Radford, which calls itself a global luxury coachbuilding brand with a British heart and soul, has opened order taking for its first model. And with that, more details on the sports car, codenamed Project 62, have emerged.
The Project 62 will be limited to just 62 units worldwide. Each model will be totally bespoke and crafted to customer requirements, Radford says. We already know that the car will be built in collaboration with Lotus’ consultancy division, Lotus Engineering, and that it will be a modern-day interpretation of the Lotus Type 62/2, which you see here in Golf Leaf livery.
Radford says that the mid-engined two-seat coupe will be “endowed with luxurious appointments befitting a high end bespoke coachmaker” and that “it will be sleek, elegant and cosseting but not at the expense of driver enjoyment”. The car is also promised to be “mechanical, engaging and poised – a true driver’s car”.
“For me, a key purpose of Radford is to celebrate iconic automotive moments by bringing them back to life for a new, modern audience. Our first car, Project 62 embodies that ethos to a tee. As a British car lover I am excited that Radford has the honour of working alongside Lotus to pay homage to the truly stunning original Type 62 from 1969,” said former F1 champion Jenson Button, a partner in Radford.
“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,” he added.
“Radford draws upon a strong history of design, including creating the bodywork of the original Ford GT40, one of the most iconic sports cars in history. That wealth of design heritage is what informs Radford today. The craftsmanship bestowed upon each build and the level of personalisation available position ‘Project 62’ among the best of the British luxury brands,” said partner Ant Anstead, who is a TV star and car builder.
All Radford owners will be invited to attend an exclusive one-day track event with Button, where the racer will demonstrate how owners can get the most out of their machines on the track on which they were developed. Full details of the Project 62 will be revealed later this year.
By the way, the original Lotus 62 had a tubular spaceframe construction, and was powered by a 2.0L fuel-injected four-pot producing 240 hp. Interestingly, the Lotus Elise in Final Edition form makes 240 hp/244 Nm from a supercharged Toyota 2ZR-FE 1.8L engine. That, with a curvy and classic body, sounds like a very nice recipe. We’ll see what Button and friends come up with.
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