Lotus

151 and 151A Lotus Mk II Le Mans

July 1958 - 1961 (151)

September 1961 - 1965 (151A)

A very simple model with no driver or flags, just a RN transfer. It can be found in pale blue, silver or a scarce red.

In 1961 it gets upgraded as 151A with the addition of a driver, stripes and a new shade of blue. The windscreen fitting is also revised.

The wheels on these models are nearly always fixed smooth or shaped but examples of 151A from late production are known with free spinning wheels. None have suspension.

155 Lotus Climax F1 Racing Car

December 1964 - 1968

Always green, with RN1 and a driver. Shaped wheels with larger tyres fitted at the rear.

158 Lotus Climax F1 Racing Car

July 1969 - 1973

One of two racing cars with steering, operated by moving the driver. This is always an orange-red colour with RN8 and a driver.

The wheels are 8-spoke silver with larger tyres at the rear.

318 Lotus Elan S2

July 1965 - 1967 (318 metallic blue or white with transfer)

January 1966 - 1969 (white no transfer from GS40)

August 1966 - 1969 (green with yellow stripe from GS37)

There are four main editions. The normal model is metallic blue with a black interior and has a PUT A TIGER IN YOUR TANK transfer on the boot panel (an advert for Esso petrol at the time). It was issued with a driver in white with a blue racing hat.

It was also issued in white without a transfer as Mrs Peel's car in The Avengers Gift Set 40.

Some white models found their way into boxes, getting transfers applied en route. these are quite scarce.

In Gift Set 37, the Lotus Racing Set, there is a green model with a yellow stripe and a red interior. It is quite different in many ways, however, having a removable chassis (as had the 319 coupe model)

Some late white or metallic blue 318 models were produced with cast wheels and there are two types of removable chassis for the Gift Set version. I believe that you will only normally find the green edition with the small wheel chassis but it is conceivable that a collector may have swapped this in the past for a larger wheel version which has cast wheels.

Editions other than Mrs Peel's were issued with a driver. 


319 Lotus Elan S2 Coupe

August 1966 - 1969 (yellow with green stripe from GS37)

June 1967 - 1969 (individual boxed models in red or blue)

The hard top version can found in three colours:

The red and blue editions were those issued in boxes. Occasionally the yellow one was issued individually but it was intended to be part of Gift Set 37, the Lotus Racing Set, where it complemented the green 318.

All editions had a removable chassis and that may have had either small wheels or larger cast wheels.