Looking for a Lotus

[Halmyre]

Hello,

My wife bought me a copy of Jim Clark at the Wheel for my birthday. Inside was a photograph, dated August 1991, of a bronze(?) Lotus Elan registration OCN40L taken outside Edington Mains, the Clark family farm. I assume the photograph belongs to a previous owner of the book and was wondering if anyone in here recognises the registration, or the owner, or can point me at some other way of finding out. I thought he might like the photograph back.

[stuart]

Hi

belongs to Jim Estall
He is on here

regards
stuart

[JimE]

PM sent. I bought the car from the widow of the previous first owner. He was a big fan of Jim Clark. Here is a picture of the car today, taken at the Biggin Hill Air Show. Jim

[TBG]

Looks lovely but strange number plate positioning. Does not enhance the view in my not very humble opinion!!

[Halmyre]

Thank you for the replies. Jim, I will post the picture to you.

I was looking at Google maps to work out where the picture was taken. There looks to have been a rough track running south of the farmhouse, the car is parked there and the photographer is standing with his back to the public road which runs down the west side of the farm. The track appears to be now overgrown, and it looks like the present owners have laid down a tennis court!

[trw99]

[quote="TBG"]Looks lovely but strange number plate positioning. Does not enhance the view in my not very humble opinion!! [/quote]

As you well know, towards the end of Elan production it was felt that, along with many other high performance cars of the day, a front spoiler was a necessity. Not wishing to ruin the philosophy of making one item do two tasks, the front number plate was pressed into service as a spoiler. It reduced front end lift by 18.67%

Tim

[bitsobrits]

I was thinking I had read it was 18.87%?

In any case, useful for high speed work.

[pharriso]

Statisticians report that 93.4% of statistics are made up on the spot....

[TBG]

I believe you Tim!! Still looks awful.

[mbell]

It reduced front end lift by 18.67%

I swapped mine to a US sized plate, now wondering what impact that has

[Bud English]

Statisticians report that 93.4% of statistics are made up on the spot....

At least it was a percentage. 4/3's of people have trouble with fractions.

[TBG]

I think I am probably a vulgar fraction.......................

[persiflage]

Late 80s, M3 05:00hrs. Heading home from work my companion asks "what's the top speed then?"
Having never explored that, it seemed it was as good a time as any.
I don't recall the figure but Ido recall the terror brought on by the noise, vibration and apparent lack of rubber to Tarmac connection.
I wish I'd known about that 18.67% beforehand.

[Mazzini]

Occasionally this forum can bring a ray of sunshine onto an otherwise dull December day, but for the remaining 81.33% of the time, it's just difficult.

Tim, what have you started?

[JimE]

I believe you Tim!! Still looks awful.

This Sprint is 'as it left the factory' and from 1 January 73 this positioning of the front number plate was mandatory. Being a purist I have kept it as it is. The same applies to my 74 plus two and 75 Europa. Jim