Thanks guys. I agree that the last picture does much to illustrate Europa ownership. I'm not really much of a socially outgoing person, but owning a Europa certainly forces a degree of social interaction upon you. I really don't mind, actually, and oftentimes quite enjoy it.
Mike, thanks for the kind words, and I promise to not let my head swell too much. I love the colour, too. I wasn't terribly fussy about colour when I was shopping for a Europa, but during the couple of years I spent shopping three cars came up for sale in this colour and I kind of liked it. When I bought this car I thought it look nice in person, but figured I would eventually give it some fresh paint, probably in a dark met green or possibly a dark met brown. However, in the mean time, the current colour has really grown on me, and most people who see it quite like it too. The paint is far from great and doesn't stand up well to a close inspection, but it looks great in photos or rolling down the road, or just standing 20 feet away. With any special interest car I've had, paint is always one of the last considerations, preferring to spend my time and money on the mechanicals, so painting this car is not something that will happen soon. Besides, the current paint is the original stuff as applied by Lotus, so changing it will be difficult to do. When the time comes, we will debate it here on the forum. Cheers.