Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Restoring a Corgi 155 Lotus-Climax Formula 1, in the Corgi range from 1964 until 1969.

Corgi's Lotus-Climax Formula 1 is a fantastic replica of the Lotus 25 Formula 1 car. It was in production from 1964 and in it's number 1 livery is based on Jim Clark's car from the 1964 season having won his and Lotus' first World Championship in the very same car the previous year.

This example was missing a couple of tyres, although the ones that remained had solidified and were about ready to disintegrate. It had patchy paintwork and it was in need of replacement decals and a replacement windscreen.

The Corgi model did not change during production, and so by the time of its 1969 exit, it was looking fairly out of date. By then, Lotus had replaced the 25 with the 33, and then the 49. Corgi reacted by giving the casting a front and rear wing, repainting it in orange and white (not too dissimilar to Lotus' Gold Leaf livery of the era), gave it new decals, and sent it on its way with a new reference number, 158. It was not a very good reflection of the latest Lotus, but it remained until 1973 when it was finally laid to rest.

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Parts source:
model-supplies.co.uk

Music by Karl Casey
@whitebataudio
Hackers
youtube.com/watch?v=NZ4Of3lID84

Quattro
youtube.com/watch?v=SsEaNRF21B0

Solara
youtube.com/watch?v=kEwnE3nH5jY

Agreya
youtube.com/watch?v=i3piFSaCTmg

Image credit:
1964 Lotus 25:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/1964_Lotus-Climax_25.jpg

Lotus 25 1962 Dutch Grand Prix:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Clark_at_1962_Dutch_Grand_Prix.jpg/1280px-Clark_at_1962_Dutch_Grand_Prix.jpg

Jim Clark 1963 Dutch Grand Prix:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Jim_Clark_winnaar_Grote_Prijs_van_Nederland_in_1963_Met_krans_en_beker_Jim_Cla%2C_Bestanddeelnr_915-2893.jpg/1628px-Jim_Clark_winnaar_Grote_Prijs_van_Nederland_in_1963_Met_krans_en_beker_Jim_Cla%2C_Bestanddeelnr_915-2893.jpg

Lotus 25 1964 Dutch Grand Prix:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Grand_Prix_van_Nederland%2C_het_rennersveld_Jim_Clark_in_zijn_Lotus_in_actie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_916-4688.jpg/1280px-Grand_Prix_van_Nederland%2C_het_rennersveld_Jim_Clark_in_zijn_Lotus_in_actie%2C_Bestanddeelnr_916-4688.jpg

1965 Lotus 33:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/1965-07-30_Paul_Hawkins%2C_Lotus-Climax.jpg/1280px-1965-07-30_Paul_Hawkins%2C_Lotus-Climax.jpg

1969 McLaren M7A:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Hulme%2C_Denis%2C_McLaren_M7A_1969-08-01.jpg/1280px-Hulme%2C_Denis%2C_McLaren_M7A_1969-08-01.jpg

1969 Lotus 49:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Paris_-_Retromobile_2013_-_Lotus_49_-_1969_-_004.jpg/1280px-Paris_-_Retromobile_2013_-_Lotus_49_-_1969_-_004.jpg

1973 Lotus 72:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Peterson_at_1973_Dutch_Grand_Prix.jpg/1280px-Peterson_at_1973_Dutch_Grand_Prix.jpg

Outro footage credit:
youtube.com/watch?v=oGWnhmQZKII

#Corgi #Diecast #Restoration