Lotus Archives

[bluesbrother30]

I have tried several times to contact Lotus Archives at the phone number listed on this web page with no results. I have left messeges to contact me via email. Also tried Mike Pomfret at Lotus, his email got kicked back. Does anyone know of a up to date contact for archive/car history??

Mike Summers

[bob_rich]

Hi I think the email address below should get the Historian at Lotus cars


[email protected]

Best of luck

Bob

[LotusArchives]

Yes, we have moved, so please don't leave messages on the old phone number. Jeff has been contacted to get the details changed. You can still contact me at the e-mail address or postal address except replace F3 with Longwater i.e. Lotus Archives (Longwater)
Tel: 01603 732178

Regards

Andy Graham
Lotus Archives

[trw99]

Andy

Thanks for this, hope all is well at Hethel. (We'll leave the F1 boys to sort themselves out!)

Tim

[1964 S1]

amen

[stugilmour]

An update.

I emailed Andy Graham at Lotus Archives using the AGraham "at" lotuscars.co.uk email above. Got a very prompt reply.

Not as much info as I had hoped for; here is the response for others:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding your Elan +2. Unfortunately the build records are no longer with us, so I cannot provide any specification or colour data, or engine number. I can confirm that unit number 2181 was indeed Federal specification as it was sold from Lotus to Lotus Canada on the 6th November 1969, so as you suspected it was built prior to 1971, I expect during 1969.

I am sorry I could not answer all your questions, but hope the fact it is a genuine Canadian model helps you in your investigations & history records.

Regards,



Andy Graham
Technical Publications and Archives
LOTUS CARS LIMITED

I was hoping Andy could confirm that my Engine Number I 21032 matches the VIN and provide the original stock paint colour. Is this info available anywhere else? Did I get the engine number format correct? I guess I should start calling it a '69 or '70 model year independent of it's present model year on the registration; should I use 1969?

[trw99]

Stu

Looking at the records I have from Frank, engine numbers 21008 through 21079 were used in cars built/invoiced between 12 Feb 69 to 10 Dec 70. The majority of them however, seem to be in the last quarter of 1969.

Tim

[gherlt]

>Unfortunately the build records are no longer with us,

May I ask where are they now ? Who has them ?

[trw99]

A lot of the factory records were destroyed in a flood in the 'shed' they were stored in, in the late 70s. Some have survived, but not all.

Apparently, there was/is a microfiche with all the records on it. However, I have been informed that it has not been seen since the 1990s. I do hope that it is out there somewhere and that whoever has it may realise that it is now a priceless piece of Lotus history, which we should all have access to as enthusiasts and in the best interests of perpetuating Lotus cars and in particular, the Elan.

If anyone knows more, please tell!

Tim

[stugilmour]

Stu

Looking at the records I have from Frank, engine numbers 21008 through 21079 were used in cars built/invoiced between 12 Feb 69 to 10 Dec 70. The majority of them however, seem to be in the last quarter of 1969.

Tim

Wow Tim, thanks! November delivery date consistent with your engine build records. Interpolating your number / date ranges I get Sept 1969 for an approx. build date. Must be all matching. Have changed my signature to 1969, which is consistent with any parts sourcing I have been doing and the various time lines for changeover from Plus 2 to Plus 2S. As well it places my car more consistently within the 80 Plus 2's on the Elan Registry

http://elanregistry.org/list_cars.php

From various archive posts, I understood others got engine number & paint colour from Lotus Archives; might not be available any more.

Just to clarify and put the archives info in one thread, this is Frank Bertrang who started Sports Car World over thirty years ago in Dallas, TX? In previous threads I understood he had a listing of key Lotus info. I also understand Frank sadly passed away in October 2008. Here is a link to their web site:

http://www.sportscarworld.com/

[RedS4]

Andy
I have sent you a PM...

Cheers

[LotusArchives]

To help clarify things;

Yes there are no build records, as Tim says the original build records have been destroyed and rumours exist that some where put onto microfiche, but neither myself or predecessor has seen any evidence of this. What we are left with are dispatch books which where likely to have been stored elsewhere, hence they have survived, as the PTS data is needed for type approval. These are purely a handwritten books. Data such as engine numbers/chassis numbers/body numbers are sometimes recorded, sometimes not, possibly depends if car was kit or built, and colours only recorded approx. 69/70s onwards for most cars. You need to remember that this was just a PTS (passed to sales) record, and the person at that time had no idea of how valuable it would be to you, the classic Elan owners, so information was jotted down as/when available to the author while processing the invoices.

I would love to find some "hidden build data", but remember, these cars we built 40-50 years ago, so chances are as good as winning the lottery.

[Old English White]

Stu

Looking at the records I have from Frank, engine numbers 21008 through 21079 were used in cars built/invoiced between 12 Feb 69 to 10 Dec 70. The majority of them however, seem to be in the last quarter of 1969.

Tim

Wow Tim, thanks! November delivery date consistent with your engine build records. Interpolating your number / date ranges I get Sept 1969 for an approx. build date. Must be all matching. Have changed my signature to 1969, which is consistent with any parts sourcing I have been doing and the various time lines for changeover from Plus 2 to Plus 2S. As well it places my car more consistently within the 80 Plus 2's on the Elan Registry

http://elanregistry.org/list_cars.php

From various archive posts, I understood others got engine number & paint colour from Lotus Archives; might not be available any more.

Just to clarify and put the archives info in one thread, this is Frank Bertrang who started Sports Car World over thirty years ago in Dallas, TX? In previous threads I understood he had a listing of key Lotus info. I also understand Frank sadly passed away in October 2008. Here is a link to their web site:

http://www.sportscarworld.com/

As Stugilmour wrote , I got infos from both Lotus Cars and Frank from Sport Car World . That last adress remain very usefull , and speaking about my Elan , thruth. You can't imagine that an emotion when reading the engine number after removing the paint on the aera ...
I wonder if we can show the files again... Has Tim the complete list on Elan , or ,if not , some of the US members could visit Sport Cars World , and ask them about these files to be back on their new website . I am sure Frank will agree...
Tim , please ...
Christian.

[trw99]

I do have the complete list, yes. However, I have to say I got it from Frank's web site several years ago and I am not sure what the copyright situation is - perhaps I should not have copied it myself!

It would make sense to get it up on the site and accessible to all though, I agree. Perhaps I could combine it with my list of all Sprints, which is on my site. I'll work on it over Christmas and look at where best we could put it on this site. Having done so, if someone comes after me for any copyright issues, all I can say is that I do this in the best interests of us all and future Elan owners and historians.

Meanwhile, if anyone would like me to send them a copy, drop me a PM.

Tim

[Old English White]

Tim ,
Thank you for your reply .
To my opinion, no one could blame you if you use these infos .
They allready have been diffused on the net , so the pages could still be on it ...
The point is , only specialists could found them on it ...
I personnally ll diffuse them , mainly because we are each one concerned by only one-two numbers of that list (Gary & Beau apart (!)), and because a more is that no secret , a more chance it had to stay thruth .
Shouldn't be nice to have it printed as the Elite list , like on Dennis Ortenburger's book ... But the number of cars ...
What do you think !?!
Christian.