Fascinating Photo Taken in Cheshunt in 1963

[ivorbadger2]

The original road test twin cam vehicle was an Anglia. Jim Clark was initially a bit upset when Chapman lent him the car to drive back to Scotland, well until he drove it.

[snowyelan]

More thread drift, but I'm curious if anyone has re-created the Anglia test car. Or if it still exists?

[ivorbadger2]

What happened to the Elite shells was. they were sold as rolling shells with no engine or transmission in the late 60s for ?400 a piece, about 67. Unfortunately, I didn't have the ?400

[ivorbadger2]

I find it interesting that the Elans sitting beside the Anglia in the foreground are white, but the 3rd and 4th ones away from the Anglia appear to have hard tops. If this is truly a 1963 photo, I thought hard tops weren't available until Ser 2 model, according to the S1-S2-Coupe parts book. Perhaps another time the literature didn't match reality.

Roger

The photo is obviously late 63 at the earliest. Winter trees and Lotus Cortinas. 997NUR had a hard top for the Jim Clark Edington mains photo for Time magazine and that was due for publication late November 63. So hard tops definately available by the time the photo was taken, even though they might not be in the parts catalogue.

Just noticed that all the Elans on the transporters seem to have stickers on the right hand side of the windscreens. Sp LHDfor export? The 2 bare shells, no suspension, have stickers on the left side and one at least is RHD.

[Mike Ostrov]

Having a bit of experience with the Type 14 Climax Elite and a few S2 Sevens. I can't comment on Ivorbadger2's positing on the 400 quid sales price, as I was just entering the university. We all should have been there with cheques in hand.

Can offer some historical data from our Club Elite records and other material. Approx 1000 Elites were sold thru May/June of 1963 as noted by Warren King's hand written, but most legible accounting sheets, starting with chassis #1001, which I have examined on my last visit to Australia.

Many photos show dozens and dozens of Elite CBU's (Chassis Body Units) in the field(s) at Cheshunt. These CBU's and earlier CBU's were sold to replace written off Elites all during the production years.

From chassis 2000 to approx 2047, about 25% were also used as write off replacements.

Note the first Elite chassis number at 1001, as many folks might balk at buying the first of any production car.

The Series 2 Lotus Seven also started their production with a chassis number of 1004 going ex works on 15 July 1960 with the last Sevens going ex works on 29 Dec 1965 with chassis numbers at 2098 and a few more. This data from the accounting spread sheets in my files. Always wondered why not 1001!

Hope some of this trivia is interesting. Happy to respond to any requests.

Cheers. Mike, the lad who started the Elite world register via letters, phone calls and FAX's and still keep the data on 5 x 8 index cards, tech guy and still Club Elite Secretary since 1980 or so.

[englishmaninwales]

Thank you for sharing this photograph, most interesting, and also the comments on this thread.

One can only feel for the transporter loader/driver who had to start up these cars, with little or no petrol in the carburettors, after they had been standing for a few weeks!

[Elan45]

There appears to me to another Anglebox back behind the Cortinas. I can also see what looks like a bug-eyed Sprite in the employee car park.

Roger

[pharriso]

I find it interesting that the Elans sitting beside the Anglia in the foreground are white, but the 3rd and 4th ones away from the Anglia appear to have hard tops. If this is truly a 1963 photo, I thought hard tops weren't available until Ser 2 model, according to the S1-S2-Coupe parts book. Perhaps another time the literature didn't match reality.

Roger

According to the Type26 Register hard tops were available from May 1963 with unit number 039

[vstibbard]

Great picture,
A special order gold car on the transporter with matching gold hard top...
not many delivered with hard tops either.

Quite a few Elites under covers...

V

[Quart Meg Miles]

i can't see all the details others are talking about in my download of the picture (42Kbytes). What surprises me is how many fully built cars are being shipped, I thought nearly all were supplied as kits in the early days.

[ivorbadger2]

i can't see all the details others are talking about in my download of the picture (42Kbytes). What surprises me is how many fully built cars are being shipped, I thought nearly all were supplied as kits in the early days.

From the windscreen stickers and the quantity being shipped in one go, possible LHD export order? That might explain the possible primered cars for local (USA) paint choice.

[baileyman]

Which are the in-primer cars? I see some dull blue, dull red, dull yellow--dull seems to be a photographic effect over time. But which are in-primer?

John

[The Veg]

Mike, what are the 'write-offs?'

[Lotus14S2]

Mike, what are the 'write-offs?'

Cars that had been crashed. Lotus supplied bodies from the Bristol Aircraft stock to customers that had cars which were total write-offs in accidents.

[billwill]

i can't see all the details others are talking about in my download of the picture (42Kbytes). What surprises me is how many fully built cars are being shipped, I thought nearly all were supplied as kits in the early days.

Right-click the small picture and choose "open in another tab" or window or suchlike to get a higher resolution picture, then download that to magnify and view.