Colin Chapman Quotes
14 quotes from Colin Chapman — Founder of Lotus Cars and Team Lotus in Formula One..
“Simplify, then add lightness.”
“Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.”
“Rules are for the obedience of fools and the interpretation of smart men.”
“Any car which holds together for a whole race is too heavy.”
“You won't catch me driving a race car that I have built.”
“The secret of a successful marriage is not to be at home too much.”
“Money is how we keep the score in motor racing nowadays.”
“A racing car has only ONE objective: to WIN motor races. If it does not do this it is nothing but a waste of time, money, and effort. It does not matter how clever it is, or how inexpensive, or how easy to maintain, or even how safe, if it does not consistently win it is NOTHING!”
“Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger. Please give my suggestions some thought. I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.”
“He never had any doubt about what he wanted to be. He was only twelve when he told his father that he intended to be an inventor, and Mr Chapman believed him. If Colin said he was going to do it — then it seemed reasonable to assume that he would, sooner or later, one way or another.”
“Having established this, what do we have to do to make it win: Simply stated it must firstly be capable of lapping a racing circuit quicker than any other car, with the least possible skill from the driver, and doing it long enough to finish the race.”
“No achievement was ever as important as the one he was planning. When you asked him which of his cars he liked best, he always smiled and said: "The next one.”
“So talented because of his ability to produce ideas ahead of his time.”
“Honestly your cars are so quick that we would still be competitive with a few extra pounds used to make the weakest parts stronger. I can only drive a car in which I have some confidence, and I feel the point of no confidence is quite near.”
