DONNINGTON: DISPLAY PARKING

[Funkyyellowgibbon]

I've just spoken to Ken Baird, and it's likely he'll be there with the Essex, and maybe another Esprit from the 'need' list if he can manage the logistics. Not guaranteed at this stage but I should have a better idea by midweek.

I've also had a reply from Gordon Masson regarding Esprit #1, but unfortunately it's too short notice for him to arrange a trailer (on account of the weather) to bring the car down from Aberdeen.

Still hoping an S2 or S2.2 will pop out of the woodwork so we've got a nice balance between the old and the new... 

Howard - when's your cut-off for the printed sheets? I guess you're just going to do one for each on the list and we'll use as many as we can find cars for on the day...?

Dan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Got room for another banana GT3!

[esprit350]

printed sheet are done, ready to print, will do some extras, away for a couple of days so no internet for me till late wed

Howard

[esprit350]

Ok we have about 40 spaces to fill at Donington , so if you are there early you can park in the line up, dave (oneshot) and I will be helping the Club Lotus marshalls, to help you find a space. We will try and give priority to the cars on the list first. but anything can happen and probaly will when your back is turned , so dont blame us if we get a few Elise's ect

Howard

[Dan]

Just heard from Ken that he's going to be hard pushed to get there - he may come in his '03 V8 but can't make any promises.

No Essex

Let's just fill the line with as many Esprits as we can squeeze in there... Howard, if you're going to be there early, could you take some spare photos of Esprits for the Club Lotus marshalls so they know what they're looking for?

Dan.

Edited March 17, 2006 by dan_red89na

[esprit350]

Dave and I will be there from about 8.30 doing our best to keep it exclusive for Esprits, the club lotus marshalls will have other duties as well. we will do our best but trying to marshall 40 spaces with 2 people will difficult with out cones etc

Howard

[esprit350]

there will be an essex inside the hall on one of the stands

[oneshot]

It would help us if those who have promised their car for the line up could display the linked leaflet below in their window when they arrive at Donington.

We obviously don't know all the people on the forum so it would help us.

As Howard says to marshall 40 spaces with 2 of us is going to be a challenge.

Leaflet

[Paul C]

As Howard says to marshall 40 spaces with 2 of us is going to be a challenge. 

Leaflet

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Currently my plan is to try and get there early to help you out.

As a guide, the parking area we are offered has the gate to the

halls entrance in the middle, are you putting the model display

on one particular side of the gate/pathway?

[esprit350]

not sure on that yet will wait and see what it looks like on the day, rather and try and do my memory I think.

[Killboy]

Just got back form todays show (in my Excel).

Part of the main 'Lotus Only' car park was roped off for Excels and M100 Elans, (about 10 Excels and 50 million M100's! )

The M100's then managed to park and block off the exits so half of the car park was trapped in.

Senna's Lotus 99T is on display in the main hall.

[Kato]

I'm going to try and get there for about 9am. Been today, some good stuff on display. PNM's stand is good, with the brakes on display! SWLC have a few different sets of alloys and lots of tyres.

[esprit350]

Thanks to all those who parked in the display today at Donington. We had at one point 35 Esprit's all parked in a line.

[Paul C]

Big thanks to Howard and David

I was the third Esprit there at the daft hour of 8.30am,

and these guys already had barriers up and marker tape

strung out to keep all the spaces free for the display.

Excellent job. B)

[esprit350]

Big thanks to Howard and David

I was the third Esprit there at the daft hour of 8.30am,

and these guys already had barriers up and marker tape

strung out to keep all the spaces free for the display.

Excellent job.  B)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was there at 7.45 the car park was very lonley at that time, just the burger van setting up.

[Splodge s4]

The weather has been exactly the same the last 3 years we have been!

A good day, bought a high torque chip (No3) & front upgrade brake kit (discs & calipers) from PNM. good deal, no VAT & they threw in the pads for free... wouldnt do free fitting in the car park though..

See you all at Oxford.

