Lotus Elite S1 chassis numbers

[Ianm]

Does anyone know the last s1 Chassis number or the first S2 Chassis number?

[Angus553]

Yes for the UK/domestic market it was 1636A and 1637A. The last ever one 1757A was sold this week from Holsworthy  in N. Devon.

Angus

[Ianm]

Ah the black one ?

Was interested in this? Any clues?

[Angus553]

It is interesting that the service parts list is different from the Robson book "3rd gen lotus".

No  clues, haven't any more info on the black one YPF898Y other than what the advert stated. Presumably did not know it was the last one as it was added to the advert later?  Mike Kimberley's (ex) elite A480JVF is the last one registered (06/10/83) as far as I know and still going strong. 

[ChrisJ]

This one

I had understood that this was made specially for MK after the Elite production had stopped.

[Ianm]

Another question regarding vehicle registration number too.

Were vehicles registered LCL(Lotus cars Limited)? Something/someone mentioned this? Works hack / exec cars?

This car has the first of the last S1 chassis numbers mentioned above and appears to be quite a while between build data and registration date?

[Angus553]

Must admit haven't heard the LCL stories although many vehicles seem to have had lotus connected owners!! 

Prefix -CL is a Norwich reg number along with PW NG VF VG AH (Norwich and Norfolk area.) so maybe connected to Lotus in some way?

So LCL846V is 1599A? 

[Ianm]

2 hours ago, Angus553 said:

Must admit haven't heard the LCL stories although many vehicles seem to have had lotus connected owners!! 

Prefix -CL is a Norwich reg number along with PW NG VF VG AH (Norwich and Norfolk area.) so maybe connected to Lotus in some way?

So LCL846V is 1599A? 

Yes correct

[dcorns]

I purchased that car in Dec 1980. An absolutely beautiful car.  Looks quire sad now. Where was the picture taken? 

[Ianm]

37 minutes ago, dcorns said:

I purchased that car in Dec 1980. An absolutely beautiful car.  Looks quire sad now. Where was the picture taken? 

Fantastic - A previous owner. Did you buy from Lotus?

It has been barn stored since 2000 ish - Massive service history I discovered it a couple of months ago

I will post up more photos, it has never been messed with or damaged / painted from what  can see.

Did you px it to Paul Matty?

[dcorns]

I bought it from a Lotus dealer in Worcester, from memory I think it was Graham Williams or something similar. I only sold it when the first Turbo Esprit came out. Not the Essex model. 

I presume you are going to restore it to its former beauty. If not, let me know. I might be tempted. I spent a few quid looking after it and had Lotus themselves service it. 

[Ianm]

As found

 

First time in daylight

Edited October 12, 2020 by Ianm

[Ianm]

5 hours ago, dcorns said:

I bought it from a Lotus dealer in Worcester, from memory I think it was Graham Williams or something similar. I only sold it when the first Turbo Esprit came out. Not the Essex model. 

I presume you are going to restore it to its former beauty. If not, let me know. I might be tempted. I spent a few quid looking after it and had Lotus themselves service it. 

I have attached photos as promised.

I am a classic car enthusiast and currently restoring a MGB + others.(Lotus was discovered when collecting MG bits from a chap who had it dry stored at the back of his barn)

It is certainly going to be mothballed until I get a chance to take a good look and get started. I may be tempted to to part with her to the right buyer. It is such an unmolested honest looking car I thought it would make a good next project and I do like her style.

I will look through the history to see where he bought it from. It was in Worcestershire and he part ex'ed an Elan +2 S2 

[rjwooll]

LCL does seem to be a registration used by the factory. Leigh Greenham's Elite S2.2 is very well known; it is the only Essex liveried Elite (Essex blue with a red stripe and red leather), and was apparently owned by Colin Chapman. It must have been one of the first S2.2s as it's registration is LCL852V - only 6 numbers after Ian's car! It is also the car used to create the Spark Elite S2.2 model.

Good luck with the project!

Richard

[Ianm]

10 minutes ago, rjwooll said:

LCL does seem to be a registration used by the factory. Leigh Greenham's Elite S2.2 is very well known; it is the only Essex liveried Elite (Essex blue with a red stripe and red leather), and was apparently owned by Colin Chapman. It must have been one of the first S2.2s as it's registration is LCL852V - only 6 numbers after Ian's car! It is also the car used to create the Spark Elite S2.2 model.

Good luck with the project!

Richard

Chassis number 1600 ?

Would the Lotus archive/heritage certificate help?

[Ianm]

On 12/10/2020 at 21:42, Ianm said:

 

Would the Lotus archive/heritage certificate help?

Any thoughts?

How do I get this done?

 

[Angus553]

TLF gold is available for £175 and includes the  certificate and some other stuff.  It is advertised on here. 

