The Type 72 Lotus is the car that, more than any other, defined the shape of Formula 1 cars in the modern era. It has been called the 'Grandpa' of all modern grand prix cars and it is a description that fits the bill in many ways.

The Lotus 72 came into being in the midst of a period of great change in motorsport design thinking in 1969. The car was designed by Maurice Phillips with Colin Chapman overseeing the process.

Chapman and Lotus had already pioneered the idea of a rear engined single seater with the engine forming an integral part of the chassis in the Lotus 49. The Lotus 72 brought together this and all of the elements that defined the basic layout in grand prix racing for years to come - the wedge shape, the airbox up behind the driving position, water radiators split on either side of the cockpit, the position of the front and rear wings.

More than this, the beautiful Lotus 72 and, later on, it's black and gold sponsorship livery (something of an innovation in itself) have come to symbolise Formula 1 for those of us who remember their all-conquering run of success throughout the early '70s.

The car made it's inauspicious debut in red/white Gold Leaf livery at the Spanish Grand Prix in April 1970 - driven by Jochen Rindt and John Miles. It was a poor showing and modifications were made including the removal of the anti-squat and anti-dive suspension to improve road holding and the car's "feel" for the drivers.

The mods to type 72 came good and five victories for Rindt at Monaco, Zandvoort, Clermont-Ferrand, Brands Hatch and Hockenheim followed.

For the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Emerson Fittipaldi joined Rindt as the second driver.Tragedy struck In Saturday morning free practice when Rindt's car left the circuit at the Curva Parabolica and smashed into the barriers. Rindt died instantly. He had been trying the car without the front winglets to see if this would improve the car's performance on the high speed circuit but the accident was almost certainly caused by the faliure of the front brake shaft under heavy braking.

The Lotus team missed the next two races but returned with Fittipaldi and Reine Wissell, to replace Rindt, at Watkins Glen in October. A famous victory by Fittipaldi denied Jacky Ickx the 1970 driver's title and clinched it posthumously for Rindt. With both cars on the podium, the constructor's championship also fell to Team Lotus.