Lotus does not build many cars like the Lotus Mark VI: a Roadster with Ford side valve 1172 cc, built from 1952 to 1957 at the height of the post-war boom. Its designer of record is Colin Chapman.
The story
The Lotus Mark VI is the first production car by Lotus Cars. It was introduced by Colin Chapman in 1952, following the construction of multiple trials and road racing cars. The heart of the Mark VI is a semi-space frame chassis. Rather than a complete car, it was available to the general public as kit, wherein the customer could install any preferred engine and gearbox, making it eligible for a wider number of formulae.
What is underneath
Under the skin sits Ford side valve 1172 cc. Kerb weight is 432 kg. The gearbox is a 3-speed manual. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Where it sits in Lotus's history is not in doubt: the Lotus Mark V came before it; the Lotus Seven followed it. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Cadillac Eldorado, the Chevrolet Corvette, the Toyota Land Cruiser. Nearby in the Lotus catalogue sit the Lotus 100T and the Lotus 101.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Lotus Mark VI has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.