with an extra link and driveshafts with met-elastic joints. The 22 chassis varied in a few details but was largely derived from 20, with one of the main differences being that the engine was laid over at an angle to lower the centre of gravity and which also yielded a smoother engine cover.
The Lotus 22 Formula Junior proved to be a highly effective package with many privateer customers finding success. The model was popular and production continued into 1965 with some 77 chassis numbers being issued.
This car, 22-TC-75
While the majority of Lotus 22s were sold by Lotus in Formula Junior trim, a handful of cars were specified with alternative setups. 22-TC-75, one of the very last 22 chassis numbers issued, was one of those cars. First owner Tom Elton, a keen hillclimber, ordered 22-TC-75 with a 1600cc Lotus Twincam Mk13 engine and five speed Hewland MkV gearbox.
Built with the frame number AM64 19, 22-TC-75 was completed in May 1965 with 6” and 7” wide wheels. Finished in black with a 6” white centre stripe, the price was £1500 and it was collected from Lotus by new owner Tom Elton.
Elton would go on to campaign 22-TC-75 with vigour in the hillclimb and sprint scene of the UK. With occasional top 10 appearances in the National Hillclimb Championship rounds, both Tom and his son Spencer campaigned 22-TC-75 over four seasons. Further outings came at sprints such as Castle Combe, and 22-TC-75 claimed a class victory at Weston-Super-Mare speed trials in 1969 setting a time of 14.94.
22-TC-75, having started life running the familiar ‘Wobbly Web’ Lotus wheels, was upgraded to a set of 8” and 10” magnesium Minilite wheels to which wider Dunlop 184 tyres were fitted. By the time it was advertised for sale in January 1970, 22-TC-75 had completed less than 300 miles, such is the nature of hillclimbs and sprints.
Having listed 22-TC-75 for sale in Autosport in early 1970, Elton sold the car to Ian Smillie of Scotland. Smillie campaigned 22-TC-75 in Scotland with success, taking 2nd overall and 1st in class in the Scottish Hill Climb Championship before trading the car to Jim Gleave of Low Cost Racing.
Bob Snelson ran 22-TC-75 a handful of times in 1972 and then through Low-Cost Racing, it passed to the late owner of 51 years, Geoffrey Hunt in 1973. Having previously hillclimbed a Cooper, Hunt upgraded to the Twincam powered Lotus and campaigned it in both hillclimbs and sprints. By the time it entered Hunt’s ownership, 22-TC-75 had been painted blue with a white noseband and central white stripe.
Low Cost Racing carried out works to 22-TC-75 for Hunt in 1974, including rebuilding the Lotus Twincam engine, fitting a roll hoop to the chassis and refinishing ready for use.
Hunt continued driving 22-TC-75, with success, through to 1976 at which point a March 733 joined his stable. With the new acquisition, 22-TC-75 was for a time placed in retirement and stored for 21 years.
In 1995, Hunt tasked Simon Hadfield Motorsport with restoring 22-TC-75 to ‘ex-works’ condition. A bare chassis rebuild followed, with a more elegant roll hoop constructed and added. The Twincam engine went to Tony Broster’s NES concern for rebuild while the gearbox went to Mark Bailey Racing.
The complete rebuild and refinishing was completed in mid-1996. 22-TC-75 had been returned to the ‘Wobbly Web’ wheels and its factory paint finish of black with white central stripe. Hunt’s local hillclimb of Gurston Down was to be the debut run for the rebuilt 22-TC-75, and it continued to return to Simon Hadfield’s for annual maintenance religiously.
Over the years, engine maintenance was taken over by George Wadsworth at Racing Fabrications and in 2008 the Twincam received further attention to boost its performance while keeping it true to its origin.
Another upgrade came in 2012, in the shape of reverting to the wide magnesium Minilite wheels which had been kept alongside the car. Fitted with cut Avon slicks, the wider wheels provided a step in performance and brought its cosmetic appearance to much like that when owned and campaigned by Ian Smillie.
With Hunt’s regular use of 22-TC-75 taking them to Gurston Down, Prescott, Shelsley Walsh, Bo’ness, Longleat, Doune and Wiscombe Park, Hunt continued the annual trips to Simon Hadfield Motorsport to keep the Lotus in top form. Both Hunt and 22-TC-75 also graced the cover of the Shelsley Walsh Lotus Anniversary Celebration programme. On two occasions, Hunt won the coveted Bugatti Owners’ Club’s Silver Candlestick award at Prescott.
Having slowed from hillclimbing so often in 2016, 22-TC-75 has been stored in a Carcoon and periodically run up to keep it in working order. With the most recent visit to Simon Hadfield Motorsport having been in June 2016, 22-TC-75 received various works including a having the corners rebuilt, a new clutch fitted, a full set-up and new nose section of bodywork fitted.
As the longest serving committee member of the BARC South West and regular hillclimb competitor for some 50 years, Geoff Hunt was very well respected and known for his efforts in the immaculate Lotus 22.
Now 22-TC-75 is ready to find its next custodian, and it’s hoped that the new owner will continue to campaign the car with vigour, and care for it as Geoff did.
Having been in the same ownership for 51 years and fully documented from new, 22-TC-75 is perhaps one of the clearest history Lotus 22s that exist. Unique in being built by the Lotus factory specifically for hillclimbing with a 1600cc Lotus Twincam engine, 22-TC-75 has survived with a strong degree of purity.
Still bearing the original Arch Motors frame tag on its dashboard bulkhead, along with the same engine and gearbox that its had since the late ‘60s, 22-TC-75 also bears details such as the original brake callipers and Armstrong shock absorbers. The original steering wheel also accompanies the Lotus, as does the set of ‘Wobbly Web’ wheels.
22-TC-75 is also joined by an extensive history file spanning its whole life. With original correspondence and adverts by first owner Tom Elton, second owner Ian Smillie, a letter from Clive Chapman, invoices from throughout detail work done over the years. Also within the file is a photo record of the restoration completed at Simon Hadfield Motorsport.
With the Paul Matty Lotus Hillclimb Championship catering for similar interesting, historic Lotus cars and taking in a selection of the UK’s hillclimb venues, 22-TC-75 would of course be at home and competitive within it again.
Further use opportunities come as the ever-popular Historic Formula Junior series welcomes original Lotus 22s, even if they were originally fitted with alternative engines. By fitting an 1,100cc Cosworth MAE engine and adapting to Formula Junior specifications, the potential use for 22-TC-75 broadens significantly.
Whatever the use by its next custodian, 22-TC-75 is bound to excite as it demonstrates why the 22 was a sweet-spot of Lotus’ production history.
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