• Historic and significant Lotus IX – formerly part of a world famous Lotus collection 

• Raced by privateer Tony Page and Paul Emery in period

• Participated in the 1955 Goodwood 9-Hours and other top events

• A competitive car achieving four podium finishes

• Extensiviely campaigned in modern historics including the Goodwood Revival

• Welcome at prestigious international historic events

The exquisitely proportioned, beautifully compact Lotus-Climax Mark IX was one of the most popular and widely successful small-capacity sports-racing cars of its day. It was also one of the most strikingly beautiful, with its distinctive wings and curves penned by the legendary Frank Costin. Launched in 1955 as a successor to the 1500ccc class Mark XIII, but built to meet the demands of the increasingly popular smaller-capacity 1100cc class, two works cars were produced for Team Lotus’s initial use, one of which ‘XPE 6’ featured the newly-adopted 1098cc Coventry Climax FWA light-alloy engine. This was to become the first of Climax-engined Lotus cars, and marked the beginning of what was to become a legendary racing partnership.

The first two Lotus Mark IXs were completed in March 1955 before being shipped to the USA for the Sebring 12-Hours in which they performed well before being forced out. Colin Chapman and Ron Flockhart co-drove a works entry in that year’s Le Mans 24-Hour race, and with a fastest lap in excess of 97mph the pretty little British aerodyne was the fastest car relative to its limited horsepower and gave a taste of what was to come.

Colin Chapman continued to campaign the work-entered Mark IX, ‘XPE 6’, through the balance of that season, beating Ivor Bueb’s rear-engined ‘Bobtail’ Cooper-Climax at Brands Hatch and performing strongly in the World Championship-qualifying RAC Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod, in Ulster. All of which was pivotal in raising the profile of Lotus, and that year it was accepted as a member of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders. This gave it space in the annual London Motor Show, held in the Earl’s Court exhibition halls, where for the first time Lotus exhibited a Mark IX.

It was during that pivotal year in Lotus’s history that this wonderfully well-presented example ‘RXM 7’ was built for privateer Tony Page by Paul Emery, of Emeryson Cars fame. It made its debut in July 1955 at Brands Hatch, and was campaigned in August at Charterhall in Scotland, then in the Goodwood 9-Hours race – in which Page drove the then-unpainted car as race number ’41, co-driving with Paul Emery. There followed further outings at Oulton Park, Aintree, Silverstone, Goodwood again, and then into October in the final major meeting at Castle Combe.

At Goodwood in the 9-Hours International, Tony Page and Paul Emery completed no fewer than 268 laps, finishing fourth in their class and 11th overall – a very creditable performance. The Lotus is pictured in Autosport’s 10-page report on the race, which was significant event being the only race in the UK that continued into the night. According to legend the young Graham Hill saw the Lotus in action and offered his services as driver, but Page had already committed to racing with Emery and a tantalising opportunity was missed.

Nonetheless this car secured four podiums and a significant finish in the Goodwood 9 Hours in one season. Historic Lotus Register records indicate that 30 of these Lotus Mark IX cars were built in period.

Modern historic provenance

Eventually retired from period competition it became part of the Arthur Carter collection, until 1987 when it made its return to racing in the hands of dealer and competitor Michael Lavers. He raced the car at Historic level in 1990-9, using a 1500cc engine and disc brakes. The car went on to be campaigned by celebrated drivers Alain de Cadenet and Richard Bond during the 92-93 season on behalf of the new owner Dan Margulies, the doyen of London car dealers

Stephen Archer Brooks ran the car in the Historic Championship season of 1994, and in AMOC-series events at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Oulton Park and Snetterton.

During this time the car was returned to its original specification with the fitting of a Stage II-tuned 1089cc Climax engine, and a new body crafted by respected coachworks Shapecraft, with over £50,000 spent – a significant sum at the time.

RXM 7 was subsequently acquired by Olav Glasius, owner of one of the world’s largest collections of Lotus road and race cars, and raced at the Goodwood Revival in 2008. It remained here until the collection was sold in 2012, at which point it returned to racing once again, driven by British driver Brian Arculus, who drove it in the Madgwick Cup at Goodwood the following year.
In more recent years ‘RXM 7’ has appeared extensively in UK motorsport culminating once more with the Madgwick Cup at the Goodwood Revival in 2022.

The extensive history file contains original race programmes from 1955; period magazine reports contemporary features and invoices for work dating back to the 1980s.

‘The MK 9 is one of the most significant and important of all the Loti, a great in a long gallery of greats,’ said Mike McCarthy in his feature Ninth in Line in Classic & Sportscar. ‘The shape is totally redolent of a period of great excitement in motor racing… and its progenitor, Colin Chapman, was on the threshold of revolutionising motor racing for all time.’

POA