Past events

Last updated 15th April 2008

Elise Talk at"The Queens Head"

Monday 14th April 2008

Club Lotus Welsh Weekend

Friday 25th - Monday 28th August 2006

Wales, near England

Contact Elaine at HQ for details - 0151 638 6305

Carole Nash Knebworth Annual Classic Motor Show

Sunday 27th & Monday 28th August 2006

Stevenage, Hertfordshire

The 500 year old Knebworth House was transformed 150 years ago by the romantic Victorian novelist, Edward Bullwer-Lytton into a spectacular high Gothic fantasy.  The House, dominating the 250 acres of parkland creates the ideal backdrop for this renowned event.  Visit the large adventure playground and formal gardens at no extra charge, reduced admission to the house.  The venue has a long standing history of classic motor events.  Knebworth Classic Motor Show has been running for 16 years.  With over 2000 classics in 2005, Knebworth remains a firm favourite for enthusiasts form all over the country.

For more information about the location, please click to visit Knebworth House's website.

More show info available here: http://www.classicmotorshow.com/knebworth-classic-motor-show.htm

The Show:

The House: (cool or what!)

A dinosaur (rraaaaarrrrghhhhhh!):

Littlewick Green Show

Monday 28th August 2006

Littlewick Green, near Maidenhead

A nice show with a village atmosphere.  Also, Sir Christopher Wren lived in Littlewick Green apparently.

Classics on the Green

Wednesday 2nd August 2006

Croxley Green, Near Watford

It's the 5th year of this very popular event.  A good mix of vehicles, from sports cars, classic bikes and cars, steam engines and everything you could possibly want.  Recommended.

More info is available here:

http://www.watfordclassics.co.uk/Croxleys.htm

Classics on the Common

Wednesday 26th July 2006

Harpenden, Hertfordshire

A car show by a castle.  Also run by the Rotary people (they spin round and round you know).

An award winning classic car meeting and recently saved by a petition backed by Classic Car magazine after a single resident complained.

For more info, see their website here: http://www.classicsonthecommon.com

Uxbridge Autoshow

Sunday 16th July 2006

Middlesex Showground, Park Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex

It was indeed THE show of the year, and did have a genuine BBOA presence.  The weather was imported straight from The Middle East and the free food was excellent.  Thanks to all involved for that (i.e. all the committee members except me).

Here are some photos, kindly supplied by Mark Blanchard:

http://www.uxbridge-autoshow.com

Classic Car Show and Country Fayre at Kimbolton Castle

Sunday 16th July 2006

Kimbolton School/Castle, Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire

A car show by a castle.  Also run by the Rotary people (they spin round and round you know).  If you're stuck over in this neck of the woods then go for it - it's for charity after all and the castle looks nice.  It's where Katherine of Aragon spent the last few weeks of her life, so let that be a lesson to you ladies -  don't marry fat overbearing monarchs unless you want to die young imprisoned in a big house with no TV or anything!

Classic Le Mans

Friday 7th - Sunday 9th July

Le Mans, France

I really can't add any more than they say on their excellent website, which can be found at:

http://www.lemansclassic.com/uk/index.html

Brooklands Sports Car Day

Sunday 9th July

Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey

"A gathering of great example of the British Sportscar" is how they describe it on their website (grammatical error and all).  I've been and it's a good show, loads of cars and a great atmosphere.  Entry to the show includes access to the museum, which is packed with all kind of motor racing and aviation stuff including a Formula 1 display and even Concorde - yes an actual Concorde!

Warner enjoyed himself, here's what he had to say:

After our Concours event at Merritts of Amersham the Excel was in good shape to attend this show so we set off early even though the weather was not very promising.

We were the first Lotus there although several Caterham Sevens had established their club area.

Having set out our windscreen display advertising our Club Lotus area website we wondered off to see the Concorde and other “Museum Pieces”.

By mid morning it was apparent that attendance was well down on previous years, probably because of the clash with Goodwood Festival of Speed, World cup Football and Wimbledon tennis.

The effect of the latter was several men pushing pushchairs with no partners about. Several gave the back seats of the Excel a good look after seeing the Two Esprit parked next to it!

After lunch Test Hill was opened for those who had attended a morning safety briefing. About ten cars participated including three Caterhams, an AC Cobra, an Austin Healy 3000 and a Land Rover 2-seater special. Two Caterhams and the Cobra were most spectacular although an AC 3000 ME breaking a driveshaft was very noticeable.

Although numbers attending were disappointing, the weather was fine and a good time was had by all. We even got home in time to watch the football World cup final.

http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com
 

Branch Concours

Monday 3rd July, 7.30pm for 8.00pm

http://parscom.org/merritts/where.html

Again, MERRITTS of Amersham have kindly agreed hosted the festivities. MANY prizes were presented for LOADS of categories of car, well done to all who participated!

Anglesey Track Day

Recently, Stokenchurch.

Sunday meeting

Recently, Stokenchurch.

Your committee decided to recommence these social gatherings in November on the last Sunday of the month.

The venue selected was the Flur de Lys by the green in Stokenchurch on the Wycombe Road.

As it was easier to find than expected, being a few minutes from J5 of the M40, we arrived half an hour early so we waited in the car park watching half a dozen Red Kites wheeling overhead.

It was encouraging to see a queue of regulars forming outside the pub before opening time. We were greeted by friendly bar staff and a huge log fire which was very welcome after our wait outside.

Having chosen a table close to the fire we awaited the serving of our Sunday roast. My beef and Margaret’s pork were both piled high, with vegetables served on separate plates. All was delicious and good value. Child portions were also available.

As we were finishing we noted other club members had arrived so we joined them for a chat.

The next Sunday Meetings are January 29th and February 26th. Hope to see you there!
 

Classics on the Green

3rd August, Watford.

Before the show, we said.....

A very popular show, even though its mid week. The show has been running for three years now and has been a huge success.  See http://www.watfordclassics.co.uk/Croxleys.htm for more info.  Things kick off at 3pm in the afternoon and it all finishes when it's to dark to look at cars any more.  A massive selection of cars turn up, including Ferrari, Bugatti, Lotus and all the other usual suspects.  No entry fee, but donations to charity are gratefully accepted - Watford & District Car Club have a different (worthy) cause each year that they give the money to.

Classic and Country show

Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead.

Before the show, we said.....

Club Treasurer Nigel has been attending this show for years and reckons it is well worth a visit.  Lots of attractions for families as well as car nuts - Funfair, flower show, Show Jumping, crafts and would you believe....Ferret Racing (bring your own bicycle clips), there are also a few cars knocking about and an autojumble if that kind of thing interest you.  Great location alongside the M4, easy access from junction 8/9

Uxbridge Autoshow

17th July, Middlesex Showground, Uxbridge, off the A40 western Avenue.

