S1 HORN BUTTON

[My S1]

Historical question regarding the S1 steering wheel horn button.  I have always heard that the black horn button came about after Jim Clark's death in 1968.  Looking through some old Europa magazine articles from December '66 and through '67 I seem to see black horn buttons.  Which is the correct 1967 S1 horn button?  Does anyone have the low down on this question?

[BDA]

I can’t help you with the horn button but some have suggested the same reason for the that the black roundel design (to memorialize Jim Clark). I have read that that is mistaken but in a quick search, I haven’t found a good discussion of it.

I don’t really keep very close track of this sort of thing but my TCS came with the green and yellow roundel and I believe I’ve seen black roundels on an Esprit. The steering wheel hub on my car has a black emblem as do Elans. As most of us know, my memory deserves a pretty short leash, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a steering wheel with anything other than a black hub or horn button.

[SwiftDB4]

My 1967 S1 chassis 46/0571 has always had a black horn button. The car was invoiced March 5, 1968 before Clark's death.

[jbcollier]

46/0601 also had a black horn button.

I also had/have a black nose badge.  The arguments over whether the black badges were memorial or not can get pretty heated.  All I can say is that they were using them before Jim died.  Take that however you will.

[EuropaTC]

I also had/have a black nose badge.  The arguments over whether the black badges were memorial or not can get pretty heated.  All I can say is that they were using them before Jim died.  Take that however you will.

Yep, allegedly the first ones were ordered by Graham Arnold as he was getting a black S3 FHC Elan as company car and wanted the badge to match. They were cheaper than the green/yellow ones and so Chapman ordered a batch for sales cars - at least that's what Graham said on several occasions.  There are road tests of black badge Elans pre-Jim Clark's death so I reckon that pretty much nails it.

As for horn buttons, I've seen green/yellow on a Mk1 Lotus Cortina and I think on an early 50/60's Elite. It wouldn't surprise me if the S1/S2 Elans had coloured badges but my S3 has always had a black/silver one so I'd expect the Europa of the period had the same ?

Brian

[My S1]

Interesting history lessons.  Thank you.  I'll stick with the black. 

Would one of you gents who has an original S1 wheel please send me a close up picture of your hub?  Mine is missing the perimeter screws.  I would assume that they were socket screws.  I would have thought flat heads but the holes are not countersunk.  Button heads perhaps?  Many Thanks.

[jbcollier]

Originals are rivets as you show in the photo.  You can drill them out, tap the holes and fit screws.

[My S1]

So, I'm, looking at rusty rivets that have popped the paint off the heads? 

[jbcollier]

Corroded a bit for sure.  Don’t know if they were painted originally.  Here’s one of mine:

[My S1]

You are right of course.  I'll clean mine up and detail paint.  I'll bet it was black oxide originally.  Thank you.