1969 Lotus 49B - Jochen Rindt 1/20th Scale Model Kit

In 1968 Formula 1 cars adopted wider tires to better transfer the power of the three litre engines to the road. While this benefited traction, it reduced tire load per square inch, translating in reduced performance under cornering and braking. To regain the lost performance, Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe extensively revised the Type 49, thus creating the Type 49B.

In the Type 49B, the front wheels were moved by a full three inches. At the same time, the rear suspension was redesigned with the lower radius rod mounting now located further forward, in turn requiring a recess within the lower rear end of the monocoque to accommodate. Both the oil tank and oil cooler were also relocated on top of the FG400 Hewland gear box, all in the interest of increasing weight and load on the rear tires.

Aerodynamics were also extensively revised with the nose no divided into an upper and lower construction with small wings extending on either side. At a later date, an opening in the nose was added to help extract air from behind the radiator. Painted in the red, white and gold livery of it's main sponsor, the Type 48B was introduced at the 1968 Grand Prix of Spain where it took victory in the hands of Graham Hill. It won again at the following Grand Prix in Monaco, making it two wins in a row. Immediately thereafter, wings were introduced to Formula 1. Team Lotus immediately championed the idea, fitting the Type 49B with an ever taller and wider wing than the others for the French GP.

But as teams introduced ever taller and ever bigger wings, the very flimsy nature of their design at the time led to wings collapsing on the run. The resultant loss of downforce often led to severe crashes, so much so that the FIA and CSI banned all such wings at the 1969 Monaco Grand Prix, before introducing at the follwoing Grand Prix of the Netherlands new rules regulating the design of low mounted, fixed wings. Team Lotus responded to these new regulations with a low mounted fixed rear wing located atop the gear box.

In 1968, Type 49B brought Graham Hill the driver's title while Team Lotus earned the Constructor’s Title. The car was raced again the following year with Hill finishing second place at the Race of Champions in March at the wheel of a then still high wing version of the 49B and team mate Jochen Rindt recorded his first win in Formula 1 at the US grand Prix at the wheel of a by then low mounted, fixed wing version, creating the momentum that would see him win the driver's title the following year in 1970.

Driver figure not included. 

***THIS IS A MODEL KIT THAT REQUIRES ASSEMBLY*** Paint and glue not included