Radford’s Project 62 will be inspired by this 1969 Lotus racer

Radford, the born-again British sports car maker backed by F1 world champion Jenson Button and TV host Ant Anstead, has announced that its first car will be a modern take on the Lotus 62.

The Lotus 62 was built in 1969 to compete in Group 6 prototype racing and was assembled around a spaceframe chassis with power from a Lotus two-liter twin-cam engine. A development of the earlier Type 47 Europa racer, the Type 62 was rather less successful, with a third place in the Tourist Trophy at Oulton Park being the highlight of its racing career.

Inspired by the car’s styling rather than its racing prowess, Radford’s Project 62 will be a mid-engine two-seater coupe with a luxurious interior that promises to be a pure drivers’ car. Appropriately Radford will only build 62 cars and buyers have been promised the opportunity of some hot laps with Button at a track day to sweeten the deal.

“For me, a key purpose of Radford is to celebrate iconic automotive moments by bringing them back to life for a new, modern audience,” says Button. “Our first car, Project 62, embodies that ethos to a tee. As a British car lover I am excited that Radford has the honor of working alongside Lotus to pay homage to the truly stunning original Type 62 from 1969. With the dynamic development of our car already well underway, we are working hard to ensure we do this car justice, and I can’t wait to put it through its paces on the Radford Track before inviting today’s Project 62 owners to come and do the same.”

The order books are open, but there are still no technical details, performance specifications, or pricing information available.