Uma kuziwa kubakhi abancane, akunakwenzeka ukungabongi I-Lotus . Yasungulwa ngo-1948 nguColin Chapman, ayikaze iyilahle ngenjabulo indlela yomsunguli wemoto. “Yenza kube lula, bese wengeza ukukhanya” yisiqubulo esihlale sifingqa i-Lotus, sisuka ohlelweni lwezimoto ezisezingeni eliphansi ezifana ne-Seven, i-Elan, noma i-Elise yakamuva.
Kukhona iminyaka engu-70 yokuphila, eminingi yayo njengoba ukuba khona kwayo kusongelwa, kodwa manje, ezandleni zikaGeely, kubonakala kunokuzinza okudingekayo ukuze kubhekane nekusasa.
Iminyaka engu-70 yeLotus isivele imakwe ngokwethulwa kwezinye izinhlelo ezikhethekile zamamodeli ayo; ukuze ufinyelele ingqopha-mlando ebalulekile, ukukhiqizwa kwenombolo yemoto yakho engu-100 000, okungaba ngeyakho, ngama-euro angaphezu kuka-20; futhi manje uhlobo lwaseBrithani sethula inselelo ehluke ngokuphelele: elokuthola imoto yokuqala kaColin Chapman iLotus, iLotus Mark I.
Lotus Mark I
Imoto yokuqala eyabizwa ngegama leLotus kwakuyimoto yomjaho eyakhiwa uChapman egaraji labazali bentombi yakhe eLondon. Uma kubhekwa imikhawulo yemoto yokuqala, i-Austin Seven enesizotha, unjiniyela osemusha waba nethuba lokuqala lokusebenzisa imibono nezimiso zakhe - ezisasebenza nanamuhla - ukukhulisa ukusebenza nokuphonsela inselelo izimbangi ezilungiselelwe kangcono.
Akukho okuye kwashiywa kungenamyocu ku-Austin Seven encane ekuguqulelweni kwemoto yomjaho i-Lotus Mark I esebenza kahle kakhulu: ukushintshwa kwesakhiwo nokumiswa kwe-suspension, ukuqinisa u-chassis, amaphaneli omzimba angasindi kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi izingxenye ezilimala njalo emqhudelwaneni zingashintshwa ngokushesha . Ingemuva liphinde lanwetshwa ukuze lifake namasondo amabili ayisipele, avumela ukusabalalisa kwesisindo esingcono, okuqinisekisa ukudonsa okwengeziwe.
Yakhelwe ngesandla ngosizo lwabangani nentombi yakhe, unkosikazi wesikhathi esizayo u-Hazel - ngisho nomshayeli okanye naye - iLotus Mark I wathola impumelelo ngokushesha emijahweni yokuqala eyayiqhudelana (emijahweni enesikhathi phezu kwezitezi ezingcolile), yazuza imijaho emibili. uyawina ekilasini lakho. Unjiniyela ongakhathali, izifundo ezatholwa kuMark I zasetshenziswa ngokushesha ekuthuthukisweni kweLotus Mark II, eyavela ngonyaka olandelayo.
Ikuphi i-Lotus Mark I?
Ngokushintshwa kukaMark I esikhundleni sikaMark II, uChapman wayezothengisa imoto ngo-1950, ebeka isikhangiso kuMotor Sport. Imoto izodayiswa ngoNovemba, futhi into eyaziwayo ngomnikazi omusha ukuthi uhlala enyakatho yeNgilandi. Futhi kusukela lapho, umkhondo weLotus yokuqala eyenziwe ulahlekile.
Kuke kwaba nemizamo yaphambilini yokuthola imoto, kodwa kuze kube manje ayiphumelelanga. I-Lotus manje iphendukela kubalandeli bayo nabashisekeli bayo ukuthola imoto yayo yokuqala, njengoba singafunda emlayezweni uClive Chapman, indodana kaColin Chapman nomqondisi we-Classic Team Lotus:
I-Mark I iyingxenye engcwele yomlando weLotus. Bekungokokuqala ubaba ekwazi ukubeka imibono yakhe ukuze athuthukise ukusebenza kahle ngokuklama nokwakha imoto. Ukuthola le Lotus eyingqophamlando njengoba sigubha iminyaka yayo engama-70 kungaba impumelelo enkulu. Sifuna abalandeli bathathe leli thuba babone kuwo wonke amagaraji, amashede, izibaya ezivumelekile. Kungenzeka ukuthi uMark I washiya e-UK futhi singathanda ukwazi ukuthi uyasinda yini kwelinye izwe.
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