Colin Chapman and Lotus 2 - From Formula 1 to the road

The idea of lightness wasn’t just Colin Chapman’s. As a matter of fact, in Surbiton in the Surrey region of England, John Cooper and his father Charles had already been very successful building small Formula 3 (500cc) single-seater cars, using rear-mounted Norton motorcycle engines. A kind of ante litteram Kart.  The talent war begins: John Cooper set up his own single-seater with the small F3 series with its Norton engine flanked here by a very young Stirling Moss. Chapman remained loyal to the front-mounted engine