Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

For some reason it passed me by that the +2 was available as a kit, prior to the ending of the purchase-tax dodge. Anyone able to say how many were finished off at home?

elansprint71 wrote:Anyone able to say how many were finished off at home?

Pete, I think it will be hard to say as they are still working on them fitting Ztecs,Duratecs,6 speed gearboxes and Spyder chassis's

elansprint71 wrote:For some reason it passed me by that the +2 was available as a kit, prior to the ending of the purchase-tax dodge. Anyone able to say how many were finished off at home?

"Kits"? None. Or do you mean "dispatched in component form"?

Cheers - rd

The British tax system of the time (Purchase Tax) meant the car could be supplied as a kit (known as "completely knocked down" or CKD) without attracting the tax surcharge that would apply if sold in assembled form. Tax rules specified assembly instructions could not be included, but in a typical Chapman-inspired piece of lateral thinking, there was no rule covering the inclusion of disassembly instructions. Hence all the enthusiast had to do was to follow these in reverse.
Having joined the EEC on 1 January 1973, the UK had to abolish Purchase Tax and adopt VAT instead. VAT does not allow for concessions such as "CKD", so the tax advantage of the kit-built Lotus Seven came to an end. (Note that VAT does allow for variable rating and even zero-rating" of certain goods and services; but the Government still opted not to indulge the kit-builder).

Interesting piece from Wikipedia.

So the possibility is all cars from 1967 to 1973. Production ended in 1974 so most could have potentially been kits even if they were assembled by dealers for customers?

How many were made? = http://lotuselan-plus2.be/trevorsparrow ... nymade.htm

Jason

Without the original invoice for each car it is impossible to say with any degree of accuracy how many Elans (of whatever type) were supplied in kit or built up form.

In my data I have a lot of Sprints registered new in the last week of March 1973!

Tim

I know of 1

Just been reading the Brooklands road test book again and one article states that the Plus 2S was the first Lotus not available in Kit form and was announced in July 1969. Another article mentions that over 2000 Plus 2 were built before the 'S' model was introduced..

Robbie

I did buy a Sprint in March `73 in "component form". It was made clear that the tax concession precluded ANY professional help in building up the car, but who`s to know if a local bloke helps or does it? A bit more difficult for a Lotus main dealer to conceal what would be fraud.
When the +2 was launched Lotus made much of the move upmarket stressing that all the cars were factory built, but they did fib sometimes didn`t they.
Jim

jimj wrote:I did buy a Sprint in March `73 in "component form". Jim

Jim,

I'd be interested to learn how the ordering process & logistics worked at that time (e.g. How the shell was handled & off-loaded and by whom? One on each corner? )

Having moved house twice with mine in component form, I'd like to hear how the pro's did it.

Cheers - rd

I had always assumed that the vast majority of Plus 2 cars were sold fully assembled for the reasons given by Jim...although I hadn't realised that Lotus had stated that they were all factory built. I suspect that at least a few were bought in component form, my BDA engine car being one of those (with a twincam, of course!).

I bought the car from Eric Lyons, who was the first owner and he built the car up. He ran a Ford and Lotus engine development shop in North London which, if getting a component Plus 2 was unusual, could explain why he had one.

Here are the two orders, one from Lotus Cars, and one from Racing Engines, showing that the car was bought as a kit.

The logistics for a private buyer taking delivery would be interesting. I seriously doubt that 4 guys could lift the main bit.....fully trimmed and glazed complete with chassis attached! I guess that the main shell came on some sort of transportation platform on wheels, which could be pushed by a couple of lads into a garage, then the shell jacked up clear of the platform, and the platform wheeled away? Can't think how else they'd do it.....I can't remember lorries having Hyabs fitted in the 60s!

Mark

"The first +2 Elans were sold in kit form in the UK. To put the car upmarket and cease sales in kit form, the +2S was introduced in October 1968 ..." Graham Arnold

Tim

RD, I do remember the "components" being delivered on a trailer by the, then, local dealer; Hallamshire Tyre and Motor Co. Though it was my 4th elan it was my first brand new car and I was very excited, so excited that I can`t remember a thing about how they off-loaded the body, nor the engine. I do remember that we certainly didn`t drive in it to the pub the following lunchtime.
Jim

jimj wrote:I do remember that we certainly didn`t drive in it to the pub the following lunchtime.

lol.....why???...
not enough chums.....or it being the 70's too many tea breaks?..or even a 3 day week

Gareth, why the why? you know me! I`m flattered that you think I could find the pub, never mind build a car in a day and a half with bits that didn`t quite fit.
Jim

jimj wrote:Gareth, why the why? you know me! I`m flattered that you think I could find the pub, never mind build a car in a day and a half with bits that didn`t quite fit.
Jim

I thought that it was two ladies who could build the car and get to the pub by lunch-time; or am I mixing up my adverts?