Before the show, we said.....

The biggest show the club officially attends.  The official blurb states… “On July 17th 2005 the Rotary Club of Uxbridge will present its 22nd annual Uxbridge Autoshow.  Its purpose is to raise funds for charity by organising a show where enthusiasts and their families can display their veteran, vintage and club vehicles in a congenial atmosphere and meet their friends and others who share their interest; and to give the public an opportunity to see something of the world of historic and classic vehicles.”

That translates as loads of cars, other vehicles, car clubs, autojumble, food, beer and a whole load of stuff like wot you won’t believe.

Visit the official website for more info.... www.uxbridge-autoshow.com

The BBOA will have an official stand there, with bunting, a tent thing and a free block of cheese* for every punter.

* Cheese may not be available

Loads of us went to the event, I took some photos and Clive has done us proud with a write up!

In summary.....

Well what a corking day last Sunday!  Brilliant weather, loads of cars (and a great mix of old and new too), good atmosphere and to cap it all a thoroughly interesting chat with Peter and Allison Coates - the brave couple who successfully completed the London-Dakar rally in an Elan!  They came second in their class too!

Anyway, if you didn't go, you missed a treat, but below are some of the cars (and people) on the Club Lotus BBOA stand - enjoy!  As always, click the thumbnails to see a larger picture.  However, if you want an even bigger full size picture for your own collection, just email me (john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk) and I'll send it on.

The Official write up....

We thought by arriving at 8.30am to start putting up the bunting and Lotus banners that we would be the first there but were met by the sight of Ian Hancock's Blue GT3.  As we started setting up the stand several other members arrived early to help put up the famous BBOA Gazebo.

The Lotus stand looked magnificent with the gazebo, bunting, banners and flags complementing the 20 Lotus that adorned the area.

The Lotus tally was as follows:

4 Esprits
2 Exige
2 Europa
4 Elans
2 Plus 2s ( 1 a Zetec conversion)
3 Elises
2 M100 Elans
1 Excel

We had a few welcome new faces attending including Dominic and Toni a young couple who both drive a Lotus. Dominic owns a S2 Exige and Toni a beautiful S1 Elise which is her pride and joy and used as an everyday car. You can recognise Toni's Elise by the writing on the back window stating "HETHEL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN OWNER SCORNED".

The other Exige on the stand was Nicks 300 bhp Honda powered monster newly converted by Maidstone Sports cars www.maidstonesportscars.co.uk.

The stars of the stand had to be Allison & Peter Cotes who drove over from Norfolk in their famous Elan which completed the London to Dakar Rally just recently.  Allison & Peter brought along all their photos and gave a talk about their adventures on the rally totalling 5500 miles including driving in the desert.  The thing that amazed everyone was that apart from a roll cage and sump guard the Elan was fairly standard with only minor modifications, mainly to give it extra ground clearance. Even the chassis was standard with no extra reinforcement. Allison and Peter spent most of the day stood in the sweltering heat talking to people about the car which drew crowds all day long. They even bumped into one of their old friends who was on the Dakar rally as service crew (see below for a photo of this).

Throughout the day there were displays going on in the main arena, although most people seemed to head for the beer and ice cream tents after attempting to walk around the large autojumble and various other stalls in the blistering heat.

Once again a very impressive and enjoyable event organised by the Rotary Club with all proceeds going to various charities.  We will be booking a stand for next year.

Clive

I also saw this Lotus on another club stand.  Not sure what it is, but somewhat bizarrely I bumped into it a further 3 times that day... once at Brooklands, once in a petrol station a mile or so from Brooklands and again on the A3 heading south (and we weren't just following it either!)

Branch Concours

7pm, 4th July 2005, Merritts, Amersham

Before the show, we said.....

The BIG news is that the next event in our calendar is the annual concours.  This year, MERRITTS of Amersham have kindly agreed to host the festivities and we and pushing hard to make "BBOA Concours 2005" the biggest and best concours yet.  There will be MANY prizes for LOADS of categories of car, so everyone will have a chance of winning a world famous BBOA engineer-built trophy!  So, for all you regulars AND infrequent visitors, please make the effort to come along, it will be well worth it and we'd LOVE to see you all!

BBOA Concours 2005 will include many of the following features:

A raptuous welcome

Loads of shiny Lotus motors (both cutting edge and classics are more than welcome)

Free food

Free Exige for everyone who comes*

Free drink

Babes in bikinis**

Guaranteed glorious sunshine

A thoroughly good evening

Small print

* This is a lie - bring your own Exige if you have one

** The presence of attractive ladies in revealing swimming attire is not 100% guaranteed and is based on the theory that it is possible that someone in a bikini might walk past the event if we are very lucky.

For general directions to Merritts in Amersham, please follow this LINK and for more detailed directions follow this LINK .

Hope to see you there!

John

... and here's the write up

Arriving at 7.15pm there were already people and cars there. As promised Martin the Lotus manager for Merritts had bought the beer and food and the rain seemed to be holding off so the first joint Merritts and Club Lotus BBOA concours was looking good. The trophies lovingly made by Clive were glisstening in the display cabinet. Last year the trophies consisted of bend exhaust valves mounted on an engraved plinth, but as Clive had not destroyed any engines this year Spark plugs were substituted as according to Clive he has a shed load of them. As people arrived they were given a voting slip to choose the most deserving car in each category, but with a couple of special categories to give everyone a chance to win a trophy. We realised early on of a problem we had not foreseen. The thing with holding it at a Lotus dealership is that there are lots of Lotus to start off with and so as people arrive and park amongst them you lose count of how many Lotus turned up. We guessed that the Lotus with price tags in the window had not been driven there so estimate we had 50 people and approximately 30 Lotus.

As people mingled amongst the cars casting their votes Clive produced the noise meter he borrowed from work and the LOUDEST EXHAUST competition was held. Clive positioned himself 1 metre behind each car and complete with ear defenders and noise meter spent the evening getting blasted by each competitors exhaust in turn.

Clive tested about 12 Lotus exhausts with some surprising results. The quietest exhaust was a late esprit which "only" managed 98db. After that Richard Woodcocks Europa managed a respectable 107db which was louder than a tuned 300BHP Honda powered Exige borrowed from Maidstone Sportscars www.maidstonesportscars.co.uk which had a special "quiet" 105db exhaust for track days.

