Last month saw the 2nd huge gathering of Lotus cars in Japan, an epic event held under the banner of ‘Japan Lotus Day’. A traditional heartland of Lotus enthusiasm, the Fuji Speedway was chosen at the ideal location for Lotus owners to get together and enjoy the event. It’s inaugural outing in 2009 achieved 700 cars in attendance and this year Classic Team Lotus Japan (led by Katsuaki Kubota) displayed their three F1 cars; the type 78 chassis 4, the type 88B chassis 2 and the type 97T chassis 1. All three were restored by Clive Chapman’s Classic Team Lotus in Hethel, Norfolk. The event was organized by LCI (Japan Official Lotus Cars importer) and The Japan Lotus Day event promoter. The 78 and the 97T were static on this occasion. The type 88B was demonstrated at race speed in the hands of Japanese Historic F1 Ace Katsuaki Kubota, alongside Kenji Sasamoto in his yellow Camel sponsored type 101, also restored by CTL.
This was the first time the Lotus type 88B appeared in front of the Japanese public, so it attracted much attention from Japanese Lotus F1 enthusiasts and the Japanese Motor Media. (The type 88 was never allowed to race in period before it was banned.) Its unique twin chassis construction was the centre of attention, along with its ground breaking composite monocoque.
Behind the pit, the CTL Japan event shop attracted many, many Lotus fans. The event also featured many other Lotus formula cars, such as Formula Junior, Formula Ford, F2 and F3, along with Lotus Sport cars such as the Elite, Elan, Europa, Cortina, 23b, 30 and 47GT. Classic Team Lotus was pleased to donate a number of items for the fund raising auction in aid of the victims of the Tsunami.
The video, which is exquisitely filmed was produced by Okidokyo – Blog | Twitter
