Essex Esprit

[colinsays]

The Sunbeam Lotus seems to be sold in different places!!!!

Don´t miss this link with the car´s history. A must read

http://www.lap63.co.uk/sunbeam

[colinsays]

4 hours ago, nello said:

OPW 674W was numbered 002 Essex of the LHD cars and was one of the two cars sold direct to Thiemes Organisation Essex Motorsport.

On my list its believed to still be in France along with the other 'Essex' registered car - LHD 007 which was Thiemes own car.

Its does look like its riding very tall though doesn't it?

Clive Chapman told us once he has a few of those jackets in the attic at East Carleton! 

Another pic from the OPW 674W

I read once David Thieme still keeps his personal Essex Esprit in a garage in Paris......

.....and by the way.....another interesting "must read" about David Thieme´s parties

http://en.espnf1.com/blogs/motorsport/story/142963.html

Edited September 2, 2016 by colinsays
update

[nello]

Apols for the lack of Esprit content but there are some crackers here - http://www.gettyimages.com/photos/david-thieme?family=editorial&phrase=david thieme&sort=best&excludenudity=true#license

Never seen any of those before. The guy gets alot of historical stick but I have to say his whole outfit looked damn cool to me even now and deepens the enigma......... Enjoy!

Apparently his great short wealth was ganered by buying and selling Oil 'in-transit' i.e. whilst at sea utilising any dependancy tax whilst on the ocean..........

I don't think I have come across another person who reached such heights of notoriety and then simply disappeared......................Yes I know about the Ojjeh connection but I challenge anyone to come up with anything post prison.

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by nello

[LOTUSMAN33]

Great find ??

What an interesting guy, he certainly lived the playboy lifestyle for a while, poor Chapman seemed to pick em! John Delorean........

I wonder what Mr Thieme is doing now and how many of those toys got squirrelled away before everything went pear shaped? 

Nice shot of the Sunbeam as well.?

Dave ?

 

 

[Bazza 907]

Bumped into 'Jenny' again yesterday at a car show in Windsor yesterday and spent 20 mins talking about her friend DT. She kept saying what amazing parties he threw and how effectively he was Mr Monaco back in the day. She talked about some of the special china pieces he had made for the dinner parties (some of which I've seen for sale at Donnington). I did press her a little about what he's up to now but she said she had no idea but thought he was still in Paris (if he's still around). She did say that having been made bankrupt he lost everything which would suggest his Essex car had gone but you never know. I was left with the impression that she might have known a bit more but diplomatically side stepped some questions.

A lovely lady who must have a very interesting past.  

[nello]

OK so who now has 005 - looks like its been fully restored and can be seen here at 02:40:

Last I heard it was with user vince812 on here and was in France?

Edited September 13, 2016 by nello

[stephenwhyte]

Wouldn't say fully restored Neil as the interior still needs doing and this video was only filmed a couple of weeks ago.

Great video and nice looking blue '84 Turbo - I wonder how long the owner will keep it.......seeing this is a 8 out of 12 car challenge, he's set himself. Seems a good car that got the thumbs up from GST for the work carried out by Stock Coachworks. Could have done a lot worse.......

[ChrisJ]

@jack.pe - your video has been found

Looks great. Really look forward to seeing the car in the flesh.

Write out 100 times

Turbo Esprit
Turbo Esprit
...

[The Pits]

The blue one looks like a nice car, is that actually 'Essex Blue'?

Not keen on that steering wheel nor the shiny silver plastic speakers in the doors though. Fortunately, both are easily removed!

 

[LOTUSMAN33]

Looks like Mark has 005 and 018 now...very jealous!

Nice if 005 is back to stay in the UK though, just 007 and 008 to bring home !?

 

[nello]

 

April 14th 1981

ZURICH, Switzerland -- Police arrested American oil financier David Thieme on allegations of fraud and impounded his $7.6 million Mystere executive jet, a Zurich police spokesman said today.

The American financier, owner of the Monaco-based Essex Overseas Petroleum Co., was arrested Friday when he arrived at Kloten airport in Zurich, the spokesman said.

The Zurich district attorney issed the arrest warrant for Thieme, 41, at the request of the Swiss Credit Bank, he said.

Thieme, who is being held in investigative custody pending any formal charges, was arrested on the basis of alleged 'economic crimes,' police said.

The spokesman said this usually signifies alleged fraud activities.

The district attorney's office refused all comment, saying only that a statement on the affair would be made either Wednesday or Thursday.

Thieme's Essex Overseas Petroleum is principal sponsor of the British Lotus auto racing team which Thieme backed to the tune of $4 million a year.

Lotus, so far unable to race in Grand Prix events this season because of a controversial double chassis system, may now be out altogether because of Thieme's apparent financial troubles, racing experts said.

Besides impounding the financier's plane, police also impounded a double-decker Lotus racing team bus worth $761,000, the police spokesman confirmed.

The bus was confiscated in the northern Swiss frontier town of Basel as it entered Switzerland on its way to Imola, Italy, for the next Grand Prix race.

Thieme, born in Minneapolis and raised in New York, said in a newspaper interview last week he can make or lose a million dollars in a single supertanker shipment on the spot oil market.

'It was about 1968 when I first saw how money could be made in oil,' he told the International Herald Tribune.

He said his method was to buy from the producer at the lowest rate and then either move the crude oil to a refiner or to have it refined and then sell.

 

 

 

I also never realised that Thieme was the son of renowed artist Anthony Thieme.................. 

Apparently this is one of his works - Anyone else see the Essex colours!!!?! 

Edited September 22, 2016 by nello

[Tocus]

a very Rare LHD essex,

[LOTUSMAN33]

Great photo and early car with chrome handles. ??

Dave

[nello]

That must be one of the Pre-Prod LHD cars - its not got the 'ears' behind the rear 3/4 windows either. HH0298 / 0299 and 10300 were the chassis for those on my record.

Where did that image come from Bauke?

Edited October 11, 2016 by nello

[Bazza 907]

Also missing the side indicators

[ChrisJ]

See the Elite/Eclat/Excel Picture thread - Page 9

 

[nello]

Some cracking images there! Nice one Chris - 

OPW 674W was LHD Essex No.2 and was the first car registered to Thieme's Essex Motorsport organisation 

 

Edited October 11, 2016 by nello

[ChrisJ]

@Testdriver's images not mine. Quite possibly more to come

[nello]

Also how good does that Elite look 

[Tocus]

but on the other 2 pictures the car has "ears" and also side indicators, so it should be a other essex,

[swindon_alan]

Is there an online Essex registry available? I'm very curious...

[Bibs]

 

[swindon_alan]

Thanks Bibs. Would it be possible to fix the link or re-post the spreadsheet in this one?

 

[Bibs]

While it was 10 years ago, I do keep my emails so hopefully I'll be able to find it when I'm back at work tomorrow

[Veilside]

On 11 October 2016 at 04:52, Tocus said:

a very Rare LHD essex,

I'm almost sure this is the Albert Hall "002" LHD - Export Dev 80020298J same spec as Albert Hall "001" as seen in the Essex sales flyer both without "ears"

Both cars were badged 001 & 002 specially for the Albert Hall but not to be confused with the following -

RHD 001/10858/NCL 458V later to evolve into the Bond  film car For Your Eyes Only.

LHD -002/10302/OPW 674W

Note the wheel arch clearance's are much lower than normal."