Nick brought this demonstrator along as his S1 Exige is with the garage having the conversion done. We had given out a general invite to all the other Lotus clubs and some of the SELOC members who turned up entered, one with a particularly smoky engine and Clive had to stand there in a cloud of smoke wiping the display trying to see the reading (although to be fair they did warn him). The winner turned out to be a S2 Elise with a straight through exhaust giving 120db. a very impressive and surprising second place went to a S1 Elise with supercharger and Janspeed exhaust at 118db (Their neighbours must love them).

Once the exhausts had been measured and all the voting slips counted it was time for presentation of the trophies. The pre '74 2-seater trophy went to a beautiful S4 Elan in Pistachio green which had been restored after standing in a barn for 16 years (nearly as long as Rick's Plus 2 restoration). The post '74 2-seater went to Ian Hancock's immaculate Blue Esprit GT3. We had two trophies for the 4-seater category but as only one 4-seater Lotus turned up, Nigel's Excel won the prize (no Plus 2s attended). This meant we had a spare trophy so for the Best Modified Lotus category we presented two prizes one to the 300bhp Exige and the other to Richard Woodcocks Europa.

An extra trophy was presented to Martin Cariven and Merritts as a thank you for hosting the event and for the support they give to the club. A big thank you to Martin and Merritts for hosting the event and thanks to Clive for the wonderful trophies.

 

Classic & Sportscar Action Day - Castle Combe

11th June 2005

Before the show, we said.....

Organisers have moved this event forward to June, with they say, "a few changes intended to improve it".  FREE Parade laps for clubs over lunchtime.  Track time - pls pre- book it yourself directly with the circuit.  This show has always been a great day out and we will have a club stand with members cars displayed.

Click on the link below for more information (as and when it appears).

The Official Castle Combe Circuit Web Site 

Rick Dymond went to the event and took some photos!

Click on the photos for a bigger image

Saint Saturnin Classic British Welcome

17th/18th June 2005, Saint Saturnin, Just this side of Le Mans, France, Abroad.

Rick Dymond was sent this e-mail by Patrick Crew of SELOC.  It talks about  the CBW and other related LeMans things.  Pretty exciting stuff I'm sure you'll agree.

"Rick, Please pass this onto the your members......

The Classic British Welcome is organised annually by John Curtis and his team over the Le Mans weekend, see details below.

http://www.classicbw.org/uk/index.php

SELOC are the organising club for the Lotus marque at this years CBW, Porsche Club UK having being this years organising club, who were successful in putting together 200 cars. We would obviously like to do better in terms of numbers and put on a display of as many different Lotus marques as possible.

To incentivise as many owners of the classic Lotus marque to take part in CBW at next year's Le Mans, the emphasis being on Lotus cars that can form the key cars at the heart of the CBW display, SELOC are pleased to provide the following through Motoring Adventures (www.motoringadventures.com). This is in addition to 12 or so Lotus cars that will be chosen to take part in the Parade des Pilotes in the Le Mans town centre on the Friday evening, an event watched on the road side by thousands and broadcast on both terrestrial and satellite TV.

The Parade des Pilotes has been decided and the following cars will be taking place:

XI series 1 1957
7 series 1 1958
Elite series 1 1959
23 1963
Élan Sprint 1965
Europa 1970
Élan 100 1993
Esprit S4S 1994
Exige S1 1999
Elise S2 (49) 2002
Esprit GT1 replica 1998

The star of the show will be the Lotus 9 that Colin Chapman raced at Le Mans in 1955 alongside the Elise GT1 in the classic Cavalcade and a genuine Le Mans Lotus XI

The above also feature at the exhibition of Lotus cars at the Classic British Welcome, alongside the Lotus XI's, Elites and Europas, all Club Lotus BBOA cars are welcome to be part of the external exhibition, special guest Johnny Herbert.

Clubs Parade through Motoring Adventures (MA)
We are able to offer the owners of classic Lotus marques the opportunity of participating in the Clubs Parade that gets underway first thing on the Saturday morning of the race, once the circuit has been handed over to the ACO and before the 24 hour race, cars go out for their final practice. The usual start time is 07.30 after drivers' briefing at 07.00 - rendezvous yet to be decided for 2005 (has been Mulsanne Village Hall in previous years).

The featured marque for Le Mans 2005 is Lagonda (celebrating the 70th anniversary of their win) and MA expect around 80 cars from this marque. A small contingent of Jaguars is also expected as they will be commemorating the first D-type win in 1955 (which was also the Levegh crash year, so no celebration will be held).

Through MA, SELOC can offer a minimum of 25 places to owners of classic Lotus models NOT modern cars, ideally the marques that have a Le Mans history as in the XI, the Elite and the Europa. So far the list for the clubs parade is as follows: 2 Lotus XI's, an Elite, a Europa and pristine 1980 Esprit Turbo.

Likely cost will be in the region of £400 per car (including driver and passenger) which will include a certificate commemorating the track drive and a Champagne Breakfast after the Parade in our Hospitality Centre in the circuit village (Access to the Hospitality Centre with Bar, private toilet facilities and cloaks/left luggage room will be available throughout the weekend). Clubs Parade is allocated a period of time on the circuit and usually manages 3 full laps plus the "on" and "off" sections.

We would also seek, with the owners’ permission, the opportunity to auction off a number passenger seats from cars taking part in the Clubs Parade as a means of raising money for CBW's local French charity.

Classic Cavalcade
The Cavalcade is the "living history" of Le Mans (now in its 24th year) and displays about 30 Le Mans cars from the 1920s to the late 1970s - static display at the Hospitality Centre and Parade laps at about mid-day on Saturday including an "ear of corn" display and commentary on the start finish straight. This is an invitation only event and again on behalf of MA, SELOC would like to hear of true Le Mans Lotus owners who might like to receive an invitation to take part - particularly the 1955 entrants!!!

Le Mans Legend Race
This support race to the main 24 Hours race is organised by Motor Racing Legends, sister company to MA. A grid of 61 Le Mans cars (or their sister cars) - 2005 is likely to see a qualifying period of late 1930s to the 1950s so again potential for Lotus entries here! Eligibility is decided by the ACO and as yet MA have not yet received confirmation of the period. If you would like to be considered please get in touch, and please note the potential qualifying period. We would like to those who would like to take part, in the Clubs Parade in particular, to register firm interest as soon as possible given the likely popularity of the opportunity available. Payment will be directly to MA, details to follow.

We would also be grateful for the inclusion of the above in your club magazine when the next issue comes out/website. (Done - Ed)

Please contact me if you require additional info.

Kind regards

 
Patrick Crew
SELOC Commercial Director
www.seloc.org
The Lotus Enthusiasts Club
e-mail: pat.crew@seloc.org"

Supercar Sunday at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon

19th June 2005

A quote from the official site......

http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/eventsclubs/eventsprogramme/06/20050619.htm

"All your dream cars will be here - Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis. Take a sponsored ride in a supercar, with proceeds to the Sporting Bears charity. An admission fee is payable to enter this event."