[karluk29]

are pnm doing chips now then??

i bought my very dodgy bumper, mmmMMM rip off but needed it, nice 1 metre spilt down the top

[nicksoldies]

I personally think holding what is probably the major meet of the year for Lotus enthusiasts, in March, on a shitty car park at Donnongton, is an insult. You've only got to look at who actually bothers to attend to realise whats happening. Quite a few Esprit owners show up, they're so keen they can't help it, any excuse for a drive out. A thousand million Elise owners who probably drive the cars daily anyway and don't mind if the cars get a little dirty on the way. Where are the owners of the earlier cars, the real enthusiasts who want their cars mint and immaculate when they display them. The cars we all want to see because they are part of Lotus history, the owners we want to talk with because they have interesting things to say? I'll tell you where, at home, their coveted possesions in the garage until the weather is better. The weather is always poor at Donnongton in March, as is to be expected, the place is a shitehole and the whole thing is geared to doing it on the cheap. They can't even be bothered to offer car washing facilities which would at least give us the chance to make our vehicles presentable after the drive on wet and dirty winter roads. We might as well order our parts online, meet up at a Tesco car park once a year and save paying anything to Club Lotus. It's what they really deserve. Even the website is so poor it could be knocked up by a Ten year old in half an Hour, and that's the 'improved' version. Look what Kato does for nothing, Club Lotus, you should be ashamed. Then they have the nerve to ask the best part of a tenner to get out of the cold. Whats inside when your wallet has been lightened? A few dealers selling parts you can buy on the 'net anyway and a load of used tat.

I've been to other club meets, usually held in the summer when the weather is kinder, and at far more attractive locations that really do make meeting up with like minded enthusiasts a pleasure. I remember on TR register meet at the Malvern showground. Plenty of room to display the cars properly, plenty of room for caravans, tents and good local hotels for those who made a weekend of it, private barbecues on the go instead of some overpriced burger van selling the cheapest and poorest food it has been my displeasure to consume (

Edited March 20, 2006 by nicksoldies

[Splodge s4]

Wow...dont hold back Nick, just tell us what you really think!

[karluk29]

can i say WOW, now thats a post and a half. i do see ya point though i must say, myself im not a great fan oh the whole heritage thing and the older cars i suppose (not typical owner), but i go to shows all year, usually sponsored by massive companies and there pretty darn good. i cant belive they have it at donnington but dont actually use the track, or at least have a track session for the loons to pay and go on.

dont know if i am correct but i wouldnt of thought the lotus club have that much cash to dish out, its not like a massive show sponsored by say autoglym/ripsped etc etc. more a selection of cars. would be good to intergrate the gruops more, very divided it seems to me. the price was alot to get in though, (unless you play swop the ticket).

i look at it more of a meet than a show, we do jap meets and its very similar, meet at donnigton then go to a pub and meet up with more jap cars there.

[Paul C]

Quite a few Esprit owners show up, they're so keen they can't help it, any excuse for a drive out. Where are the owners of the earlier cars, the real enthusiasts who want their cars mint and immaculate when they display them. The cars we all want to see because they are part of Lotus history, the owners we want to talk with because they have interesting things to say? I'll tell you where, at home, their coveted possesions in the garage until the weather is better.

Earlier cars are getting scarcer on our events, even with the gorgeous sun,

a country house, sunday lunch and esprit people from the factory, the line

up is still nearly all newer shape cars.

The weather is always poor at Donnongton in March, as is to be expected, the place is a shitehole and the whole thing is geared to doing it on the cheap. They can't even be bothered to offer car washing facilities... attractive locations...Plenty of room to display the cars properly... ...plenty of room for caravans, tents and good local hotels for those who made a weekend of it, private barbecues...

For

[emg456]

I personally think holding what is probably the major meet of the year for Lotus enthusiasts, in March, on a shitty car park at Donnongton, is an insult. You've only got to look at who actually bothers to attend to realise whats happening.

Snip-----------

My message to the Club Lotus owner, whoever he is: come and stand on that car park at Donnington with me for an Hour next Year, see how you like freezing your arse off, see how dreary and depressing it all is, and the bloody well do something about it, or move on and let someone else do so. And if you can't, at least have the decency to let me know, at least then I can finally do what I promise I will do every Year, never visit that terrible Club Lotus farce again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow - just a touch of the old bitter and twisted there!

