Calling all early-G Turbo Esprits!

[Lex Templar]

I know at least one other early Turbo Esprit in Switzerland, fitted with the Compmotives.

I used to live very close to the guy as I often met him driving around my place back then. I've moved since then but I've heard the car is still with him and from the picture, he must be a member of some kind of Lotus club here. I'll try to reach him and get more info. Picture courtesy of a buddy (I suggest you all visited his website for nice shots of all kinds of amateur's cars) www.swisscarsightings.com

While we are back on this topic, a book I recently bough from ebay, in French features the above car on the front cover, another early car on Compomotives..

The book was published in 1983 so the registration looks like it has been this since new.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Edited November 5, 2012 by Lex Templar

[hopo]

All very interesting.

My car is bronze/copper the SCC ends 11185... with five stud compomotives and dry sump

[Bazza 907]

Hopo

My work in progress dry sump ends in 11129, just a few earlier than yours. It's got standard BBS 5 stud wheels

[Lex Templar]

All very interesting.

My car is bronze/copper the SCC ends 11185... with five stud compomotives and dry sump

Always interested to hear about your car Hopo. As far as we know did Lotus ever supply 5 stud Compomotives on dry-sump cars?

Is there a chance your car began it's life with the BBS wheels and were changed in period?

I have seen Porsches, VW's BMWs with 5-stud CX 500 Compomotives..

Great looking car by the way.

Lex.

Hopo

My work in progress dry sump ends in 11129, just a few earlier than yours. It's got standard BBS 5 stud wheels

Barrie, Do you have any pictures of the Black dry sump? Sounds very interesting.

Edited November 14, 2012 by Lex Templar

[DanR]

My other one also has Compo 5 stud wheels and a dry sump. I haven't thought of it as one of the Essex models because it has the S3 suspension etc.

So I'd also like to know where the S3 dry sump fits on the hierarchy of early models.

Its vin ends with #11307.

Edited November 14, 2012 by DanR

[hopo]

to the best of my knowledge my car has always had the compo's... i reckon Lotus just found em at the back of a shed and shoved em on my car... they were never the best at continuity!

Danny id be really interested to see some photos of your car and its 5 stud compos as im looking to get mine refurbished at some point.

and Barrie get some photos up you tease!

[Bazza 907]

OK so this is as I found and bought it. It had been sat in that garage for 20 years. I don't have any current pics but it doesn't look like this any more

[v39]

This is the Essex i owned in the late eighties

[Bazza 907]

David

Is that Essex No. 5?

What's the story? It looks fantastic in that picture.

[ramjet]

Welcome to TLF David.

You should duck over to the Introductions thread and say hi in there as well.

Hello, i'm a french lotus and james bond fan......

Welcome to TLF Jose.

As I said to David, duck over to the Intros thread and make yourself known to everyone.

[nello]

Would have been No.005 yes - Welcome David - more info please!

This is what I have on the Essex list:

SCCFC20A9AHD10903 Bell & Colvill 80 RHD CD910800718580 30/08/1980 29/08/1980 OPW 665W Mr. Childow

[jojo1976]

3 same lotues in "For your eyes only"

Edited November 15, 2012 by jojo1976

[Loose Cannon]

Fantastic never-seen-before pictures Jose, keep them coming!

[wolflyn]

great to see the pic of the three esprits together

this website does say there were two cars plus the shell in corfu for filming and two in italy

http://www.jamesbond...ct/lotus-esprit

"Lotus Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only (1981)

For Roger Moore's fifth role, the script called for two vehicles. First, on the island of Corfu, Bond used a white Esprit Turbo. When the bad guys tried to break into it, it destroyed itself. Then, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, another Esprit Turbo, this time with a copper metallic paint, was used.

