Q: Lotus Red Gold Leaf, Then Black Gold JPS after Jim Clark passed away…can someone tell me what’s the story behind Red Gold Leaf in the first place pls? Thx.

Answer by David Steele:

Colin Chapman innovation! Jim drove the F2 car at Hockenheim in the Players ‘Gold Leaf’ livery and was intended to then drive the 49 in its next GP in the same colour scheme. It of course never happened so it was G. Hill that drove the first ’sponsored’ car in F1. The ‘Black Gold’ John Player Special (JPS) cigarettes were not around then. They came out as a ‘more sophisticated smoke’!!!! The Gold Leaf brand was still available but John Player wanted to promote the JPS brand, thus creating the most iconic branding on any race car with the ‘79 (IMHO of course). John Player then exited in 1980 after winning the WC with Andretti. A period followed with Martini but Andretti hated it as it was considered unlucky to drive a green racing car! Then along came Essex Petroleum and some dodgy money! Chapman then got embroiled in the Delorean scandal and it is said the stress of that and his constant desire to look thin caused him to experiment with diet drugs which in the end killed him. Peter Warr along with Ayrton brought back JPS for a period before Camel took over and the steady decline of Lotus set in…