No club stand, but lets pack the place with Loti anyway and remind them what a car with proper handling is all about.

Newton Longville Show:

29th May 2005, a couple of miles due South of Milton Keynes, nestled between the A421 to Buckingham and the A4146 to Leighton Buzzard.

Before the show, we said.....

Local member Dave Miller, who helped organise the first Newton Longville show in 2004, contacted us to say that the show is on again this year. Here is what he has to say:
 

“It is now another year and we will be holding the NLFT 05 this year as last but on May 29th.

The show this year will be bigger, and better (we had about 150 vehicles and 1500+ people last year). To date we have firm commitments to come from Merritts garage bringing new and used Lotus, Souls of Olney bringing new and used MG/Rover, Tyrell’s of Bicester bringing BMW/Audi /Jag Land Rover, the Jensen Factory from West Bromwich, Moore Racing (Local TVR racing team and prep group) and we are in negotiation with Aston Martin who are based a couple of miles up the road. For the motor bike people a Harley dealer from Towcester has promised to come.

Other than that we have Helicopter rides (Patriot Aviation), craft stands, the Army/Marines and Navy, some auto jumble stands, fairground rides, bouncy castle, and local scouts plant stall etc supported by a ‘clubhouse with full catering and bar facilities’.

All we need now are lots of classics and some fine weather and everybody should like last year have a great time.”

It is £2 to get in (or 50p if you can pass yourself off as a child or OAP).  A bit more if you are exhibiting.  Profits go to local charity.

Club Lotus Track Day  @ Castle Combe

28th May, Castle Combe, Near Chippenham, Wiltshire

Before the show, we said.....

Set in Castle Combe, a great little race track in the heart of Wiltshire, this is always a good event.  Contact the club to book laps round the track in your pride and joy (remember that Combe noise limits are strict though). 

Chiltern Hills Rally/Show
15th May 2005 - The Rugby Ground, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury.
 

Before the show, we said.....

There is an optional rally which starts from Aylesbury station car park and follows a route through the Chilterns, eventually ending at the rugby ground.  For pre-show entry forms contact Sally Cox on 01296 339502.

If you don't want to rally, just turn up at the Rugby ground.  It is a great show - last year 700+ vehicles turned up last year - vans, cars, trucks, steam, you name it.  There is also a jumble sale, kids attractions, a craft show etc.

No official BBOA presence at the show, but its a good one none the less.

The Thames Valley Sportscar Day - Hambledon

8th May 2005, Hambledon, Buckinghamshire

Before the show, we said.....

Put on by the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club in the picturesque village of Hambledon.  See our review of last years show for inspiration (hint: it's in the "past events" section).

This year we are organising a convoy to the show.  The plan is to meet at Merritts (the Lotus dealer in Amersham) at 10.30am and set off for the show at 11am.

Committee member Clive Baker really wanted us to meet up at 8.30am for the following reasons:

"You need about 30 minutes for each of the following tasks:

1) Drying the plugs off after firing her up. 

2) Identifying any new noises coming from various parts of the car. 

3) Trying to decide if the leak is a normal one or a new one. 

4) Letting the engine cool down so the needle on the gauge does not bend against the stop.

5) Investigating any under bonnet smoke

Then a one hour waiting for the breakdown truck and a 30 minute ride to the show.

Total: Four hours "perfect timing"

The other advantage being if you arrive on the back of a truck everyone thinks it must be an entry for the concours.

Clive"

Clive Baker went.... and has this to say about the show

The sun was out, the rain held off and the Élan fired up first time. Sunday was going to be a good day to drive to Hambleden. As we drove into Henley we saw the familiar sight of Warner and Margaret in their Excel and so we had a mini convoy of our own to Hambledens cricket field which became home for 200+ classic cars for the afternoon.

Warner and I got there early and staked a claim to an area with flag, bunting and banners. We were not the first Lotus there as three of our local members had already arrived and settled in for the day with picnic table and drink already on the go. As the comedy double act of Warner and Clive set about tying a flag to a tree helped by our beloved wifes telling us we were doing it all wrong, a constant trickle of Lotus arrived to park in a long line down one side of the field.

We had an impressive 23 Lotus attend with a very good selection of models. The final tally was:

Élan Sprints: 3
Esprits: 5
Europas: 4
Elises: 5
Excel: 1
Élan Plus 2s: 2
M100 Élans: 2
And one beautiful Type 14 Elite which drew much admiration all day.

There was also a convoy of Lotus (three) that started from Merritts Lotus dealership in Amersham where Martin Cariven the Lotus sales guy made sure all the people had a cuppa before setting off.

It got to a point later in the afternoon where we were parking the Lotus two deep as we had run out of room.
The great thing about Hambleden it that it is held in a tiny picturesque village which for one day a year becomes invaded by a wonderful assortment of hundreds of classic cars including some rare ones that you would not normally get to see. We counted 11 Ferraris, 3 Ford GT40s, 7 Aston Martins, An Auburn Speedster, a massive Lincoln Continental as well as countless Jags from XK120s to modern saloons. There was also a split screen Moggie Minor complete with Fiat Abarth engine used for racing.

Lots of families were there having picnics amongst the cars as well as the pub next door putting on a BBQ in the garden.

The event is organised by the local Jaguar enthusiasts club with all donations going to charity. A very enjoyable day and we hope to be attending again next year.

Alan Morgan Seminar

11th April 2005, 8pm, The Spade Oak, Bourne End.

Alan Morgan gave a good talk and the future looks pretty rosy for the club. 

Historic Motorsport Show

25th, 26th and 27th February 2005

Did anybody go? If so, we'd love to hear abut it!

www.historicmotorsportshow.com

Branch AGM

10th January 2005, 8pm, The Spade Oak, Bourne End.
 

Before the event, we said.....

Attention you lot in Lotus cyberspace, it is that time again for you all to flood to the Spade Oak to tell us what a s****y job we are doing and how you can do it better!

We would love to see as many of you as possible and look forward to plenty of lively debate.

The Committee traditionally stand down and offer themselves for re-election.  This year is no different, but with the exception that, after 13 years of enthusiastic, sterling and knowledgeable service, Denis Milnes has decided not to stand for Area Leader.

If any member would like to put themselves forward for any of the positions on the committee, then please e-mail me with your name, the role you would like to take and the e-mail address of your proposer, by 31 December.

In the meantime, if any one has any questions on this, then please make contact.

