BLACK BADGES

[simonf]

Since a young boy i was always under the immpression (for more than one source) that any lotus with black badges were commemorative of either the year the great man dies or the pay respects to the death of a fomula one drver.

A friend of mine (on the furum - but will remain nameless until his theory checks out) says that he read in a ook on the histpry of lotus that this is not the case and in fact after 1984 any lotus that came out of the factory would have been supplied with ahiney black badges unless the yellow badge option box had been ticked on the order form.

Now i am hoping this is not trur for two reasons -

1) it shatters the myth i have had from being a small boy and the ruined the joy of not only finding an Esprit parked in the market place but now it being black badged has no further cache.

2) My car is black badged and i have told everybody that is interested my take on what a black badge meens and now i look like a fool!

Anybody support or quell this myth?

Edited October 22, 2007 by simonf

[winners]

Mines got a black badge and as far as I know it's not commemorative.

I think it was standard on all early Esprits, but am only guessing.

[caulkhead68]

I recall reading an article in Club Lotus magazine by the late Graham Arnold.

He said that the rumour between the black badges / Colin Chapmans death were indeed an urban myth - sorry to shatter your illusions Simon

My 1988 esprit originally had a black badge on it - but was replaced by the previous owner with the green / yellow variety (I still have the black badge somewhere in the garage)

Cheers

Matt

[hilly]

Simon

You are probably not going to like this, but my 1981 S3 has got a black badge on it as well and seeing as Mr Chapamn died in 1982 kinda destroys your myth a bit.

It is possible a black badge was fitted later however.....

Hilly

Edited October 22, 2007 by hilly

[OwenGT3]

Hi,

I too thought this was why black badges were fitted to cars, to honour a death. The last driver to die was Elio de Angelis in 1986, so are there any cars around after this date with a black badges, factory fitted ones?

Owen

[simonf]

OH BOLL@CKS!

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE I HAVE ALWAYS PREFERRED THE YELLOW/GREEN BADGES BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SCRALIGEOUS TO TAKE THE BLACK ONES OFF!

OH! AND I CAN NAME BUDDSY AS THE OFFICIAL SPOILER OF MY CHILDHOOD!!!

Hi,

I too thought this was why black badges were fitted to cars, to honour a death. The last driver to die was Elio de Angelis in 1986, so are there any cars around after this date with a black badges, factory fitted ones?

Owen

Ah Owen a glimmer of hope

[Advantage]

Just for further info. There is no option to specify the colour of the badge when ordering a new car. The black/yellow tick box just doesn't exist.

The colour of your badge wasn't a random happening, though. There was a thread on here (I think it was here!) detailing the whys and wherefores as to which car got which badge, but the round ones do have a meaning, whereas the blobby triangle ones were just 'of that (GM) era'.

Kato has an inconclusive theory on LEW:

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/lotusbadge.html

[andydclements]

The Europa Yahoo forum have discussed this one to death. Lots of different opinions, form memory the resultant theory was.

The original black badge was a comemerative one, racing driver

The black badge run to comemorate Colin's death also happened.

i think some other black badge runs hapened for other comemeorations of death.

Other than that, there seemed to be no logical pattern, sometimes the badges were black, sometimed yelow & green.

Be sure of one thing, if they had black badges in the parts bin, they didn't want to order yellow and green ones just to swap colours, that cost money and didn't add anything to the car's performance.

Andy

[simonf]

Simon

I think basically all cars since the 60s and before the elises should be black badges if not they have the wrong badge on! Well thats what it says here its a good article on the LEW website. I think it explains all the bxllXocks hahaha

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/lotusbadge.html

Buddsy I am not talkng to you! You have shattered another illusion that i held dear, you will be spoiling the legend that Colin could fire lightening our of his posterior next

[jimmybondi]

The version that I like most:

The supplier of the badges made black/silver ones instead of the green/yellow ones by mistake - Colin, being a cheapskate, was not able to throw them away, but have them put in the production...

[WayneB]

In the other thread we had on the "black badge", Mike Kimberley said the black and silver badge was mainly used during times of sorrow in the Lotus company (deaths), my car was built just after Mr. Chapmans death and carries a black Lotus insignia.

The first time I remember seeing the black badge was on the nose of Graham Hills type 49 after Jim Clarks death in 1968.

The team Lotus racing cars all perminently carried black badges after Jocken Rindts death in 1969 (so I think alot of roadgoing Lotus owners specified or retrofitted black badges to honour/emulate the racing team.)Until the race cars were badged as JPS (as part of the sponsorship deal with Wills Tobacco)

I think though that all the Giugiaro Esprits(excepting the black/gold JPS world champion) up to the Wickens era and alot of Elites/Eclats carried the black badge simply because it looked nicer on those designs and the vivid colurs that were being used at the time.

My personal view is that the company logo should have stayed black as a perminent sign of respect to Mr.Chapman after his death.

Edited October 22, 2007 by WayneB

[andydclements]

Im going to replace mine with a candle to comemorate the 10year aniversary since the death of Princess Dianna.

Well at the moment that's not an issue, the car will not be moving fast enough to extinguish the flame.

Andy

[simonf]

Well at the moment that's not an issue, the car will not be moving fast enough to extinguish the flame.

Andy

Didn't one of your cars suffer one of its right off's as a result of fire? or was it drowning?

[andydclements]

Didn't one of your cars suffer one of its right off's as a result of fire? or was it drowning?

Drowning.

I stayed still, the sea came to it.

I think it was on the south coast when the sea broke through defenses.

Andy

[simonf]

Drowning.

I stayed still, the sea came to it.

I think it was on the south coast when the sea broke through defenses.

Andy

Sounds almost poetic andy!

[nfulcher]

Hi All,

Just thought you might like like to know..... After tragic the death of Jim Clark, Colin Chapman was truly devestated as was the rest of the Team Lotus and Lotus Cars personnel. Colin Chapman ordered a batch of Black & Silver Badges to put on all Formula 1 and production cars as a mark of respect to the Great Driver. This took about 2 months to happen from conception to implementation. This mark of respect was then used further with the death of Jochen Rindt and then Mr Chapman himself.

I hope that this throws some light on your queries, thoughts, myths etc.

Regards

Nick Fulcher

[WayneB]

Thanks for injecting some more sanity into what was becoming a very bizzare thread Nick.

[Kimbers]

Also used it after Ronnies death. In fact he actually had a Blue & Gold lapel badge made up in honour of Ronnie. I had about 6 lying around, just got the one now.

Just changing the subject slightly...what were you doing at my work place last week Nick? I saw you with Adrian Will, our service manager.

[nfulcher]

Just changing the subject slightly...what were you doing at my work place last week Nick? I saw you with Adrian Will, our service manager.

We've got our fingers in lots of pies..... You never know now what car manufacturer's we get involved with....!

[Kimbers]

I was trying to get to say hi but I was with a client getting him into his new CRV. Next time your over at Holdens come and say hi!

[Bibs]

^ He makes good coffee too

[Kimbers]

indeedy!

[nfulcher]

indeedy!

Tea with Bushmills would be grand if you've got it.....?

Edited October 23, 2007 by nfulcher

[WayneB]

Also used it after Ronnies death. In fact he actually had a Blue & Gold lapel badge made up in honour of Ronnie. I had about 6 lying around, just got the one now.

Any chance of posting a photo of the badge please Mr.Kimberley (Sir)?

Your obedient servant ,

WayneB

(bowing to your superior Lotus knowledge etc) :laughing:

[Kimbers]

I will try and find it...I think it's next to the limited edition book, written by Ronnie, about Ronnie and signed "Your friend Ronnie"..............