[Leigh Greenham]

On 12/10/2020 at 21:42, Ianm said:

Chassis number 1600 ?

Would the Lotus archive/heritage certificate help?

Hi Ian, my Essex Elite was registered LCL 852V on 25 April 1980 and has chassis number ending 1689.  Being the Team Lotus F1 team car, it was in Belgium for the Grand Prix on 4 May 1980, although the Lotus archive says it "left the production line on 8 May 1980"!  The archivist states "the first S2.2 Elite was 1637A" which agrees with Duncan's post.  I have physically seen LCL 853V (S2.2 Elite) and LCL 854V (Esprit).

[Ianm]

That is interesting. How did you manage to find out this information- from the archivist?

mine was registered 17/03

i wonder if lotus had an assigned batch of plates as there is only 6 between our cars and approx 6 weeks duration?

excuse my ignorance. What is an Essex Elite?

[Ianm]

On 12/10/2020 at 12:41, dcorns said:

I purchased that car in Dec 1980. An absolutely beautiful car.  Looks quire sad now. Where was the picture taken? 

I assume you were the 2nd owner? I also assume this is you in photo?

do you remember if the first owner was lotus cars ?

[Angus553]

'Essex' is in regards to the colour of an exclusive esprit, being the esprit turbo with all manner of extras and a blue paint finish. LCL852V may well be the only elite in this colour scheme? and was originally driven by ACBC. Iam sure Leigh G can tell you if this is correct or not? 

[rjwooll]

Essex blue is a colour that was offered on the Elite S2.2 at least - my car is in this colour, although it is not an Essex Elite. I think Leigh's is the only one of those.

Richard

[Leigh Greenham]

Hi Ian,

My Elite S2.2 was ordered by the F1 team and painted and trimmed in the colours of the two main F1 sponsors for 1980, Essex Petroleum and Tissot.  So it mimics the Essex Esprit Turbo's colour scheme of dark blue paint with full red leather interior, but with a less obvious red/silver stripe near the sills and small Essex logos on the doors and Tissot on the rear window.  It was rushed through the factory in time to be on the ferry to Belgium for the GP there, then a fortnight later it was in Monaco, then Spain, Germany, Netherlands etc.  A driver took it to the circuits so it could be used by the drivers and ACBC when they arrived.  The factory archivist provided me with some of the car's early documentation, but Clive Chapman found a folder of ferry tickets, insurance cover notes, service requests and a hand-written insurance statement when the driver touched another car with the door mirror in San Remo two days after the 1980 Monaco GP.  Over the years I have owned the car (23) I have visited some motorsport photo archives and found some fantastic photos of the car in the GP paddocks, here are a few from Monaco and Hockenheim.  Lotus sold the car in 1981 after the Essex Petroleum sponsorship deal fell apart and they went back to JPS.

I think you may be correct about the factory having been issued a batch of reg numbers including a series of LCL prefixes, so perhaps they held back the LCL numbers for cars that would be used by Lotus Cars Ltd staff?

Copy of Copy of Monaco.tif

[Ianm]

44 minutes ago, Leigh Greenham said:

Hi Ian,

My Elite S2.2 was ordered by the F1 team and painted and trimmed in the colours of the two main F1 sponsors for 1980, Essex Petroleum and Tissot.  So it mimics the Essex Esprit Turbo's colour scheme of dark blue paint with full red leather interior, but with a less obvious red/silver stripe near the sills and small Essex logos on the doors and Tissot on the rear window.  It was rushed through the factory in time to be on the ferry to Belgium for the GP there, then a fortnight later it was in Monaco, then Spain, Germany, Netherlands etc.  A driver took it to the circuits so it could be used by the drivers and ACBC when they arrived.  The factory archivist provided me with some of the car's early documentation, but Clive Chapman found a folder of ferry tickets, insurance cover notes, service requests and a hand-written insurance statement when the driver touched another car with the door mirror in San Remo two days after the 1980 Monaco GP.  Over the years I have owned the car (23) I have visited some motorsport photo archives and found some fantastic photos of the car in the GP paddocks, here are a few from Monaco and Hockenheim.  Lotus sold the car in 1981 after the Essex Petroleum sponsorship deal fell apart and they went back to JPS.

I think you may be correct about the factory having been issued a batch of reg numbers including a series of LCL prefixes, so perhaps they held back the LCL numbers for cars that would be used by Lotus Cars Ltd staff?

Copy of Copy of Monaco.tif 4.42 MB · 4 downloads

Wow. What a fantastic history 

not that I think my car is in the same league I hope the archivist may be able to shed some light onto it. With the LCL reg I am wondering if it was an exec’s car or factory demonstrator / hack?

[dcorns]

Hi ian

Yes that is me. I'm not sure who owned it first. DVLA may be able to let you know.