The Indianapolis 500's Influence on American Automotive Innovation

How the 1965 Lotus-Ford Racecar Revolutionized the Indy 500

No, the British invading a country wasn’t specifically developed by the Indy 500, but the arrival of British marques in the early 1960s completely changed the name of the game in Indy 500 racing.

The sport had suffered a bit of stagnation in terms of chassis design after World War II, so most American Indy 500 entrants were competing in large, heavy “roadsters,” or front-engined cars. Jack Brabham showed up in 1961 with a rear-engined machine, and its elegant handling highlighted the fact that this new engine layout might have a distinct advantage on an oval, not just on the Grand Prix circuit. It wasn’t the first rear-engined car to appear at Indy, but it was the first to make a statement.

It really wasn’t until Colin Chapman showed up with his Lotuses, though, that Indy entrants took notice. In 1963, The Ford-engined machine finished in second place, stunning the naysayers who couldn’t believe that such a small, light car would have any competitive heft. The next year, Jim Clark drove his rear-engined Lotus to a pole position, and the year after, to a win. The rear-engined design proved so desirable that 1964 was the final Indy 500 ever won with a front-engined roadster.