Lotus Europa

The story

Putting the engine behind the driver was Grand Prix practice in 1966, and almost unheard of in a road car. Colin Chapman did it cheaply with a Renault engine and a glassfibre body. The handling was a revelation.

Inside

You lie almost flat, an arm's length from the road. On the first cars the windows did not open and the seats did not move.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 1966

England won the World Cup at Wembley.

Best-selling single of 1966: Green, Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones

Before you buy a 1960s car

• Check the sills, floorpans, wheel arches and the bottom of the doors for rust.
• Ask for any old MOT certificates, service records and bills.
• Parts for popular cars are often available from specialists, but trim and body panels can be hard to find.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.