See you on 10th January
Nigel Price (Secretary) r_nigelprice@hotmail.com

Now the dust has settled.....

Well, a right riveting time was had by all at the AGM I'm sure and to cut a long story short, Denis left <sob>, but Peter joined <huzzah> and we've elected John Chamberlain to lead us into infinity and beyond.

Lotus Seven talk by John Watson:

8th November, 8pm, The Spade Oak, Bourne End.

Before the event, we said.....

A fascinating insight into Colin Chapman's longest surviving production car (in one guise or another).  John Watson the Lotus Seven 'guru' is giving up his valuable time to share with us some of his knowledge.  Through its conception, production, road & racing car development.  This is probably Chapman's greatest achievement, with a production run longer than the Mini or VW Beetle.  Would he have believed that this basic sports car when conceived, would still be in production nearly 50 years on?

Come and enjoy John's presentation, learn about Sevens and how they provided the impetus for all following road cars, plus cross fertilisation between clubs is healthy, and ensures the continuation of the greater good.

L.O.T.U.S. - Lots of taste, unequivocally superior.
John Chamberlain

A lot of people went - perhaps one of you wants to do a write up?

John Chamberlain the organiser has this to say to thank JW for his time......

"Hi John, on behalf of BBOA a big 'thank you' for the excellent presentation last night. Fascinating insight into pre & Lotus 7's. No doubt you will do this again sometime, if someone else twists your arm !
Best regards John"

Classic Action Day at Castle Combe:

11th September

Before the event, we said.....

More fun at Combe, only this time you get to carve up non-Loti too.  It's a darn good excuse to embarrass some expensive machinery round the corners in your sub £10k classic!

I'll be there, oh yes indeedy.

Check out the Castle Combe website for further details: www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/

Now we've been and this is what regular contributor John Chamberlain has to say.....

Castle Combe Classic & Sports Car action day 11th Sep.

An early start beckoned, wanting to be at the circuit in time for breakfast. I grabbed the envelope from the organisers and checked the info sheet, looked promising. Then to my surprise out dropped 15 club vehicle display passes. I had sent out the entry tickets to those who requested them, but not the display passes. What a plum. Off I went and that long drag down the M4. Thru Tiddlywink and I was there. I talked to the security chap at the circuit and he said ‘not a problem’. Peter Southwell & his JPS Europa was already there, and amongst others, Ian H & his Esprit, Warner & Excel, Brian & Europa, a stunningly restored red/silver +2S/130, baby blue Élan S3, all in, a dozen cars. Jeff braved the day and had his first ‘track session’ in his baby Élan with his son riding shotgun.

Castle Combe had changed the format for this year and restricted the number of cars on the circuit. A change for the better according to most people. Certainly the paddock was not full to bursting as in previous years. Track timings were organised in advance for those who had pre-booked laps.

In true Combe fashion the rain clouds loomed in the early afternoon, but didn’t deposit much.

South Wales Lotus had their usual mega turnout of cars, mainly Esprits & Elises. A goodly number of which spent most of the day on the track.

A good event, good BBOA turnout, usual banter and ‘bacon burgers’. If you haven’t had one dripping with brown sauce then you haven’t lived. But don’t have a cholesterol check until some weeks later.

JC.

Note from the editor.... due to my extreme incompetence I missed the event (I thought it was the next weekend).  Next time I'll check the website!  John H

Branch Concours at the Spade Oak:

9th August 7.30pm

Before the event, Warner told us.....

As in recent years, it will be self judge with voting slips issued on arrival for a £1 fee with the following categories.

1. Best pre ’74 Lotus 2 seat
2. Best 1974 on Lotus 2 seat
3. Best pre ’85 Lotus 4 seat
4. Best 1985 on Lotus 4 seat
5. A surprise novelty class.

So dust of your Elites, Éclat and Europa - you have just as much chance of winning as Élans, Esprit and late Excels.

To ensure your car is put in the right category by all voters, a sticker in the windscreen stating year of first registration would be a good idea, especially for personalised numbers, “B” prefix and “M” suffix reg numbers.

So come early as judging gets difficult in the dark and counting is a problem with late-comers.

Now we've had the event and again, Warner has very kindly put some prose together for us summing up the evening:

After a day’s rain it was dry for a couple of hours prior to us leaving home.  We left early to ensure the car park at the Spade Oak had been cordoned off for our event as arranged.
However, light showers started again (light showers!!!  I nearly turned back home due to the downpour - and I was in a Ford Focus - Ed) and it was with some relief we found a new Exige S2 and Elise 111R were there already.

These were brought by Merritts of Amersham, who deserve praise for supporting the local Club Lotus event.

Light sprinkles of rain continued as nine intrepid contestants gathered.  Our worries continued until Clive and Sue arrived with the trophies, bunting and banners.  Having driven through torrential rain (that's more like it - Ed) they were surprised at the gathering and as no other pre ’74 two seat Lotus attended were very “miffed” at not bringing theirs!

Voting got underway before it got too dark, this being a quick affair as two categories had only one contender.  Some of your committee got together at this point, buying voting slips at the going rate, to influence the vote in favour of a nominated pre ’74 two seat i.e. the Ginetta G4 of a Spade Oak regular. 

As Clive had made the elegant trophies, who could argue with this?
 

Sue and Margaret then went into the bar to count the votes (so they said!) and returned flushed (with success or confusion?) one voter having voted for a plus 2 Élan in the two seat class and his Ford Focus in the 4 seat class! (no comment - Ed).  Your committee quickly eliminated the spurious votes, verified the result and Clive calmly gathered all together to announce the trophy winners.
 

1. Ginetta G4 (as described)
2. Peter Howes 1986 Esprit HC (there is a picture of it at Silverstone in the "gallery" section - Ed)
3. Élan +2 of John Chamberlain
4. My ’85 Excel (all of the SEs stayed away!)
5. Lastly the vote for the Lotus with the favourite colour scheme was won by Merritts yellow and black Exige.

£11 was collected for club branch funds (Pints all round then - Ed)
 

Finally I would like to thank all those attending, especially the M100 Élan owners who made up a third of the Lotus entries.  Also Sue and Margaret for their admin and Clive for the magnificent trophies, which consisted of a bent inlet valve mounted on a base with a brass plaque affixed.  May this be the only way one gets bent valves!

Warner H Benton

Thanks for that Warner - Ed

Classics on the Green, Watford:

4th August 3pm - late

Before the event, we said....

This is a free event with donations to the Watford Pease Hospice.  It is held on Croxley Green, nr Watford. from 3pm till late.  One of the committee hailed it as "a very good show", so we thought we'd put it on the list.

COTG is held at Croxley Green just off the A412 between Rickmansworth and Watford.

