Lotus 31 Race Car

Constructor:	Lotus
Class:	Race Car
Years:	1964 to 1965
Engine:	997cc
Chassis:	space-frame

The Lotus 31 was a racing car, which was developed by Lotus as the first 1-liter Formula 3 race car of the British motorsport team. 

History

The 1964 Formula Three car of space-frame construction. It was as unsuccessful with more advanced monocoque cars now built as its Formula Junior predecessor.

The Lotus 31 was the first race car of the British brand for the new 1-liter Formula 3. The car was derived from the Lotus 22, the Formula Junior car from 1962. The car had a space frame and was placed in a small number of pieces. By mid-1964, all copies were sold. Many privatizers, however, converted the car to Formula Junior. As a rule, a BMC engine from Janspeed or a 997-cc engine from Cosworth were used, which could also be used in Formula Junior.

Lotus could not catch up on Cooper's experience of building Formula Junior and Formula 3 racing cars in the near future, so the British Formula 3 Championship season was all about Jackie Stewart, who started in a Cooper for the team of Ken Tyrrell. The Lotus 31 could win only in a single Formula Junior race a victory. In Formula 3, they remained winless.

In 1965, an improved version was offered, and in 1966 the car was finally replaced by the Lotus 41.

The car was later adopted by the Jim Russell Racing Drivers' School in 1966 for Formula Ford racing with 19 cars built the Chassis as 22/F3.