2026

The Lotus Type 49 was built and unveiled at Hethel, the home of Lotus, on May 23rd, 1967. Fity-nine years after the historic day Colin Chapman famously drove the Type 49 down the runway at Hethel and was photographed with the brand new Lotus production facility behind him, Classic Team Lotus unveiled the reconstruction of 49R1 that was commissioned by George Barber the late founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham Alabama.

Classic Team Lotus is deeply saddened by the news that George Barber has died. Mr Barber established the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama; a world class centre of automotive endeavour on an 880 acre site. An architecturally splendid building houses the world’s largest collection of motor cycles alongside the world’s largest collection of Lotus cars. Alongside is the Barber circuit which is a state of the art race track hosting Indycar racing and the Porsche North America Driver Training. Barber Motorsports Park is the largest philanthropic enterprise in the State.

Clive Chapman is very sorry to announce that the Classic Team Lotus Garden Party 2026 will not take place after all.