Want to comment on this years show?  E-mail john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk

Uxbridge Auto Show:

Sunday 18th July

We've been to the show and we have some photos!

Enthusiastic club member Mark Blanchard joined us on the stand (and by us I mean "them", because technically speaking I wasn't on the stand, I just turned up and said hello) and has again supplied us with photos - thank you Mark!  Also thanks to the committee members who set everything up that day and generally organised things.  I think it was Denis, Warner, Clive, John C and Rick, but if I've missed anyone out (or included someone who was just as lazy as me and did nuffink),  then I apologise.

Those photos then (as usual, click the photo for a larger image - which will open in a new window).

All in all I thought it was a good show, despite the early rain, which turned to sunshine later (thankfully).  It was damn well organised by the Rotary lot and it was nice to see a well organised seating area too (even if the queues for the excellent food were somewhat slower than the name "fast food" would suggest).  Loads of variation in cars was nice to see too.  Bizarrely, a guy I now work with (since we relocated on Monday) spotted me at the show (he wasn't sure so didn't say hello) - he was with his yellow Escort Mexico in one of the Ford owners stands - bit of a coincidence!

Anyone else have any thoughts on this show?  Contact me (john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk) if you want your name in print (if not up in lights).

As a reminder, before the event, we said....

Over 2000 cars last year and proceeds go to charity.  Best to visit their own website for full details.... www.uxbridge-autoshow.com

Note: If you were to run round the show, viewing one car every second, it would take you 33 minutes to see all the cars.  Now considering that few of us can actually survive a 30 minute run and given the fact that it's pretty pointless to drive to a car show and just spend a second at each exhibit, then we are talking a serious days automotive enjoyment here AND any money you spend goes to charity!

Clive organised the BBOA contingent last year - here's one of his photos to break up the monotonous text - would you believe that two 340Rs turned up for the show - not something you see every day.  Nice tent too - stripey.

Mark Blanchard has sent us some more excellent photos of last years event, click the thumbnails for a bigger picture...

And of course, Marks own car - an early Stevens Esprit....

Elite/Éclat/Excel Day, Brightwell Baldwin Park (Watlington):

26th June 2004

Before the event, we said....

This will be the second annual summer gathering of the Elite/Éclat Register, but all other Lotus vehicles are welcome to join.  We have permission to use a section of the Park with excellent views, just walking distance from the traditional village fete taking place that afternoon (will keep wives & children occupied!).  Meet from 12 noon (fete opens at 2pm), bring picnic, or eat at village pub/restaurant, with tea/cakes/ice cream at the fete.  Last year we got 18 Elites & Éclats together in Winchester, this year we're aiming for more.  An informal Concours is planned.

Brightwell Baldwin is on the B480 between Watlington and Stadhampton

Contact Leigh Greenham on 01491 613005

Want to comment on this years show?  E-mail john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk

Howard Emes seminar: MOTORSPORT GENEVA ELISE:

8pm, 14th June 2004
 

Before the event, we said....

Here’s a seminar which should appeal to a wide audience, particularly those with a hankering towards the more modern marques. Howard Emes is bringing his unique Elise to our monthly meeting in June.  Lower, wider, faster; and probably even noisier than most.  The car is pretty impressive as well! And it was made with a hard top.

The history of this car began late in 1999 when a pre-production hand built Lotus Motorsport Elise was shown at the Geneva Salon.  It caused quite a stir, with comments in articles like “It’s the best thing since hot toast” quoted by Graham Arnold in Club Lotus News issue No. 4 in 1999 and appearing as the cover picture in issue No. 2 in 2000.

This car was created in order to promote the Lotus Elise Challenge Series which ran for 2 years.  It proved to be so popular that the Exige followed as a road going version.
The tale of this machine; it’s acquisition by Howard; and what’s happened to it since will be revealed on the night.  Weather permitting, we can have a look at the car in the open. 
As with all our seminars, this one will be well worth coming along to; and new faces are especially welcome.

The venue is The Spade Oak, Bourne end - see top of page for directions and a map.

Jeff Boughton gives us the low-down on the event....

The car was one of three pre - production cars constructed by Lotus in 1999 / 2000 to promote the Elise Challenge Series. For the series, Lotus offered an all - expenses - paid package of racing for about £50,000 a year.

Howards car was the actual car shown by Lotus at the Geneva Motor Show that year. The car has a 1.8 litre engine, producing more than 200 HP. The 0 - 60 time is approx. 4.1 seconds; and the top end speed is more than 150 MPH. Of the three prototype cars built, Jensen Button wrote off one, another was written off by another racing driver (don't know who); and the remaining one was scrapped. Lotus didn't produce this car in road going form, deciding instead to dismantle it and commence production of the Exige.

This scrapped car is the one which Howard managed to get his hands on, albeit not all in one piece. Howard acquired the basics, but then spent more than 2 years hunting down the missing bits. The end result is fabulous, both in terms of performance and looks.

Lotus got in touch with Howard when they had their open day at Hethel in October 2002; and asked him if he would let them show the car in their Design / Development Area for the day. Some of the people involved in the concept and development of the car were there; and they seemed pleased to know that true enthusiasts like Howard are still out there, keeping the spirit of Lotus alive.

Jeff Boughton

Newton Longville show:

30th May 2004

Before the show, Dave Miller, who organised the event, describe it thusly....

Newton Longville is a small village (population 1950) in North Bucks.  We have a very old and lovely Saxon based church which needs about £130k worth of work doing to it so we (I) came up with idea of having a broadly based classic and interesting vehicles show which is to be a fun thing for all.

I have an Élan plus two S130/5 which I rebuilt myself, so am more or less committed to the classic car movement.

I have set up a committee to organise the festival of transport and our date for this is Sunday 30th of May (that is the Sunday before the Spring Bank Holiday)

The event will be Held in the grounds of the New Longuville Hall at one end of the village and we are asking all those interested in "transport" to come.  To date we have outline Sponsorship agreed with Toyota who will bring a display of modern vehicles and we hope either one of their Rally Cars or an "old" F1 car.  The Bletchley Park is just up the road and one of my committee sits on its committee so we will have a number of the old WW2 military vehicles.  We are also in touch with the RAF and hope to have some or all of the Battle of Britain memorial flight to overfly us at some point in the day.

I am a member of the Chiltern Vehicles Preservation society (as well as Club Lotus) and we believe that a number of their members will come with a variety of vehicles.  Porsche owners, MG owners, and Mini 7 owners have been approached and we are awaiting a view of their commitment, with Ferrari owners being contacted in the very near future. 

We have Aston Martin just up the road at Newport Pagnell and Moore racing (TVR) in the village and are again waiting to hear if they will support us.

