Odd history

[Steve_Lindford]

Shortly after I purchased my car - I managed to contact the 'first' (or second) owner who gave me some rather odd information - relating to 1974:

... a friend knew I wanted a Europa. JPS. but I could not find one,then he told me that there was a car at the factory covered over, not moved for years.with flat tyres. when I phoned Lotus said don't know anything about a such car. so my friend gave me a map to where it was and what building it was in. so I went there, with another friend plus trailer !!!!I was going to buy it. they still said 'don't know anything about it' so I gave them the map... and there it was, covered over , very dirty, 4 flat tyres (side walls split.), and not moved for years. very little mileage on the clock. so I bought it. and we got it on the trailer. took it home. changed the oils, fit 5 new tyres. bleed the brakes. flush the fuel tank out - had goo at the bottom. then a new battery, turned the engine over minus the plugs, good oil pressure, put the plugs in and away it went. as to its use at Lotus I don't know. but it had VERY low mileage on it. the cast alloy grill maybe a prototype ?? and a much deeper front spoiler. and the gold lining was painted on beautifully...by a sign writer I expect.  not stick on. tyre tread was perfect saying low mileage. but side walls split  where standing. We sold it to a Sports Car garage in Welling Kent late 1981.

(I think his recollection about the low mileage is not quite right - I have a recorded mileage of around 19,000 in 1974)

The person I purchased the car from had contacted the factory in 2007 (Bob Nice) who gave the information that the car left the production line in December 1971 supplied to Tollgate Engineering - colour white.

The large spoiler and hand painted JPS style have long since gone. The cast allow grill still remains. (from another car maybe??)

Here are some photos in JPS style around 1974 and the car now - also the front grill.

Can anyone make any sense of this??

Steve

[EuropaTC]

Hi Steve,

Well, I've never seen a grille like that on any Europa before, it's a real puzzler. At first I thought someone might have made it themselves because it's such a neat fit, but looking closely it is slightly too curved at the top section and hence might be from another car. Or another "anything" really, but wherever it came from the previous owner has made it look part of the car.

Brian

[BDA]

Interesting history even if it doesn't seem quite right! The grille is almost certainly not original since the S2 and TC had similar (the same) grille. One might wonder if the front spoiler could have been part of a development project, but who knows. It's a Lotus and anything is possible, but I would guess it's more likely that an owner is responsible for that.

No matter how accurate the story is, it's now a part of the car and it's something you can tell to someone who's curious!

[Steve_Lindford]

I noticed the grill straightaway when I viewed the car first time - and thought - look what some idiot has done - but for now I will leave it in. It doesn't really look as if it was designed for the car.

For me the weird thing is how it came to be back at the factory and forgotten in a shed. I dont have any reason not to believe the story - the person who collected it from the factory on a trailer is a Lotus man through and through and still has 3 at the moment. I dont know how big the factory is. I wonder if there is a Past Lotus Employees Club who could make some comments...

Steve

[martinlcb]

Hi Steve, Very interesting. Have you tried contacting Andy Graham, the Lotus Archivist, who might be able to fill in some of the gaps? Andy is a really helpful bloke and quite active on the corresponding Elan website.

Cheers,

Martin B

[buzzer]

Steve,

To pick up a question you put on your other post on leaving factory twice. To avoid car tax the car may have been supplied in 2 pieces with 2 invoices one for the car and one for the engine so it is claimed as a kit.

Dave

[Steve_Lindford]

Just to clarify - it seems to have left the factory painted white supplied to Tollgate Engineering in December 1971 - then was rediscovered hidden in a shed at the factory painted black in 1974 - and removed by trailer by an owner I am in contact with. I will contact Andy Graham to see what he can make of what seems an unbelievable story...

Steve

[3929R]

 
Thanks for the interesting story.