RIP Ron Hickman

[Heuer]

[elansprint71]

Yes I just heard this too, very sad news. Always an entertaining chap to talk to.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

:(

OMG, that's sad news! Got a link to the story?

John

[oldelanman]

http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=493098

[ardee_selby]

Only yesterday I was listening to the mp3 of his radio interview on BBC R4 (from 2003).

rd

[garyeanderson]

Ron will be missed by all that knew him and by many that didn't. I was lucky to meet him at Donington.

Gary

[david.g.chapman]

Now that is sad news.

Let's keep our cars going as long as possible and show the world what a genius he was.

Dave Chapman.

[types26/36]

Yes indeed. RIP....never met him myself but we are all indebted to him, I heard he still had an Elan.....anyone know for sure?

[summerinmaine]

Much to my regret, I never met the man, but I've always been fascinated by his design genius.

RIP amigo as you travel to that great Car Barn in the sky!

[Mazzini]

My condolences to his family.

I've had twenty-five years of fun in the car that he designed, a simple 'thank you' seems inadequate.

RIP Ron

[alexblack13]

Nice thought Jim.. Made me smile! Time to celebrate that good life and enjoy his designs. He knew what he had done. (& think of the money he cost us.!!)

He was a nice guy! And yes he did still have his Sprint. lagoon over white I am sure...

Mr Buckland will be a very sad man right now... Sorry to hear this Brian and I hope you are well. I trust the bypass went as well as my one did...

RIP Ron.

Ab..

[elanman]

I am so very sad tonight after hearing of Ron Hickmans sad death. All Elan owners past and present owe him a hugh debt of gratitude. When I was writing the book I spent 4 days in Jersey with Ron just talking Elans. He was extraordinarily good and generous to me and I'm so sad.

His car will live on and I will drive it as long as I am able.

Thank you Ron. Thank you for everything.

Brian Buckland

[summerinmaine]

Nice thought Jim.. Made me smile! Time to celebrate that good life and enjoy his designs. He knew what he had done. (& think of the money he cost us.!!)

He was a nice guy! And yes he did still have his Sprint. lagoon over white I am sure...

Mr Buckland will be a very sad man right now... Sorry to hear this Brian and I hope you are well. I trust the bypass went as well as my one did...

RIP Ron.

Ab..

Having had so many deaths around me, I've learned not to look at passing as a time for sadness, but rather for celebrating the life that was. A wake, NOLA style, is what I would want.

If you're religious, then you can find comfort that he's with his creator. If not, then you can honor a life well-lived, before the inevitable passage into dust (and the recycling of all that carbon). My living will specifies that my un-embalmed corpse be stitched in canvas sailcloth, carried beyond the relevant jurisdictional limit (so as to avoid legal complications for the survivors), and dumped so as to speed my recycling. It was either that, or a viking funeral pyre, but I didn't want my family to waste money on building a proper vessel, so they'll use it for the wake instead.

[Ross Robbins]

The finest acknowledgment of the landmark car that he created based on the direction of Colin Chapman, yet almost in spite of him, is to "Get the Elan out of the garage and use it as Colin and Ron Hickman intended." And when you have finished the refreshing run in the most perfect smile creator ever devised short of a beautiful woman, raise a glass to Mr. Hickman in appreciation. I intend to do exactly that if the weather holds here in Colorado tomorrow. Godspeed Ron!

[elansprint71]

Yes indeed. RIP....never met him myself but we are all indebted to him, I heard he still had an Elan.....anyone know for sure?

Yes he had a Sprint and a +2, not to mention a 1931 V16 Caddy!

I only met Ron four times, so can hardly claim to have known him well; however he was so full of enthusiasm about all sorts of things and had loads of amusing stories about Lotus, such a shame he did not write the book and lift the lid on some of the myths.

My dashboard bears one of his personalised little wooden plaques (intended to go on a Workmate) but I never did get the chance to ask him to do an Elan one for me.

Ron would not be interested in a minute's silence; I think that we should take some time to reflect and then come up with a fitting tribute to the man who has given us all so much pleasure.