2012 50th Golden Anniversary of the Elan

[trw99]

As you will all know, October 2012 will be the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Elan at the London Motor Show at Earls Court.

I have had a conversation with Alan Morgan at Club Lotus and he has started to gather his thoughts on how the club can mark the occasion, with ideas such as a central theme at the Festival, as well as perhaps doing something based around the Silverstone Classic meeting and Le Mans Classic meeting. I would be very interested in folks ideas on ways in which we can celebrate this important milestone.

It has been interesting to see what is being done with the 50th of the E Type this year and, whilst not wishing to ape the Jaguar enthusiasts, perhaps we can adapt some of their ideas. Of course, we must bear in mind that Elan owners come from a broad church and I believe we should try to appeal to as many as possible. That will mean not just one event, but several over the year.

Some ideas that have been floating around in my head include the following:

A run or drive that might encompass Hornsey, Cheshunt and Hethel

A line up of every different Elan type, S1, 26R, S2, S3, S3 Super Safety etc

A drive-in and show, where we encourage as many Elan owners as possible to drive their cars to a central point and show them off

An Elan only race

Getting the classic car magazines to test drive 'different' Elans, such as Jim Clark's 997 NUR, a S3 Super Safety, a Shapecraft etc and to furnish them with interesting original photos or information, so they don't just do 'another same-old' Elan test

Getting an Avengers Elan photo shoot, plus other TV and film Elan set-ups

A Highland raid, to include a visit to Duns, of course

Publish a commemorative booklet

Issue 50th car plaques

In the USA, LOG 31 - Elan theme?

I'm sure if we put our minds to it we can come up with many sound ideas to put into the melting pot and which will help us celebrate the car we get so much enjoyment from. So do throw your thoughts out into this forum for us all to mull over and refine.

Tim

[ardee_selby]

A line up of every different Elan type, S1, 26R, S2, S3, S3 Super Safety etc Tim

...and capture the moment for posterity, a la '88?

Cheers - rd

(I know a certain gentleman on here who can take a goodly "snap", but not sure how good he is with heights! )

Over 350 viewings, so far, and nobody has commented on the deliberate "mistake". Anyone spotted it?

[gjz30075]

In the USA, LOG 31 - Elan theme?

Good one, Tim. I hope whoever puts on next year's LOG will have this in mind.

Greg Z

[Old English White]

Yeap,
Next year will be a year to get its Elan on the button.
Even in France, at the french Lotus club, we do have it in mind, and we already have a few locations including LMC 2012, Montlh?ry...
A small group (I am one of them) will be thinking arround this anniversary during these events
I am personnaly waiting for any event in UK, look forward to choose the principal one, and will be happy to meet any of you.
Should I say that it could be great to share any info on that post !?!
Christian.

[Ross Robbins]

Great stuff for the UK, how about a thread on the Left Side of the Pond forum that is just as energized? Just for the record LOG 31 is this year's event in Las Vegas so it will be the LOG 32 people to lobby for an Elan theme.

[curly type 26]

Tim, sounds good particularly the run to Gods country Curly 1964 26Rr just goin t get ma tartan bunnit oot the drawer

[gjz30075]

Ross, I responded to DeanG in a LOG 31 thread over on Lotus Talk concerning the Elan theme.

We'll put the pressure on!

Greg Z

[Ross Robbins]

That's it Greg...a full court press!

[curly type 26]

And back to this side of the pond, for those in the southish or coming to the U/K we could start off by meeting at the Ace Cafe Curly

[RedS4]

A drive-in and show, where we encourage as many Elan owners as possible to drive their cars to a central point and show them off

Why not have an event at a drive-in theatre (are there any still operating in the UK?) where you watch selected Avengers episodes that featured the Elan?

The local mini club did this last year and watched both Italian Job movies - a great success I believe...

[ardee_selby]

[/quote] Why not have an event at a drive-in theatre (are there any still operating in the UK?) where you watch selected Avengers episodes that featured the Elan? The local mini club did this last year and watched both Italian Job movies - a great success I believe...[/quote]

I think this is right...30-off 1 hour episodes! Better get the big buckets in

Cheers - rd

[elansprint71]

How many Elan books are there currently in production, with a release date in 2012?

[archigator]

You Elan owners in England may want to pay a visit to the village of Little Storping in the Swuff, scene for the Avengers episode "Murdersville," (aka the town of Aldbury.) Aldbury was also the location of the town of Swingingdale in the episode "Dead Man's Treasure," one of my favorites wherein Mrs. Peel goes on a road rally (albeit in an E-type) and also drives an electrified Lotus Formula Junior racer.

The current Greyhound Inn was the Happy Ploughman pub in Little Storping, the town that you could lure your favorite enemy to and have him assasinated by one of the happy locals. The pond is there too where Mrs. Peel was "dunked." The food at the Greyhound is pretty good too. I stayed there in 2009. For you real Avengers die-hards, here are filming locations for various Avengers episodes.

http://theavengers.tv/forever/locations.htm

Gary
'71 Elan Sprint
Miami, Florida

[Fred Talmadge]

Find a nice old Elan and put it on display at the car show, set it up as original. Maybe too expensive, but just an idea.

[pereirac]

An 'event" at the Lotus factory in Hethel perhaps?