I do absolutely agree with your point on the timings of the two big Club Lotus meets though. When Dan emailed round looking for cars for the lineup I had to tell him that with 10" of snow on the ground and the prospect of driving the Lotus getting on for 400 miles in each direction through completely unpredictable weather and guaranteed roads covered in salt and grit, I wouldn't be there. As far as I know the only crew that went down from Scotland went in their daily drive Elises and rightly so.

A big meet at a nice, central location in the middle of the summer would at least give folks like me the chance of planning to attend and meeting all the characters from the forum in person.

Ed

(Feeling very far away)

[nicksoldies]

I have just mailed my post to the Club Lotus owner and await a reply.

If I am the only member of this forum who feels this way, I am quite happy to never mention the subject again. Somehow, I don't think I am.

I answer the points made by Paul C:

Could it be possible that long term owners of classic Loti have been worn down by Donnongton over the Years and now attend the meetings of multi marque clubs where better conditions are offered?

Paul seems to think we do alright for

[Dan]

Nick - you raise some interesting points, which I hope you've also forwarded onto Club Lotus directly so they can consider and respond to what you have to say.

I sympathise with some of your comments regarding the facilities and location at Donington - the show hall is full, suggesting to me that a bigger space could be useful; the Lotus-only car park is too small to accommodate all the Loti, never mind any formal per-model parking demarcation; the canteen is small and always busy as there's precious little other 'sit and take a breather' space; there is a distinct lack of guest speakers, presentations, and Q&A sessions.

I attended the Triumph club show at Stoneleigh earlier this year, and it was good but not perfect. Still too early in the year to guarantee the weather, still a bit cramped on the refreshments & seating areas, but two big halls containing club displays, specialists, auto-jumble and car sales gave great scope. Also, they had arranged a large covered parking area for Triumph owners, which at least meant the 'car park' could be walked regardless of the weather.

The main factor in Donington being a compromise is that it's organised to attract owners, dealers, specialists and clubs - it's never going to be perfect for each of these groups. If you compare with something like the Lotus Club USA 'Lotus Owner Gatherings', or the LEW Oxford meets, these are owner-focussed and address most or all of the criticisms you had of this weekend's show.

From my own perspective, this was the best of the three Club Lotus shows that I've attended at Donington. Without wishing to sound crass, it's always a journey, not a destination - the show gives a focal point to the first proper Esprit meeting of the year. I offered a room to another Esprit owner I knew would be travelling a long way, so the Esprit show-and-tell started the evening before; on Sunday we met locally for a four Esprit pre-convoy breakfast, picked up a 14 car convoy at the services, managed to keep the convoy together for 30-odd miles of motorway and A-roads, attempted the Esprit display line-up despite the restrictions of space at Donnington, wandered round the show chatting to lots of other owners and made the LEW photo at midday (rare for me!), bought the book I'd wanted to buy, then got an impromptu invite to a post-show cuppa and natter (thanks Lisa!) with a dozen other owners and finally ended the day with a 3-4 car convoy almost all the way home. See how much the show itself actually contributed to this?

I must add special thanks for Paul, David & Howard for their efforts and sacrificed hours organising the Esprit line-up, and to Lisa for hosting a dozen cars and 20 or so folk for the post-show cuppa & bacon butties.

For my money, I'd like to see a mid-summer Club Lotus show as a full weekend at Hethel - the Classic Team Lotus 50th was an interesting insight (if poorly organised on the tea & loo front) into what a proper Lotus show could be like... I appreciate that this is even further for most owners to travel, but with plenty of notice, guaranteed weather, a proper weekend of displays, drives, talks, and factory tours then it would certainly have a lot going for it...

Dan.

[superdavelotus]

Good weekend all in all.

Garry (Splodge) I didn't it was you I sold the kit to! I would have doubled it! LOL!

I've reminded Pete this morning to try and get your kit sorted.

Nick, your posts are too long to even bother reading them. Iam not trying to wind you up or get you back up but generally speaking most people won't read long posts like that. Can you condense it down a little as Iam sure it's an interesting read? My level of concentration is not great unless something catches my attention.

[CarlC]

First time for me. The