Casting : Lotus Turbine
Years of Production:
1969-1971
Country of Origin:
Hong Kong
Casting Variations:
None Known
Interior Colors:
Black is common
Champagne is uncommon
White is rare
Blue glass on all production releases
Clear glass only on pre-production
Paint Colors and Variations:
The Lotus Turbine can be found with a black or silver painted base
Discussion:
The Lotus Turbine was one of four open-wheel Indy cars released in 1969 as part of the new Grand Prix Series.
Lotus Turbine
Hot Wheels Lotus Turbine is modeled after the cars that Andy Granatelli's STP team raced at Indianapolis in 1968. The Lotus Turbine came in a wide range
of spectraflame colors and with three different colored interiors: Black, Champagne and White. All production pieces have blue tinted windshields.
Lotus Turbine are found with both bearing and capped wheels, medium in front and large in the rear.
The engine intake, behind the cockpit, is painted silver and a factory applied Hot Wheels logo decal is seen on the right side.
Graham Hill in the #70
The #70 car, driven by Graham Hill, was one of three bright orange Lotus Turbines that started the race (a fourth Lotus
Turbine was destroyed in a pre-race crash that took the life of driver Mike Spence).
The three STP Lotus Turbines that ran in the 1968 Indianapolis 500
Powered by Pratt & Whitney turbine engines, the Lotus cars were amazingly fast. Joe Leonard captured the pole position in the #60 Lotus Turbine with a
then-record speed of 171.559 mph. Hill started the race from the second position. All three cars were running near the front, but Hill crashed on lap 110.
Leonard was leading the race with nine laps remaining when a fuel shaft broke and forced him to retire. Amazingly, Art Pollard's #20 Lotus Turbine also
had suffered a broken fuel shaft three laps earlier. The three STP cars finished in 12th, 13th and 19th places in the race won by Bobby Unser.
Grand Prix Blister Pack
The Lotus typically came on the "Grand Prix" card which included a metal button and the decal sheet, placed under the base card.
1969 "Indy Team" Four Pack
The Lotus Turbine was also available in a four pack with the other three "open wheel" cars.
Interior Variations
As for interior colors, black is by far the most common for all colors. Champagne is uncommon and will draw a premium price to collectors of the casting.
The white is very hard to find and enhances the collector value quite significantly. Only six colors sport white interiors, red, aqua, blue, purple green and blue.
Painted Base Variations
The silver painted base has only been found in Europe whereas the black painted base is relatively common in the US. Both appear to be early run features.
Collectors find this to be a more esoteric variation so although far more rare than a standard base, it does not always result in a substantially higher value.
Lotus Turbine Decal Sheet
All Lotus Turbines came with the waterslide decals sheet for customizing the car.
A rainbow of Lotus Turbines
Lotus Turbines with champagne interior
Lotus Turbine in LUX Promo Package
The Lotus Turbine is of the cars that were available in a Canadian promotional offering.
Lotus Turbines with white interior, four of the six known colors
Prototypes:
A number of preproduction pieces have survived for the Lotus Turbine including diecast pieces and a resin "3 Up"" pattern piece.
Lotus Turbine prototype, Catalog Color
A few diecast prototypes are known, the least rare being the International Orange "catalog" version. Only a few prototypes in other
colors are known. The others include one in red and one in purple. All Lotus Turbine prototypes have clear windshields.
Original Lotus Turbine Pantograph Pattern, 3 Up Size
Lotus Turbine with authentic tanks
Fuel tanks were developed for all four of the open wheel cars in an attempt to adapt the cars for use with the "superchargers" however,
they were never released to the public. Reproductions abound but authentic original Lotus tanks are very rare, with less than 5 known.
Lotus Turbine 1969 Toy Fair Dinner Car
In 1969, Mattel hosted a banquet at the 1969 NY Toy Fair. Each place setting had a chromed car with the silverware.
Five chromed cars are known to have survived, and this is the only Lotus Turbine.
Lotus Turbine prototype, Catalog Color
This is the actual Lotus Turbine pictured in the 1970 Catalog.
Lotus Turbine prototype in purple
Photos and information by Rick Wilson and Ted Gray
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