1977 F1 Lotus Type 78 Chassis number 2 (of 4)

3-litre, V8 Ford-Cosworth DFV

• Horsepower: 475bhp
• Weight: 588kg
• Top speed: 178mph
• Drivers: Andretti, Nilsson, Peterson
• Raced to victory by fellow Swedes Gunnar Nilsson and Ronnie Peterson, hence the moniker ‘The Swedish Rocket’
• The Type 78 introduced F1 to ‘ground effect’ aerodynamics and changed F1 and motorsport forever
• The secret is the Venturi profile created between the sidepods and the track which generated downforce for little drag (much better than wings). Take a look from the rear, underneath the car to see the Venturi tunnels each side
• The vital detail was the side skirts which acted as a seal to protect the low-pressure area under the car
• Famously Mario Andretti observed ‘The 78? Well, I’ll tell ya; it’s like she’s painted to the road.’
• Team Lotus first tested the 78 in the Summer of 1976. It was so good Colin Chapman decided to keep it under wraps until the 1977 season so the other teams did not work out what was going to hit them
• Peter Wright is the aerodynamicist credited with discovering ‘ground effect’ when wind-tunnel testing at Imperial College with its all important rolling road