Dutchess Auto Co. Millerton NY

[Certified Lotus]

I just received my letter of provenance from Andy Graham at Lotus regarding my Elan S1. Anyone have details on Dutchess Auto Co. in Millerton NY? Any success in getting old records from them on cars they sold?

[Galwaylotus]

They appear to be still trading. http://www.yellowpages.com/millerton-ny/mip/dutchess-auto-co-470250544

[lotusS2guy]

When I was a college student, I had my first ride in a Lotus Elan (the first coupe in the country) at Dutchess Auto. I believe they were a Buick dealer in upstate NY and Lotus distribution was a tiny corner of the operation. The car was driven at ungodly speeds by Fred Stevenson, a Lotus 18 Formula C driver of considerable talent. I was scared sh****ss and vowed to own an Elan. Six months later, when I graduated, I bought my brand new 1965 Elan S2 from Tom O'Brien Sports Cars in NJ. I drove it for a couple of weeks to get used to it and then drove it to California. I still have it.

I think some info on Dutchess is available on Fred Stevenson's web site http://www.fredstevensonlotus.com/

Herb
26/4618

[Certified Lotus]

Thanks for the info. I hadn't even considered the thought that the business was still operating! Will try them on Monday and see what I can find out.

[ecamiel]

Peter Pulver, an owner of Lotus Racing East, raced a 26R out of LRE
Google him
http://www.fredstevensonlotus.com/Lotus%20East.htm



This is a photo of Lotus/East and Lotus Racing East taken around 1975. The main building is still standing (on Route 44) and currently houses a video store and a golf driving range. It is appropriately known as ?The Lotus Building?.



By 1970 the Lotus Racing operation had outgrown its space and welcome at the original Dutchess Auto location at the corner of Main and Elm Streets in the heart of the Village of Millerton (intersection of Routes 22 & 44). It was getting crowded. Dutchess was a Chevy, Buick dealership and was being used to prepare the Lotus street cars for Lotus/East to distribute to their 13 eastern state territory as well as being utilized for race car preparation of customer cars and the Racing Elan of Peter Pulver, Newt Davis? infamous Lotus 30/40 and Fred Stevenson?s Type 59B Formula B car.



Probably to assuage General Motors, and to make a wise real estate investment, Pete and Brother Bill Pulver (partners in Dutchess Auto) purchased the property that you see here that was a local trucking company garage, the owner of which, had jumped off the second floor mezzanine with a rope around his neck.



The racing operation was moved and operated alone here until around 1973 when the rest of the Lotus operation moved out to the suburbs (about a mile from Main & Elm). The truck garage (center with the LRE sign on the left upper corner) was augmented with a modular office structure to the front right. An addition was made later for the executive offices (forming the ?L? on the right). The steel 30? x 60? building to the rear left was added for storage and then a 30? x 100? structure was added to the right for painting and preparation. These structures were dismantled and sold in 1979 was Lotus East closed its doors. The area they occupied is now the hitting tees for the driving range.



Ironically, I send my golfing customers there to test various clubs that I custom-fit in my Lakeville Golf Technology business in nearby Lakeville, Conn., and I?ve been known to venture over there as well.

To the left is a huge field that has a few Lotus Elites awaiting shipment to dealers. This is a far cry from the huge numbers of Europas that came and went during the brisk and heady days that that Lotus provided.

The yellow truck parked to the left next to the building is the LRE Dunlop Racing Tire van that went to all the eastern races in a vain attempt to reestablish Dunlop as a prominent racing tire. This was a scheme that didn?t work due to the fact that England wouldn?t provide or produce racing compounds that didn?t expire in high ambient temperatures [?It really can?t get that hot, now can it Fred!?] (yet another story to be told).


Eric
64 S1 Hart

[ftsoft]

Lotus East. They used to service my car when I lived in Pittsfield Mass. Driving to Millerton (rt 41?) was one of the great fun Lotus roads. It must have been the road they meant when it was said "you can average 60 mph on curvy roads without going over 61 mph".

[Elan45]

I was just a couple of weeks ago racing my Lotus 20/22 at the Lime Rock Fall Festival. I always go into Paddock B to visit w/ Mike Rand, Harry Reynolds and Fred Stevenson, who seem to have a reunion there every year.

Since I am looking for information about another Lotus 20 project I have, I asked Fred if he knew of any records of Sy Kaback, since Lotus East had pretty much taken over the Eastern US market from him, and he told me that even the Lotus East records were all gone, unseen in many years.

Fred was telling me about how they were pretty conscientious when they packed up all the stuff when Lotus created the new single distributor on the west coast about 1980, but he said that Arnie Johnson was really the only person who cared about the history and older parts. Then came the move to east coast a year or so later and consolidation w/ RR, and finally the move Atlanta. So many opportunities to just pitch it all. such a shame, but I would imagine it is all gone.

Roger

[bigvalvehead]

Hi All
Petr Pulver is still about living in Florida.
I have spoken and mailed him many times about my car but he has no records of the many cars he imported.

Many of the cars arrived unpainted as they nearly always had to sort out issues with paintwork and found it easier to paint the whole car upon arrival
cheers
Dave Hughes

[Certified Lotus]

Thanks for all the insights and information. I know who owned my S1 after the first owner, but I do not know who the first purchaser was nor the original paint color. So from 1964 to 1970 it is a mystery who was the original owner. My S1 has been three body colors that I know of, white, red and now green. The current body color was done with a strip down to fiberglass and repair then paint.