Gold Leaf Team Lotus - colors, sponsorship, and marketing in motorsports

For those of you not in the know, Team Lotus introduced the modern concept of sponsorship, to Formula 1 racing in the late 1960's. The brand, Imperial Tobacco's Gold Leaf brand of cigarettes.
What was at first received as vulgar billboarding of these race cars soon became the norm, and away went the national team colors that used to adorn cars from greats like Lotus, BRM, Honda, and McLaren. Ferrari, in keeping their Italian Rosso Corsa are really the only team to keep that flame alive.

Here are some samples of that epic shift, played out on the sides of formula cars, sports cars, and race car transports.