Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

If you want to try to upload them yourself, the tutorial is at:
announcements-f32/tutorial-how-upload-photos-t27816.html

Deryck asked me to upload these photos of SJH 499D:

It is so amazing lo see that blue car. I was so in love with it (and Mrs. Peal) at the time. Ditto Ihe Avengers' Dino.

Andy

Here are a couple of press photos of your Elan Deryck. These were bought from Roger Putnam by a mate as Roger was leaving Lotus to join Jaguar.

Andy, do you mean the Dino from The Persuaders, often seen blasting around with and Aston Martin DBS?

Mark

Hi Mark

Those are nice pictures of Emma & the Elan.

I have just noticed that the window frames appear to look like they have been painted matt black. I don't remember that in the TV show so I wonder if they did that just for the photo shoots?

My absolute favourite Elan that one, in that colour & specification & with that driver.

Do I recall correctly that apparently she couldn't drive when she was given the part in the Avengers and that she had to learn rather quickly to get up to speed - or did I imagine all that? I think someone told me that once, perhaps it was you?

Al the best

Adam


P.s. How are the Clios?

[quote="

Andy, do you mean the Dino from The Persuaders, often seen blasting around with and Aston Martin DBS?

Mark[/quote]

Indeed, Mark. My mistake. The Avengers' Elan and the Persuaders' Dino had the most impact on me as a young man. I bought the DVD sets of both series and, when I need some escape from world news, watch a few episodes.

Best,

Andy

................... those black window frames look like the chrome shop was striking and had to paint a set - they certainly aren?t graphite (cfrp) - is there a register where we can find out how much elan we get per episode and which ones??! alpine greets sandy

Didn't know about Emma not being able to drive, Adam, so it didn't come from me!

I had heard about the window frames though. It was Graham Arnold who 'positioned' the car in the series by parking an Elan outside the studios to get it noticed, and constantly phoning the production company to get the Elan used in the Avengers. As Sandy mentioned, the chrome was too glaring and reflective when they came to film Emma in the car, so they phoned up Graham (as the car be.longed to Lotus) to ask him what could be done. He popped over to the studio, stopping off at Halfords on the way to pick up a couple of aerosol cans of matt black paint, some masking tape and some wet and dry paper. 2 hours later...non-reflective window frames, courtesy of Mr Arnold!

At least, that's the story he used to tell! And they needed to be re-done quite often, or at least touched up.

Mark

I'm pretty certain the same Elan was used in one episode of the Prisoner, The Girl Who Was Death, which after all was a p*ss take of the Avengers!

Ah, but that Elan had LVF 120E as it's reg no. However ... it is the same one-off light metallic blue colour so in all probability they swapped the plates for The Prisoner episode.

Tim

Indeed! SJH 499D is an odd car, it's a standard Elan (wood rim wheel and blue cam cover, which I saw in one of the episodes) with sill strips and knock on wheels. I think Lotus wanted the car to look like an S/E, even though it wasn't.

The smoking gun in my opinion are the alloy door kick plates, they weren't used for long before Lotus went over to carpet in the doors, so it has to be a '66 pre-airflow car on '67 plates.

I never owned the car, but came close in '84 and again in the late 80's.

Hi elanfan1 & Deryck

I noticed these pictures of the restored SJH499D on lotuselan.net a while ago but did not post a message/reply. I assume this is the actual SJH499D (previously located in Kendal, Lake District "Cars of the Stars"). The first time I saw SJH499D in the flesh was in Ormskirk Lancashire (about 1983/84). The car was in the process of being restored by a local company,there was an article in the Ormskirk Advertiser. I still have the press cutting if you are interested. I so wish my car (also elan s3) had been on the road at the time so I could have had a photo side by side with Emma Peels car

Yes Chris, it is the same one.

Tim

I am sorry for the none Lotus connection (although i do hope the avengers connects what I have to say back to the topic) but I recently watched a Hammer Horror film called "The Devil Rides Out" in which all of the various Bentleys and Rollers that John Steed drive in several scenes, they must have been owned by a rental service!
Like I said, I am sorry that there is nothing to do with Lotus in my comment but I thought it would be worth sharing for all of the hardcore avengers fans (if there are any )
Best regards, P

Hello Chris

I would very much like to see the press cutting you spoke of about the car. Could you scan it & post it up please?

As Rob correctly says, it is a rather strange specification Elan but I have always thought it was just perfect in that spec & colour.

All the best

Adam