The Longuville Hall is set in about 10 acres of land with a long straight gravel drive and large car park.  The land is used for football/rugby and hockey and the Parish Council has given its approval for us to use the Hall and grounds.  Note we have a minimum of £5m public liability insurance and are currently investigating to raise this to £10m.   Fire, police and ambulance will be there in both official and preventative modes.
 

We are a registered charity and will charge £3.00 per vehicle + driver and passenger to enter and for non entrants free parking with £1.00 per adult and £0.50 per child entrance fee.  It is our intention to have 12 or 13 different classes of vehicles and award a small prize for the first and second best entries in each class with maybe an overall best of the day award.

The objective is to raise money but also to have fun.  The Hall is modern with a fully licensed bar and fully functioning kitchens and a seating area which will comfortably seat 12-15 tables with 10-12 per table. (we have had a couple of hundred in there for dances etc).  Bouncy castles bring and buy face painting etc etc will be there along with food drink and ice creams etc.

Newton Longville is a couple of miles due South of Milton Keynes, nestled between the A421 to Buckingham and the A4146 to Leighton Buzzard.

Want to comment on this years show?  E-mail john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk

Castle Combe Speed Track Day:

29th May 2004

Before the event, we said....

If you have never taken your Lotus onto a major racing circuit, this is your chance. Very popular family day out, either on the track, or as spectators.

Close to the beautiful village of Castle Combe (the location for many a film and TV show), Bath and Cheddar Gorge.  Actually, it's nowhere bloody near Cheddar George, but that's what they put on the Club Lotus HQ site - Ed .

Early booking is required to avoid disappointment, as limited spaces are available.

Full details and booking forms available from Club Lotus HQ.

Call: 01362 694459

Email:events@clublotus.co.uk

Also check out the Castle Combe website (it has contact details etc too): www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk/

We've been now and we have some photos!

Photos kindly donated by Rick Dymond (white Helmet) and also featuring "Sparky" (Black helm).

Rick and Sparky drove out to Castle Combe in Sparky's Red Mk2 Elise.  They also did a few laps round the track too - Rick is currently recovering in the Maidenhead home for the terminally scared shitless.  The handling had been sorted by Sinclaires since last year and I'm told that it went round the corners much better this time around.

Click the images for full-sized versions

Want to comment on this years show?  E-mail john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk

Chilterns Classic Car Show, Aylesbury:

16th May 2004

We said of last years show.....

A good show with a complete mixture of vehicles from traction engines, military vehicles, commercials to all car marques.  Last year over 700 vehicles turned up, so it's a fair sized show!

They are also having a 25 mile road run starting at Aylesbury railway station at 8.00am.  This will travel through the Chiltern countryside and end up at the farm where the event is taking place.  Anyone wanting to take part call/fax:  01296 631666 or 01296 339502 or email Sally Cox: secox@btopenworld.com.  They have full use of the car park and the station buffet will be open. 

The organizers ask for as many pre-bookings for car show entrants as possible at £4 per car.  Call above phone numbers or email Sally for entry forms.

There are trade stands autojumbles and concours etc.

Woodlands Farm, Aylesbury Road, Aston Clinton, Bucks, HP22 5AG

B4544 adjacent to Aylesbury Rugby club
Phone: 01296 631666.

Want to comment on this years show?  E-mail john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk
 

Jaguar Enthusiasts Club Annual Gathering, Hambledon:

9th May 2004

We said of last years show.....

A fantastic local event, organised by JEC, but open to all local car clubs.  Beautiful venue.  Usually over 200 cars of all makes attend.  Food at pub or bring picnic.  A drive from the Spade Oak as last year, is expected, but the committee is currently researching other possible starting points. 

My comments on this years show (please contribute if you wish - john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk as usual).....

Although I only managed to get there for the last hour or so, I can tell you that this was a really good event.  The show was situated in the heart of the village of Hambledon (on the A4155 Henley - Marlow road) - in the recreation-type-field behind the pub and even though it had rained the day before (and the MANY days preceding), somehow the field was not the quagmire it could have been - this was a good start.  The friendly Jag owners and beautiful countryside location of the show added considerably to the atmosphere too.  If you haven't been to that neck of the woods before, then I recommend it as a good place for a summer visit, I heard good things about the pub food "Best Lasagne I've ever had" was a comment I heard made by a club member and there must be some good walks thereabouts.  Sorry, getting a little off subject there, but you get the idea - it's a nice place!

The club stand took pride of place at the head of the field (well, that's the way I like to think of it anyway) and I bumped into several club members with their cars.  Committee member Clive Baker had been manning the show all day along with the help of "Club Treasurer" Warner Benton and Peter "The Lens" Howes (and various wives/partners etc).  Bunting and the club banner had been erected and looked very professional - thanks guys and gals (sorry, I came over a bit "Jimmy Saville" then).  Clive was cooing over his brand spanking new Élan Sprint engine which had been installed the day before and looked pretty impressive (and clean).  I reckon he should have just about made it home by now (7pm the day after) - gotta take it steady with a new engine and all that.  Warner had brought his trusty Excel and persevered to the show even after a worrying moment with a dodgy fuel pump  - nothing that a whack with a hammer couldn't sort out though.  A newcomer to the Lotus owning fraternity* was Peter Howes' partner (sorry, I didn't catch the name) who had brought her new Élan M100 S2 to the show having picked it up the Friday before!  That car was so shiny (in unmarked red) you would never know it was eight years old!  It's difficult to believe that Lotus could make a red paint that had lasted that long (did I say that....)  There were a few other cars too (turn up next year and see for yourself) and rumours of an Exige that had turned up in the morning before departing for an "important business meeting in London" - wow - I'm impressed, (if I'm talking about you, then why not contact me on the usual e-mail address and I can add your name and comments in here too)

The "rather nice JPS Europa" from "Hambledon 2003" turned up again, so the picture taken by committee member John "Richard" Chamberlain stays (at least until the snaps of this years show come through).  IF THEY EVER DO - DOES ANYBODY HAVE SOME PLEASE?

The non-Lotus part of the show was pretty spectacular too - five or six rows running the length of the field... hold on, it's 7.15pm on Monday 10th May - I'm off to the monthly meeting - see ya later............. John

......back now (Sat May 22nd), erm, bit of a delay there - soz.  Loads of nice Jags there - a few rare 'un too (sorry, I can't say much about 'em 'cos I don't know much about Jags).  Other cars included a few Cobras (I think they were all replicas, but they looked darn fine), some Morgans (including a three wheeler JAP engined two seater which excited my dad somewhat) and even an Aston DBS (in gold/rust).  Well, that about it for the show, I ain't no Bill Shakepeare ya know.

