Donington

[elanfan1]

Don't forget - it's Donington this weekend!

[elan_fan]

Should be re named the Lotus Elise shrow really. Not much of anything else there besides the Jim Clark display. I complained to the club Lotus stand that I thought it was a daft time of year to hold the annual get together and why couldn't it be in July or August. They said it was because the enthusiasts would be doing their rebuilds at this time and would more likely buy parts. I would say that if anyone was going to buy parts specially at a show it would be the November parts fair. No Sue Miller, No Tony Thompson, No large Classic stand from Chris Neil or Paul Matty. Pretty abismal collection of auto jumble. If I had come over from Europe or even further for this show I would be dissapointed. I never went to last years show but for me this was the poorest show I've been to. I think the club really needs to take a good hard look and decide where it wants to aim the show because I think it has really lost it's way. just my thoughts

regards
Mark

[Bruce Crowthorne]

Nothing wrong with it being an Elise show! There is room for all the various models - it's not as if there the show will be over run. The more Lotii and owners the better.

I do agree with the point of timing. If it was a month or so later them maybe the weather would be kind enough to encourage more of us to bring our classics. Like you, I was a bit dissapointed by tha lack of Elans in the car park - but I can't really talk as I chickened out of bringing my Elan (I won't bore you with excuses) and brought the Elise....

So how about organising some events specific to the various models? I remember the M100 crowd meeting at the local services and then arriving as a group.
Or how about a set of organised Elan runs from various points of the country? If we did that it could operate as a support group for any not so reliable cars (mine?). Maybe they could be based on the various Club Lotus / LDC / Seloc groups.

I am sure that we could all come up with a bunch of ideas if we tried

[elan_fan]

There are probably more Elises than all the other types of Lotus put together so the show has to inevitably have that bias. The thing is by the very nature of the age of the Elise these cars tend to be daily drivers or at least less cossited that the older types, so the show has to move to the summer to get the older cars on board. I posted ages ago regarding remembering taking my plus 2 to Lotus 89 at Donnington which was a joint effort between the lotus Drivers club and Club Lotus. This was a meet held in either late June or July. I can't remember which, the sunshine brought out a sea of cars, and there was proper spectator access to the track as there was a lotus only track day where the cars were divided up into years. Perhaps I need to buy an Elise

regards
Mark

[richardcox_lotus]

The other points about timing that CLub Lotus have legitimately raised in the past, is:

1) Donington's availability & a crowded Spring / Summer events calendar - if you look hard I think you may find something organised pretty much every weekend May - September.

2) Price. Club Lotus don't have deep pockets and an out-of-season slot will be considerably cheaper for them for a hall the size of Donington.

[andyelan]

One other point to remember is that not all classic lotus' are tax exempt. Neither my Plus 2 or Europa Special are, so I only tax them from 1st April for six months and then SORN them for the rest of the year.

Had Donnington been this commimg weeking, or later, I certainly would have turned up in one of my cars.

Andy

[tdafforn]

Chatting to one of the stall holders he was saying that a number of other stall holders from the previous years (notably those with autojumble) have been put off by the increase in stall price this year.

[dougweall]

Have to agree with the thought's regards the car park last weekend. I went in my Elise
However the sight of Jim Clark's Loti together, possibly never again was worth going for on it's own. The old saying about you cannot please all of the people all of the time etc etc springs to mind.

All I can say is roll on Classic Le Mans, I'll be there with my Elan (fingers and toes crossed).

There will be lots of "old stuff" there to view.

[JJDraper]

I must be getting old, I thought the lighting in the hall was poor. Worse than last year? Or are my eyes going?

Had good nose round the +2 on the Options stand - superb paint, but would look better in bright light.

Jeremy
PS 1st time not in the +2 because of MOT failure on perished drive shaft gaitors.

[steveww]

I would have been there in my Elan had the event been later in the year. The end of March is a tight schedule for the winter servicing etc.

See you at Classic Le Mans with Elan

[elansprint71]

Actually I thought that this show was slightly better than it has been in the last few years, after all it was pretty dire about four years ago
Don't forget that "Club" Lotus is, in fact, a commercial venture run for profit by an individual, therefore he has to make an estimation on what he can get away with in terms of charges to stall-holders, etc.
I think that the rot set in about 7 years ago, until then Matty, Miller, Neil, QED, Pat Thomas, Tony Thompson and dozens of jumble stalls all were there, then pitch prices went up and the rest is history. Of course what we do not know is how much Donington has raised their prices since Tom Wheatcroft handed over control.
I don't mind looking at loads of Elises, Exiges and M100s, I'll never own one of those things but at least they are prettier than the dreaded wedges.

Maybe if all you Elansters were to join LDC, en mass, then they could organise a Midlands Elan event? Failing that, apply for membership of the Cheshire Lotus Owners Group.

Cheers,
Pete.

[cliveyboy]

To be fair to Club Lotus. The ?50 per day I paid for an autojumble stand is not bad and includes two entrance tickets.
A couple of guys I know always hire an autojumble stand for one day. Once they have taken off the cost of the two entrance tickets they only have to sell ?30 of parts to be in profit and get to see the show.

Graham Arnold once told me that Donington cost ?18,000 for the weekend and even more in the summer.

I quite enjoy the show as I get to meet and catch up with all you folks.
If everyone I talked to had come in their Elan there would have been about 70 Elans in the car park. Half were people I recognised from this list.

Clive

[bcmc33]

I?ve just caught this thread, and have to say that, from my point of view, the show was not as good as last year. I took an old Elite friend with me, and although he was too polite to comment, was obviously not that impressed.

I guess I can understand to a point the emphasis on Elise, as it has already been commented that there must be more Elise cars on the road that all other Lotus models put together; you only have to look at the Club Lotus magazine to see that the Elise dominates the adverts.

Maybe last year was a particularly good with a brilliant show of Elites to excite this old grey haired mind, but this year, for me, was epitomised by the pathetic stands of Matty and Neil ? not to mention those I expected to see that did not attend.

Disappointing I know, but apart from two cups of coffee ? I did not spend anything.