John Player Special – Black and Gold

The JPS racing livery is most famously known for the sponsorship of the Lotus formula one team in the late sixties through to the mid-eighties.  Originally red, white and gold to represent the John Player and Sons Gold Leaf brand on the Lotus Type 49, they continued sponsorship on the Lotus 72 but switched to the John Player Special black and gold for the 1972 F1 season.  The black and gold has an iconic status among fans since it was associated with some legendary motorsport figures such as Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna.  As well as adorning Formula one cars the JPS colour scheme also appeared on some limited edition Lotus road cars like the Europa, the Elan +2 and the Esprit.  The JPS colours stuck with the team until 1986 when the team sought new sponsorship from Camel but with Lotus’ return to Formula one this year there are rumours that the traditional green and yellow will be ditched for the JPS style black and gold colour scheme in 2011!

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