Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hi, I bought by +2S130/5 as a box of bits, I have two 1973 world championship badges, one with a laurel around '1973' the other without. Does any one know which is the correct one for the car. It is a very late one, 4th from last UK +2 of the line.

The fourth from last Domestic Plus 2S 130/5 was in immaculate original condition only two years ago when Chris Evans sold it through Paul Matty!

What has someone done to it in the meantime?

Tim

I bought it from a guy down on the south coast in late 2014, but I got the build certificate from Lotus and they told me it was the 4th from last U.K model.
Heres a picture when I bought it

Sorry guys, I have just checked my paperwork, it is in fact the 3rd from last for the U.K market

Ah! Thanks for that. I believe your car was sold via Bell & Colvill originally in lagoon blue. It was at Peter Day's in 1994 having some work done. Although the VIN has 7312 as the year/date it most likely came off the production line in Feb 74.

Tim

Actual build date is December 1973, it is now back (just) to Lagoon Blue and was delivered new to Bell & Colvill at West Horsley, with no customer name attached.

For what it is worth, my 130/5 number 7311 has a laurel leaves surrounding the 1973 date.
Cheers Chris.

[quote="lotusnut"]Actual build date is December 1973, it is now back (just) to Lagoon Blue and was delivered new to Bell & Colvill at West Horsley, with no customer name attached.[/quote]

Indeed, it will have 7312 on the VIN and that is the date that Andy Graham will tell you it was produced.

However, in actual of fact, the last 213 Plus 2s built were during Dec 73, Jan 74 and Feb 74. They were all given Dec 73 (though I know of 5 with documented Jan or Feb 74 dates) build dates to avoid European legislation which came into effect on 1 Jan 74 and would have rendered the cars illegal to sell, as I understand it.

If you look at number built per month before Dec 73 you will see what went on: Sep approx. 45 cars built; Oct approx. 70 cars built; Nov approx. 40 cars built.

Tim

Hi M

Good to see you've found your way here, told you it was a mine of information
Sounds like the badge with the laurel may be a good bet, & it looks nicer, too

So, does anyone know why some badges have the laurel & others don't? Different supplier? Cheaper?

Tim

Certainly lighter and probably cheaper
Gordon

lotusnut wrote:Actual build date is December 1973, it is now back (just) to Lagoon Blue and was delivered new to Bell & Colvill at West Horsley, with no customer name attached.

I appreciate that colour reproduction in photos depends on the camera and multiple other things but that colour does look very dark for Lagoon Blue. This is my Lagoon Sprint:

The red Plus Two sold by Paul Matty use to belong to a friend of mine called Dave Adkin. It was born Roman Purple but Dave had it resprayed twice in the colour you see. I recall him saying it was the last one made. When it went to Chris Evans he didn't keep it 5 minutes before selling it on. It eventually ended up back at Matty's going for even more money. Dave use to pull my leg that he could never beat me in the Plus Two concours but he would have done with the red one I saw in Matty's showroom because it was a complete restoration.

I have seen two different lagoon blues. A darker shade on the earlier cars (as illustrated in the period brochures) and a lighter shade seen on very late Plus Twos and my Europa Special which left Lotus in April 1975. As Tim points out Plus Twos built in 1974 (and mine is one of them) had a 73/12 vin number on them.

In answer to the 73 badge question, on my Plus Two its minus the green laurels, whereas on my Europa it has the laurels. Jim

The actual colour code was supplied by Lotus, they then gave me the different paint manufacturers paint code, these were passed on to the painters, and hopefully this is what they used. As regard whether it is darker or otherwise I cannot tell as the car had had a very rough paint job in red, then partially rubbed down and primed.