Lotus XI GT ‘Breadvan’ Ex-Goodwood

* Unique Lotus XI inspired by Ferrari ‘Breadvan'

* Highly competitive race car with Goodwood Provenance

* Believed to be the only Coupe GT in existence

* Developed by racing driver Graham Capel in period with the support of
Colin Chapman

* Built by Neil Twyman with the assistance of Graham Capel

* FIA HTP and eligible for numerous historic events

* UK road registered


According to legend, the creator of the Lotus ‘Breadvan’, British racing driver Graham Capel, had seen how successful the Ferrari Breadvan was that he decided to apply the same principles to his own Lotus Eleven.

There were other influences too, like Neri& Bonacini’s Ferrari 250, but it was Drogo’s iconic reworking of a Ferrari 250 SWB, built for Count Volpi in the style of a GTO, but with a distinctive long, low roof line, and 'pizza oven' rear window that gives this Lotus its ‘Breadvan’ nonmenclature.

It was last seen racing September 1964, where it finished second in Class at Goodwood. But 50 years later, virtually to the day, it was to finish second in class again, this time in the Moss Trophy, in what is generally acknowledged as one of the greatest ever races at Goodwood, when the Lotus found itself fighting an epic ‘David and Goliath’ battle with an Aston Martin DB4 GT.

Unlike the biblical encounter the Lotus Breadvan, expertly driven by Joe Twyman and Olly Bryant, eventually lost out to its bigger rival the DB4 GT, but only by half a second after an hour-long endurance race in which the two cars repeatedly changed places, with the Lotus faster into the corners but the mighty Aston powering out in front on the straights. Even so the spirited little Lotus with its four-cylinder Coventry Climax proved faster than its V-12 Ferrari namesake.

“Historic Motor Sport at its very best…” is how the Goodwood commentators described the closing minutes of the Moss Trophy, which can be seen on the video below.

- details above

Just as fascinating is the backstory to this remarkable car. The Breadvan is believed to be the sole survivor of a handful of Lotus XI GTs, so-called because they acquired Coupe bodies and became extremely competitive as a result. Graham Capel was the pioneer of this development, having seen the Ferrari Breadvan in action, and he took the idea to Lotus founder Colin Chapman who not only gave his blessing but provided drawings to help with the project.

Other privateers followed Capel’s lead with various Coupe designs but none were as successful as his, either competitively or aesthetically. And none were thought to have survived with their GT bodies, all having be returned to their original specification during various restorations.

Fascinated by this story Goodwood veteran and Lotus afficionado David Cooke eventually tracked down Graham Capel for a greater insight and was delighted to discover that he still had the original body to the Breadvan, and an XI project he was in the process of rebuilding. Both were hurriedly purchased and with Capel’s assistance the Breadvan was reborn in the workshop of collaborator Neil Twyman.

Having access to the original constructor and Chapman’s drawings proved invaluable, not only in rebuilding the car exactly as per original, but also in recreating the Plumstead Racing Livery (David Plumstead being Capel’s original sponsor) the correct period paintwork (BMC Squadron Blue) and sponsorship logos. The bodywork even features the original ‘Breadvan’ roof which was fabricated from a WW2 Mosquito’s fuel tanks by the coachworks JT Blythe, who were based at Redhill Aerodrome in period.

Following a recent service at Twyman’s Regent Garage, this unique and much loved Lotus is ready for the next stage of its racing career, and as the one and only Lotus ‘Breadvan’ it will be welcomed at historic events at home and abroad.

£POA