Lotus 72

[funformula]

Until today, I wasn´t aware that the Lotus 72 wreck from Rindts fatal crash in Monza 1970 is still existing. I read the new book from Ferdi Kräling about the career of Jochen Rindt. At the last page is a picture from the wreck, telling that it was stored for 25 years in a shed in Italy before being recovered by a Rindt Fan from Vienna who is planning to build it up again.
Why was that car never given back to Team Lotus?
Was it because of a legal case following Rindts death?
I remember certain difficulties with italian law going on for years regarding the fatal accidents from Peterson and Senna.
Does anyone have more information about that?

[allenbrown]

A very amusing claim. I hope the Austrian has some documentation to support this.

It's not the first time I've heard of this wreckage being bought by someone after many years of storage. The last story faded away when I started asking for evidence. I wonder if this one will as well.

[allenbrown]

I should have been clearer in my last post.

The story of the wreck of Rindt's Monza Lotus 72 being in Vienna is bogus. It is demonstrably untrue.

There may well be a Lotus 72 in Vienna and it may have Rindt history, but it's not the Monza wreck.

The Monza wreck was bought many years ago and came to England in the mid-1990s. I know where it is today but I don't believe it would be appropriate for me to reveal that on a public forum.


OldRacingCars.com
http://www.oldracingcars.com
allen@oldracingcars.com

[driftwood]

why would anyone want to rebuild and drive a race car that a guy was killed in

james dean`s porsche 356
rather go and build a replica and put £2 J Rindt sticker on the cockpit
next we will hear the jimmy clarke 48 has been found in a german farmers shed and rebuilt
these cars should be publicly cut up and put into the scrap yard

[allenbrown]

And a lot of people would agree with you Drifty (and it's not often I say that!). The problem is that the wreck wasn't scrapped at the time so we now have a different issue.

My only point in posting here is to address the story that the wreck was being rebuilt in Austria. It isn't.

How the owner deals with the very sensitive issue of what to do with the wreck is a separate issue. My understanding is that it is being handled with appropriate thought and consideration.

Can we leave it at that?

[funformula]

The subtitle in the photo says that the car was found 25 years after the crash. So I assume the picture was taken then in the mid 90´s.
So far it would match to Allens story.
Maybe the author mixed up some stories about it.
He tells a Austrian computer-speciallist "...brachte es in Sicherheit. Das Auto wird in England nach Originalplänen neu aufgebaut" which means stored it safe and will be rebuilt in England using original drawings.
The picture shows the Lotus 72 which looks very much like the thing in the crash-pictures from Monza 1970.
Sreering rack and bent steering axle still with the car.
Also some more Lotus stuff in the shed like wheels (60´s style), JPS-Lotus 72 cockpit cover etc.
Seems to be the shed of an italian Lotus-fan.

I agree with you, don´t think that such a car should be rebuilt.
Leave it as it is, it tells a (very sad) story of its own.

[Angus Theape]

Originally Posted by driftwood

next we will hear the jimmy clarke 48 has been found in a german farmers shed and rebuilt

Just to stop the tablet of stone repetition it's Clark.

I know Autosport once printed it with an e on the front cover, but there is no need for everyone else to join their standard of journalism.

[Graz]

Originally Posted by Angus Theape

Just to stop the tablet of stone repetition it's Clark.

I know Autosport once printed it with an e on the front cover, but there is no need for everyone else to join their standard of journalism.

I hate it when people come on and correct people's spellings, even more so when it's the only topic of their post...grow up and stop wasting thread space.

Re the thread, this is a very sensitive subject and like Allen said, I think we should leave it at that and cease needless speculation.

[Angus Theape]

Originally Posted by Graz

I hate it when people come on and correct people's spellings, even more so when it's the only topic of their post...grow up and stop wasting thread space.

If you are going to hold anyone in any respect, the least you can do is spell their name correctly.

[RS250]

I fully respect and to a large extent agree with Allens thoughts on chassis 72/2, but there is indeed a full history of the car, before and after Monza, in Michael Olivers (definitive?) book on the 72 so surely most of us are reasonably aware of the full story aren't we?

[funformula]

I was at the "Hockenheim Historic" today and walked the whole day through the paddock with a big grin on my face. Beautyful racecars all over the place.
And in the middle of the paddock there was indeed a Lotus 72 in Gold Leaf livery.
I wasn´t close enough to check the chassis plate, but could it be the real thing???
The car did a few demo-laps with a driver, wearing an black open face helmet similar to the one Rindt had.
Was a kind of "magic moment"

[Michael Oliver]

Originally Posted by funformula

I was at the "Hockenheim Historic" today and walked the whole day through the paddock with a big grin on my face. Beautyful racecars all over the place.
And in the middle of the paddock there was indeed a Lotus 72 in Gold Leaf livery.
I wasn´t close enough to check the chassis plate, but could it be the real thing???
The car did a few demo-laps with a driver, wearing an black open face helmet similar to the one Rindt had.
Was a kind of "magic moment"

This is 72/4, the ex-Graham Hill/Rob Walker car, which was built up to 72C spec using the tub of 72/1 in late 1970.

The link here is that Jochen Rindt tested 72/1 at Hethel, therefore, although it was never raced by Jochen, it can be said to be an ex-Rindt car...

The car is owned by an Austrian collector who is an avid Rindt fan and who owns a large number of other ex-Rindt cars. Perhaps this is where the Austrian link has come up, since the Rindt Monza wreck is very definitely not there...

[Gary Critcher]

Just wanted to drop you a line to tell you that we are progressing on the work on the Lotus 72 DVD and that we have made some changes and additions to the webiste just this week : www.lotus72dvd.com