Some cars leave a paper trail; the Lotus 48 left a name and a place in Lotus's list. What follows is what can be said with a source behind it. The shape is credited to Colin Chapman / / Maurice Philippe.
The story
The Lotus 48 was a Formula 2 racing car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Phillippe and powered by a 1,600 cc (98 cu in) Cosworth FVA engine. It won three races in the hands of Jim Clark but was generally uncompetitive against rival machinery. Ultimately, its main claim to fame (or notoriety) is as the car in which Clark was killed at Hockenheim on 7 April 1968.
Its place in the line
In the Lotus line-up the Lotus 48 has a clear place: it replaced the 44; it handed the line to the 59. Nearby in the Lotus catalogue sit the Lotus 100T and the Lotus 101.