Official BBOA stat's for the show as collated by Clive "Mr Babbage" Baker were as follows:

1 Exige
2 Élan Plus 2
2 Europa JPS
3 Baby Élan
3 M100
1 Esprit
2 Excels
1 Elise S1

That makes 15 (or 16 if you include my "Lotus Focus").

Seminar: My Three Years in the Garage, by Richard Woodcock

8pm, 19th April 2004 at the Spade Oak.

This is what Richard said before the seminar.....

Planning to conduct a full ground upward restoration is not something to be taken lightly- do you plan every detail or dive in regardless?  Maybe a mixture of the both is the prudent way.  Come along to our seminar on 19 April entitled “My Three Years in the Garage” to hear how Richard Woodcock, one of our members, fared in such a project.  Learn from his mistakes, from all accounts there were many, and his successes, there must have been a few because the car is now back on the road.

The car, a 1971 Europa (questionable) S2, was purchased in 1998 after being left for about a year untouched in a garage.  It was drivable but not reliable.  The official project start was October 1999 and the car returned to the road September 2003.  The time in between contained days of elation, depression, confusion, frozen fingers and large quantities of perspiration and sticking plasters.  With the exception of some engine refurbishment and initial glass-fibre work, all work was done by Richard in his garage. Included in the work were several modifications to the standard car that he felt would be of benefit.  There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion through the seminar (so bring your notebook) and lots of pictures.

This is what we say now.....

Actually, I'm gonna say my usual thing.... somebody write a bit about the sem and I'll stick it here.  Photos would be good too!  As always... john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk

Lotus Show, Donington:

27th & 28th March 2004

This is what we said before the show.....

This is the Club Lotus annual indoor Lotus Show and Parts Sale in the massive Donington International Exhibition centre at Donington Park Circuit, Leicestershire. Trade stands, cars for sale, parts, technical information, club stands etc.

Reduced entry price for pre-booked tickets.

Full details and booking forms available from Club Lotus.

Call: 01362 694459

Email: lotusshow@clublotus.co.uk

Donington has its own website, which has travel information: www.donington-park.co.uk

This is what we say now.....

A Day out at Donington Lotus Autofair.

By Bob Kendall

Just over one year ago, I let my heart rule my head one cold snowy day in a barn in deepest Hertfordshire. I bought a pile of parts loosely described as a Europa Special. After a gap of almost 27 years I came back to the Lotus that held such fond memories for me. I promptly joined the Club and started going to meetings at the Spade Oak.

This madness also involved going to the Lotus show at Donington Park. This year my son and I went again. The day really starts before the show opens when everyone appears to walk round the car park and ogle. Original but beautifully restored cars jostle with cars used everyday, cars that need restoring and cars that are frankly amazing.

This year on Sunday, the prize for amazing must surely go to the man who shoehorned a Chevy V8 with a Porsche transaxle into the back of a Europa. Unlike the original GKN Europa, which needed a 10 inch stretch to accommodate its Buick V8 and ZF gearbox, this car had a standard chassis although with the drive shafts angled slightly more. During a lengthy discussion he said that a “Banks” sourced bonnet with it’s increased down force helped prevent low flying. But lots more attention both under the car and inside the bonnet had been paid to airflow. I am not sure however that I would want to put my foot right down, although it did sound rather nice.

The car park had many baby Élans, +2s and Esprits and many different colour schemes. There were also a few Elites, even fewer Éclats and just a small sprinkling of the beautiful Europas (I may be a bit biased of course), but sadly this year no JPS models. Surprisingly there were relatively few Elises, bearing in mind it is in current production. However as the price of the mk1 continues to plummet, this may change as the ownership profile changes. Indeed there were more mk1 to mk2s when we were looking round. Oddly there were no “new” front wheel drive Élans in the car park, although each year the cars for sale inside the show, seem to sell very well indeed.

For us this walking, chatting and touching in the car park lasts maybe two hours. If you have not been to the actual show itself, I should explain that the hall contains several groups of exhibitors....

 There are the car clubs with member’s cars. This group are always very welcoming and happy to let you look all over their cars and ask questions. Their patience and enthusiasm is really nice to behold. Both my son and I really like Europas, Esprits and +2s and spend our time looking at these models,  but we are warming a bit to the mk1 Elise. So as we only spend a day at the show (until thrown out), we have to spend our time wisely. Thus I can only report that although there are a lot of stands specialising in Elises, I cannot really say anything about them, except they are indeed there.

Paul Matty has had a large area for his cars each year and appears to do very well indeed. Amongst a large selection, including the previously mentioned front wheel drive Élans, he had an early Esprit with almost delivery miles on it from a museum, which sadly someone had scratched with a key. The car was in truly superb condition too. There was also a “Banks” Europa that he has had for a while now. It looked lovely but is certainly not cheap.

Nearby this area, there were several cars for sale by their owners. Some really lovely Esprits, although nothing to fascinate my son in the same way as last year when he spent a long time looking at an Esprit with a 2.8 Renault engine installed and talking to the perpetrator.

Then there are the stalls. There is an amazing array of second hand parts for almost everything. It requires determination and patience at these stands unless you can actually recognise the part you want. These stands are manned by a very interesting variety of people who are unfailingly helpful. You can pick up a lot here even some new/unused parts. I bought a new dashboard for less than it would cost to restore the old one and well under the half price of those at places such as S&J sportscars or Banks. Sadly both of these companies do not bother to go, although there are Banks cars there with their owners. Indeed this year there were notable absences from such people as the headlight and wiring suppliers. But specialist brake part suppliers were there in force and also the ever-helpful Christopher Neil. Spyder and QED were also there. They are very interesting stands to visit and whilst there you can think about the validity of your current restoration budgeting.

Of course there are plenty of stands selling new items. Indeed you can buy such things as model cars, clothes, key rings, tools, books, magazines and all manner of items especially for Elises. Mostly they do appear to be good buys and cheaper than you can get elsewhere. I, of course, at my age cannot speak about the clothes. Again most of these stands are extraordinarily friendly places to visit even late on Sunday.

It is a super day out for those that enjoy browsing, looking at and discussing Lotuses. If you actually want anything it is definitely worth going.

My son who is not a Lotus owner, indeed he sells trucks for living, came last year and wanted to come again this year. So I guess there really must be something worthwhile about the whole event for most people.

Bob Kendall

Editor: Many thanks for taking the time to put that together Bob - an excellent overview of the show.

If anybody has any (digital) pictures to further enhance Bob's prose I, then please send them in to me at the usual address.... john.hardy@clublotusbboa.co.uk

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