The Lotus Type 12 was the first car the company raced in Formula 1. Chassis #353 was driven by Graham Hill at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. Bonhams estimates that it could sell for over $400,000. Lotus is one of the legends of F1, winning seven Constructor Championships and six Driver Championships between 1963 and 1979. But they all have to start somewhere, and for the legendary British automaker, that's here.
The first Lotus F1 car also had 6 lug nuts, instead of 1, because they believed it was so light, it wouldn't need to change tires during races. With its Formula 2 engine under the hood, the Lotus 12 made 141 hp , giving it a power-to-weight ratio of around 451 hp per ton. Indeed, the car performed well, earning a 1-2 finish at the September 1957 BRDC International Trophy race at Silverstone. Despite being quick, Hill describes it as being a bit of a handful, especially with its 2.