MANCHESTER, UK — HMG Paints used its Advanced Colour Design Service to assist with the restoration of the iconic 1970 Team Lotus Chassis number 5, which was raced by Emerson Fittipaldi.
Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, said, “Given my father’s constant focus on the future and the team’s perennial battle for more space, it is extraordinary that this car survived for so many years. I think it is a mark of the sentimental attachment that my father, the driver and the team had for her. I have really enjoyed the painstaking restoration to date and am keen to show off the skill of all those involved.”
The majority of the monocoque was intact and had the original paint, along with some of the original bodywork and the rear wing. The car has been rebuilt to look exactly as it looked when it raced to Grand Prix and World Championship glory. It has a period engine, and the gearbox is also period. With help of HMG Paints, the car was painted in the original black and gold livery with cellulose paint.
Fittipaldi was reunited with his car at the Amelia Island Concourse in Florida.
Steve Kennedy, HMG Paints Advanced Colour Design Technician, commented, “It’s been an honor to assist Clive and Team Lotus on this project. The work the team have done in restoring the car is remarkable, and we’re proud that the team utilized our paints to recreate what is considered one of the most iconic liveries in racing history.”