Since the two camera teams on the island of Corfu needed the car at several points of the island at the same time, two white vehicles had to be shipped there. Additionally, a chassis worth about 16,000 German marks was delivered, whereupon it was professionally blown into bits. In January 1981, the same vehicles were waiting in Cortina d'Ampezzo. They had been repainted with the copper metallic paint. The interior trim with the top-quality, brown Connolly leather remained the same. The only change was the mounting of a roof rack for two pairs of skis. The antenna had to be taken off, since it would not have been good for the shooting, and the brake lights were disconnected - after all, James Bond never brakes, he only accelerates. At temperatures down to 18 degrees Celsius below zero, the car was only to be seen in two short scenes: once during the arrival in Cortina in front of the Hotel Miramonti, then once in front of the ice stadium."

Bond artwork with the copper esprit

Edited November 15, 2012 by wolflyn

[Bazza 907]

Rear suspension of the one the trailer looks low - maybe the supension has been removed like on the press photo of the Essex?

[Lex Templar]

great to see the pic of the three esprits together

this website does say there were two cars plus the shell in corfu for filming and two in italy

http://www.jamesbond...ct/lotus-esprit

"Lotus Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only (1981)

For Roger Moore's fifth role, the script called for two vehicles. First, on the island of Corfu, Bond used a white Esprit Turbo. When the bad guys tried to break into it, it destroyed itself. Then, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, another Esprit Turbo, this time with a copper metallic paint, was used.

Since the two camera teams on the island of Corfu needed the car at several points of the island at the same time, two white vehicles had to be shipped there. Additionally, a chassis worth about 16,000 German marks was delivered, whereupon it was professionally blown into bits. In January 1981, the same vehicles were waiting in Cortina d'Ampezzo. They had been repainted with the copper metallic paint. The interior trim with the top-quality, brown Connolly leather remained the same. The only change was the mounting of a roof rack for two pairs of skis. The antenna had to be taken off, since it would not have been good for the shooting, and the brake lights were disconnected - after all, James Bond never brakes, he only accelerates. At temperatures down to 18 degrees Celsius below zero, the car was only to be seen in two short scenes: once during the arrival in Cortina in front of the Hotel Miramonti, then once in front of the ice stadium."

Are they suggesting that the car behind OPW654W is OPW678W (copper car) before it was painted? They also mention the brown interior remained the same however 678W had a tan interior with dark carpet.

[Lex Templar]

3 same lotues in "For your eyes only"

This Photo is incredible. Do you have any others? I have looked for every picture in existence for this car and never come across this one.

[nello]

Same here Lex - great shot. Is that Elliotts in Slough on the truck?

[910Esprit]

It says Holmlea Road, Datchet. (slough) . Phone 46046/49020 if you want to call!

[Loose Cannon]

It says Holmlea Road, Datchet. (slough)

Only 15 mins away from Pinewood studios according to Googlemaps; so Derek Meddings and his team may have been prepping the blow-up chassis?

Like the way that it's just another day at the office for the driver with a Woodbine draped across his bottom lip!

This picture is rocking my world.

[Lex Templar]

Do we know what ever happened to OPW 667W? the white road test dry sump car?

[Lex Templar]

A picture of another Domestic Dry Sump Esprit on Compomotives - Registration LVR 912W

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/retromotoring/528080262/

Another dry sump car - BBS wheels but Essex spec Panansonic Roof mounted stereo.

 

Interesting Essex spec side decals as well.

 

This car was on pistonheads a couple of years ago. It was sold very quickly.

http://imageshack.us/a/img26/2545/photo1sib.jpg

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/6924/photo2pz.jpg

 

 

[cbclotus]

Great pictures thanks for posting.My old turbo was one of the first to be made after the Essex cars.It had all the Essex spec roof consule .apart from split rims .Reg.OPW679W.I have just bought a project 87 na hc s3 esprit......Cheers Mike

[Lex Templar]

Hi Mike,

Do you have any photos Of OPW679W?

This is the same registration that was on the 'Win this Lotus' car, red on the front of Car magazine.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Lex Templar

[Lex Templar]

The car is now black, was the car re-painted?