History - Legend - Stories - For Sale

MKVI - MK7 S1 | SB1000 - 1499 | SB1500 - 1999 | SB2000 - 2499 | SB2500 - 2999 | SB3000 +
important: chassis numbers are as reported by owners -- their appearance here does not guarantee authenticity.

Gordon Benson's Lotus 7
FRAME #1235

As Advertised:

I've got an original S2 7 Chassis and accompanying Triumph Rear axle I'd like to sell. I purchased it 15 years ago with a dream of rebuilding it. It has a chassis plate but it's all in storage so I don't have pics right now. Will do so for anyone interested.

The chassis was raced and is in rough shape with a few crack but complete. Axle is complete but never opened.

I'm still trying to find some misc info about the car's use. I've moved 3 times since I bought this and it was separated from the components so I wouldn't loose it of all reasons. Photos of the frame and pieces are attached. What I do remember about the car is that it was raced and crashed many times, rebuilt and had a life in vintage racing. To what extent I do not know because there was no log book when I purchased it. I will tell you the frame is in really rough shape, I'd estimate 30% of the frame tubes have cracks, broken welds, cuts or other dents and damage but mostly complete.

New Owner Gordon Benson writes:

I've just picked up a bare original frame with a tag on it of 1235 (though I did get the correct Triumph axle as well). I know very little history about it though it apparently was an ex-racecar. I don't know the history or any other information other than that and that it has obviously been in a few accidents.

The previous owner (the person who put the ad up on lotustalk) said that the person he got the frame from that it was from a "vintage racecar". However, looking it over I think the more accurate case could be a racecar that ran back in the 1960s-1970s. There is evidence of a roll bar structure that was cut off the frame at some point that had a main hoop, two bars going back from the hoop to the back of the frame (as common) and a forward bar that went from the main hoop to the base of the cowl. These were all cut off some time again though so I only see the remains of where it was attached to the chassis.

I also was given a roll bar with the car as well though I can't at the moment verify that it was on the chassis originally. It has evidence of SCCA tech stickers on it though most are washed out badly enough that I can't get any details off of it. The one legible sticker that I can read (car #8, WGS signed off, 6-23 for the date though sadly no year) hasn't helped too much as of yet though I haven't dug too much into it. At any rate, knowing the history of SCCA's cage rules there is no way that this bar was used on anything post-1972 as it is VERY small in diameter (like 3/4") though thick in diameter but wouldn't have been able to get past tech. I also can't find a bar number stamped in the main hoop though this may have been on a diagonal bar that was cut off of it.

My hope would be to trace a sticker off of this bar and then to find a later photo of the car showing the remains of the hoop that was on it though I know that this is a long shot.


History - Legend - Stories - For Sale

MKVI - MK7 S1 | SB1000 - 1499 | SB1500 - 1999 | SB2000 - 2499 | SB2500 - 2999 | SB3000 +
important: chassis numbers are as reported by owners -- their appearance here does not guarantee authenticity.