The Lotus 72 enjoyed a very long career, with various mechanical and aerodynamic developments and updates, while always retaining the basic layout and the classic Ford Cosworth V8 engine. The 72D was characterized by some improvements to the suspension and was followed by the 72E and subsequently by the 72F; it was now a period in which the car, world champion with Fittipaldi in 1972, was starting to show its age, even if the results were not lacking even in the last seasons. As late as the late 1970s some 72 chassis were used in smaller competitions in the UK.