26r identities and other info

[Old English White]

And because I like to be as complete as I can;
Here is the grid (inverted!?!) of the Brands Hatch Redex Trophy and its results, thanks to the TNF...



My contribution ll be some green on each Elan's position, resulting a nearly 10% of the 26R production... If they were 26R's.

Dave, that car is 26-R-50, and was entered by an american Stephen Duddley at the french Tour Auto 2008, then at LMC 2008.
Christian.

[Old English White]

Tim,
If we agree with your version, a car developped by a guy from the Lotus team, having the car (its) entered under the Lotus team colors, shouldn't be an works car !?!
No wonder anyway, Graham Hill started at Lotus as a meccanic; my bet he finished as he started.
Christian.

[garyeanderson]

I thought I copied these off of http://www.race-cars.com but I don't see it in the archives so to be honest I don't know where the originated from. If someone wants them gone than they will be. until then I may as well upload them. They are dated on my hard drive as May 6th 2003 so they have been around for some time.

[bigvalvehead]

Hi Gary
Thats where they came from.I have a copy of the FIA papers from same site.

[garyeanderson]

Hi Dave

yes I thought so. I found the link that I had in mail so here it is
http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/lotus ... 7664ss.htm

I think that these are what you are referring to.

[bigvalvehead]

Hi Gary
Notice the chassis no is incorrect. Should read 26-R-50.

[elansprint71]

Apologies for my recent silence; I've been in touch with folks who were there at the time and I'm awaiting answers from others.

I have realised that I have period photos of HJH171C, entered by Team Lotus for Ray Parsons, as described in posts above; however these photos show that car with "chinese eye" Perspex headlight covers (four screws on the right, six screws on the left!) and five-inch headlights seated in moulded bases. This is at odds with the more recent photos posted by Dave and Gary, showing the other Perspex arrangement (replacing the normal swivelling pods) and headlights without any mouldings (you can see into the engine bay). Other detail differences are that the period shots show no yellow stripe on the body, there are two wipers parked on the right vs. one parked on the left; the bonnet retaining arrangement is Dzus fasteners vs. pins and the roll-cage is also different.
OK; so all of these bits could have been changed over the years but...

Watch this space.

On a slightly different tack; my BRM/Mike Spence contact has sadly passed away, so no more info from that quarter, unfortunately.

[elansprint71]

.... and in the few minutes it took me to produce my previous reply Gary and Dave both posted, not having seen what I had written because I'm slow on the keyboard when it comes to facts!
As for the MSA, "they" (or their nominated representative) would not, allegedly, know a hole in the ground if it jumped up and bit them in the arse. That car looks not much like it did in it's one and only (as far as I know at the moment) race, when it was new, despite what they say about it being "restored ... to early specification".

I'll be back...

[elancoupe]

The MSA sheet notes that the car was campaigned in Modsports - I would think it was much changed at that point. Probably not much of the original car left by now.

[twincamman]

WELL Dave just PERHAPS the Lotus numbering system just wont conform to your way of thinking --a point that has been made here more than a few times --e

[elansprint71]

The MSA sheet notes that the car was campaigned in Modsports - I would think it was much changed at that point. Probably not much of the original car left by now.

Agreed but "restored... to early specification" has nothing to do with the missing years. If I were a rich man (diddle-iddle...etc) and looking to spend a whole load of cash on, possibly, the one and only Team Lotus Elan, I would want facts, not opinions from some bloke with a drawer full of blank forms and a polyester blazer with a badge on the pocket. And a car which looked exactly right.

If it looks wrong, it is wrong. So I'm told.

However; what exactly does "under the banner of Team Lotus" mean?

I'll update you folks on this car when my contact gets back to me.

[ardee_selby]

I have attached the programme cover and list of entries, Tim

Tim,

The "Chris Barber" entries...the jazzman/trombonist Chris Barber? Or am I getting confused in my old age?

Cheers - rd

[trw99]

Richard

Yep, one and the same. He had raced an Elite and then progressed to Elans for a short while. His cars ran with a small picture of a gold trombone on the door!

Tim

[ardee_selby]

Found this: My big relaxation from the strain of concert touring is motor cars. I started years ago, and I've owned seven cars so far, including two Lagondas, two Lotus racing cars and an Aston Martin. I've tried a certain amount of moderately successful racing with the two Lotus cars, and last year I raced about six times, included a run on the famous Nurburgring in Germany.

Elan at Nurburgring?

Cheers - Richard (initially known as rd, used to be Rick until pestered by...is the "P" silent? )

Oooops..sorry! Scrub that. The quote is from about 1960!

[trw99]

Coincidentally, there is a thread on TFN about Chris Barber - sorry, this is going off topic briefly - which has been active in the last two days. The first question about Barber was asked in 2000 and the poor chap who posed it had to wait until yesterday for someone to answer it!

Anyway, I did learn from our own esteemed Pete that Chris Barber was also into cycling and sponsored a number of teams alongside his motor racing interests.

So, back on topic. I was re-reading two tests in the mags the other evening, both of Tony Thompson's 26R. One was Tony Dron from Thoroughbred & Classic Cars of June 1985; the second was Mark Hales from Octane of April 2005. Both articles were of the same car, 26-R-20. In the earlier article the car has a hardtop; in the second it is fitted with the Shapecraft fastback. In fact this was originally Barry Wood's of Surbiton Motors car, SM 1.

The second article said that Thompson had been required by the FIA to replicate the car's original 1964 spec if it was to retain historic status. (On which note, where does that leave all you Zetec engined chaps?)

Attached is a photo from the first article of one Gordon Ramsay in 1965, which I thought of interest.

Tim