1967 Lotus Type 51

The Formula Ford racing category was formed in the 1960s as an entry-level, open-wheel, single-seater, racing series. Racing schools such as Geoff Clarke's Motor Racing Stables in the U.K. and the Jim Russell school helped amateur racers gain the skills needed to race in faster series such as Formula One. Cooper and Lotus were among the suppliers of these single-seater racing cars.

Geoff Clarke moved his racing school to the Brands Hatch circuit in 1963. The school initially used Formula Three cars but these were expensive. To help reduce costs, the school re-fitted a Formula Three chassis with a standard Ford Cortina crossflow cylinder head pushrod overhead valve 4-cylinder 1,599cc engine and other readily available components, steel wheels, and road tires.

This setup quickly proved to be cost-effective and provide a means of education and spirited competition. A few basic rules were established leading to the official formation of Formula Ford.

Including driver, fuel, and fluids, the Type 51 weighed approximately 1,200 pounds.