Lotus Type 62-2 Radford: first from the hand of Button
By Esteban Soldano
Led by the former Formula 1 world champion, Jenson Button, the British coachbuilder brand Radford is reborn to reissue the classic Lotus Type 62 from 1969 in a series production that only plans to manufacture 62 units.
The Englishman Jenson Button, Formula 1 champion in 2009 with the surprising Brawn GP, has undertaken a new adventure, that of reviving the prestigious British brand Radford, whose origins date back to the late 1940s.
Harold Radford & Co, founded in 1948 by Harold Radford, was a coachbuilder dedicated to customizing Mini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and Bentley models. He even collaborated with the development of Ford’s emblematic GT40. To give Radford new life, Button teamed up with Mark Stubbs, a designer who has worked for Aston Martin, Bentley, Ford, GM and Nissan; and Ant Anstead, mechanic and co-host of the TV show, Wheeler Dealers, known in Latin America and Spain as Jewels on Wheels, a British production produced by Attaboy TV and broadcast by Discovery Channel.
Radford gained great prestige in the automotive world by acting as a specialist in adapting the brand’s models to the real lifestyles of its customers. As a result of this type of achievement in the company, the Countryman was born in 1952, a luxurious urban vehicle whose bodywork was entirely the work of Radford engineers. These completely transformed models of both Bentley and Rolls Royce (in those years many of their models were practically identical) producing versions equipped with a large trunk larger than the originals, which even multiplied the cargo capacity of the vehicle by four. original model of these cars.
Radford also worked for another large prestigious British manufacturer, Aston Martin, transforming some of its sports models into family versions, which gave rise to the brand’s well-known Shooting Brakes made from some of its most iconic models, such as This is the case of DB5. Curiously, this model was commissioned from Radford by David Brown himself, owner of Aston Martin and responsible for the DB name, who commissioned Radford to transform his particular DB 5 in such a way that it could carry both his polo team and his hunting equipment and his dogs, adapting the body of the DB5 to develop a Shooting Brake version from it.
The first model of this renewed company is the Radford Type 62-2, a modern interpretation of the 1969 Lotus Type 62 created in collaboration with Lotus Engineering. The Radford Type 62-2 is a mid-engine coupe that will have a limited production run of 62 units that will be available in the iconic Gold Leaf livery or the typical Lotus green color. “Recovering such a special name is a unique opportunity. Radford transmits prestige to everyone who loves the automotive world. Therefore, when they offered me the opportunity, I did not hesitate to join the project,” added Button, who will be in charge of testing each of the vehicles.
The sports car is built on the same aluminum monocoque chassis that Lotus uses for the Exige and Evora, although the rear subframe was modified by Radford to improve rigidity and strength. In addition, it is equipped with the 3.5-liter V6 that is already used in the sports cars of the legendary firm founded by Colin Chapman. It is a 3.5-liter turbo V6 in which the pistons, connecting rods, camshafts and turbo have been very elaborately worked on to enhance its performance, which reaches an incredible 607 HP.
To improve it, Radford engineers have included a new rear subframe tailored to the car, the adoption of which allows the model to achieve greater structural rigidity, while lightening the model’s dry weight. According to Radford, this barely reaches 1,000 kg, a fairly small figure that shows the always important obsession that Lotus designers have had to offer extremely light vehicles to the market. The Type 62-2 will have three versions: the Classic, Lotus green, with a power of 436 HP and a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed double clutch; the Gold Leaf, painted with the colors of the John Player & Sons cigarette brand with which a variant of the original 62s were painted. This model increases its power to 506 HP thanks to the use of improved pistons and camshafts; and finally the JPS, black and gold, colors used by the brand’s F1 cars in times of glory, which reaches 607 horsepower thanks to a more advanced supercharger and adjusted software. The two most powerful variants opt for a dual-clutch transmission, accompanied by a limited slip differential. According to Button, the car “is going to be totally analog and completely attractive, but with all the improvements you would expect from a Radford.” “It will drive like a totally different car from the rest. There is a purity to the drive that is lost in many cars today. “I will ensure we create a car made for the driver, a trait that is embedded in the DNA of all Lotus models.”
The 62-2 Golf Leaf, an intermediate variant with a power of 506 HP with the colors of the cigarette brand used by the English brand’s cars in F1 with which Jochen Rindt would become post-mortem champion.
Externally, the three versions also offer changes compared to each other both in their finish and in the design and the adoption of certain components. The access variant is also the most refined of the three. In it, the rear spoiler available on the other two is eliminated and 17 or 18-inch wheels are fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires fitted to them. In the other two versions, superior in terms of performance to this first one, its finish acquires an increasingly sporty and racing finish that leads to a rear end finished in a prominent double ducktail shape and to incorporate larger wheels (18 and 19 inches).
The interior of the Type 62-2 is largely analog, the instrument panel is equipped with a stopwatch and an analog clock in association with British watchmaker Bremont, several toggle switches also adorn it, and the steering wheel is devoid of buttons. . Digital connectivity is still provided via a build plate (containing each chassis’ unique vehicle identifier), which also functions as a magnetic phone holder/wireless charger, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. Although the Type 62-2 was designed to be trackable, there is limited luggage space behind the engine compartment. To present it at Goodwood Revival, the JPS version was taken, obviously with the “John Player Special” decoration that will only be available in 12 units. This decoration with gold letters on a black background is perhaps the most famous of those that have been worn by English Formula 1 cars in their entire history. These were the colors of the Lotus cars from 1972 to 1986, and they became F1 World Drivers’ Champions with Emerson. Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti, with the 72D and 72 E models. The Brazilian in 1972 and together with Ronnie Peterson won the Constructors’ Cup for the Team in 1973. The Italian-American did it with the 79 model in 1978 and the same year also together with Ronnie Peterson in the Constructors’ Cup, for the first time in the history of the category with a wind-car, a concept developed by the Lotus team. Production of the Radford Type 62-2 began in late 2021 while deliveries began in early 2022.
The 62-2 JPS, top variant with a power of 607 HP with the colors of John Player Special, decoration used by Lotus in F1 between 1972 and 1986 coinciding with times of glory for the English team.
