Lotus Type 116

[USAndretti42]

Sold for £9,999!

[2GOOD]

On 30/07/2021 at 15:42, C8RKH said:

Nope. Basically Lotus management don't want to acknowledge that the VX220 was built by them and want nothing to do with it, ergo, it was specifically banned from the Lotus 70th celebrations for instance. The fact that the cash from it/support from GM at the time probably kept the business alive and stopped it failing (we certainly would not have had the Elise S2 without it) seems to mean nothing to them at all.

As you can see from my proud Griffin logo's I have no issue with it having a Vauxhall badge, but do thyink Lotus attitude to it is similar to someone who is just being a dick for the sake of it.  But that is just my own honest and open view. others will have a different view of course.

 Just to put a different spin on this, I was a vx220 salesman at a Vauxhall dealership, I wasn’t involved with the original launch in late 2000 but got involved in late 2001, it started off with just two of us, me on sales & a mechanic with a motorsport background. We received extensive training including driving training, this was all handled by Vauxhall, mainly at Luton. We had no contact with Lotus whatsoever, obviously we knew that the car was built at Hethel & has an H in the chassis number to signify this but that’s as far as it went. As I understood it my two points of contact at Luton, spoke to someone at Opel/GM Europe in Germany who then spoke to Hethel. Later on when the VXR version was launched, we had another point of contact who I believe did speak directly to Lotus but as he’s on here, that’s for him to confirm.

 Basically we didn’t consider for a moment that we were selling a Lotus product, just something that they were sub contracted to build. I had little time for anyone that came into the showroom to be funny about the product because it wasn’t really a Lotus (Elise owners) but took a fwd Elan & a Rover engined Elise S2 in in part exchange

 

[C8RKH]

Great info @2GOOD. My comments in particular are about how Lotus seems happy to have the association with the Carlton, Sunbeam, cortina et al but the VX is totally excluded - ie at the 70th anniversary all the aforementioned were welcomed, the VX was specifically banned!

[Barrykearley]

The vx do seem to be treated like a distant ginger relative. 

[C8RKH]

Yeah. I think the fact it was better than the Elise really irked Lotus!

[Barrykearley]

Not sure they sold that many though did they?

[Bibs]

9 hours ago, C8RKH said:

he VX was specifically banned!

Not banned per se, the club just wasn't invited. I did object at the time but it was their ball and their game on the whole, I just helped. 

[C8RKH]

17 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Not banned per se

Not just the club @Bibs. I was "informed" that any VX that turned up would not be allowed entry.  Personally, whilst it irks a tad as a Lotus and a VX owner the only thing that pisses we off is the "double standards" of letting in Cortina's, Sunbeams, Carlton's etc but NOT VX's. Just seems and seemed incredibly petty on Lotus part to be honest. However, let's not derail the topic i guess.

[Barrykearley]

The VX was a poor mans Lotus though. Obviously the Carlton was a real one 

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

Not sure they sold that many though did they?

It will probably surprise you to know that approximately 9165 VX220/Speedster's were made and sold for GM!  The original commission for Lotus was to build 10,000 - so surprisingly, a bloody successful car for Lotus!

[Barrykearley]

Wow - when you consider lotus made 10675 esprits over 28 years - the vx production run was clearly a success 

[2GOOD]

Early projections were that 2000 a year would be sold in the uk alone. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

[C8RKH]

So my little VX220 went for it's MOT today. And despite have no dash and no interior trim and no passenger seat, everything that was there was in full working order and clean as a whistle (the interior was stripped for a full retrim that is waiting to go back in) and she sailed through with zero advisories or issues.  Driving it back from the MOT testing station just reminding how much fun these cars are, and the size just makes them so perfect for UK roads.  Think the only thing I would now swap her for would be an Elise CUP to be honest - more modern ride and build, but same size and chuckability and grinability.

Damn fine, under rated, too easily dismissed (usually by those who have never driven/owned one so are like John Snow.....) cars these VX220's....  She's 21 this year and nicely matured!

[Don.Hasi]

Quote

approximately 9165 VX220/Speedster's 

no, it was just a mere of 7200ish... wiki says 7207. We had collected the build numbers and have somewhere a good VIN-list of them all. So even more rare  

[C8RKH]

VX220 smacking the arse of Lotus Exige 410 and various Elises at Donnington. Seen from the driver's view of an Exige 410.

Man, that VX220 looks seriously quick and well planted.

I could mention the Porsche's that were there too, but they looked shite and slow and not that well behaved in the corners. Or maybe just the drivers were crap. Hmmm...

Anyways, for anyone who questions the VX and it's Lotus heritage and tweaking, enjoy this masterclass.