Elan 50th Anniversary Events

[Ross Robbins]

Well Tim has set the bar quite high so what can we do over here recognizing that our distances are greater and our density of Elans is lower?
I will contact the leadership of Lotus Ltd and discuss the theme of LOG 32 and post my findings here. Can you vintage racers lobby some major event to feature the Elan? I might prevail on Peter Egan to write a retrospective as a fan and owner.

Anyone else? Bueller?

[garyeanderson]

Tough to make plans to attend some event unless one knows where one is going. The normal practice with Lotus Limited is to announce the following years LOG at the LOG and that is not till October 14-16
I believe. I would have to make a wild ass guess that it won't be out west in 2012. Since the beginning it?s been in the following locations. Oh Yea, I been to two?

I found these on another forum, I think it Kyle Kaulback's list


Here is the complete list of LOG locations to date (including LOG 30)

1981 - First Annual Lotus, Ltd. National Meet - Cherry Hill, NJ
1982 - Second Annual Lotus, Ltd. National Meet - Virginia Beach, VA
1983 - Third Annual Lotus, Ltd. National Meet - Chester, VT
1984 - Fourth Annual Lotus, Ltd. National Meet LOG (Lotus Owners Gathering) IV - Pocono Mountains Resort, PA
1985 - LOG V - Pittsburgh, PA
1986 - LOG VI - Plymouth, VT
1987 - LOG VII - Corning, NY
1988 - LOG VIII - Annapolis, MD
1989 - LOG IX - State College, PA
1990 - LOG X - Akron, OH
1991 - LOG 11 - Waterbury, CT
1992 - LOG 12 - Leesburg, VA
1993 - LOG 13 - Grand Rapids, MI
1994 - LOG 14 - Waterbury, CT
1995 - LOG 15 - White Haven (Pocono Mountains), PA
1996 - LOG 16 - Atlanta, GA
1997 - LOG 17 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
1998 - LOG 18 - Atlanta, GA
1999 - LOG 19 - Corning, NY
2000 - LOG 20 - Ottawa, ON, Canada
2001 - LOG 21 - Worcester, MA
2002 - LOG 22 - Lake Geneva, WI
2003 - LOG 23 - Grand Isalnd (Niagra Falls), NY
2004 - LOG 24 - Birmingham, AL
2005 - LOG 25 - St. Louis, MO
2006 - LOG 26 - Dallas, TX
2007 - LOG 27 - Aspen/Snowmass, CO
2008 - LOG 28 - Indianapolis, IN
2009 - LOG 29 - Birmingham, AL
2010 - LOG 30 - Gettysburg, PA

2011 ? LOG31 ? Las Vegas, NV

2012 ? LOG32 - ??????????


Gary

[Tahoe]

"I would have to make a wild ass guess that it won't be out west in 2012."

Maybe ther needs to be a LOG East and a LOG West? Just a thought.

[Ross Robbins]

Gary and Russ;

LOG was in the east for it's first twenty editions or so as that was the locus of the club. As more "chapters" were added out west, the pressure mounted to have some in the western part of the US to address the long travel across the states. What has sort of unofficially happened is that the LOG alternates east to west. While this is not a certainty, I would expect LOG 32 to be in the eastern US.

Gary, lobby some of the folks you know around your location and take on the challenge to put on a Massachusetts LOG. Owl's Head, Martha's Vineyard? Maybe Sevens and Elans Chris T could help or even host?

[garyeanderson]

Hi Ross

My friend Carl suggested the Mt Washington Hotel, that would make your Elan right at home or close to it. I would think it would be a great location, I have never been there myself as I keep on the south side of Boston for the most part. The Worcester LOG was pretty good as there were only 3 Elise's, ALL were LOTUS U.S.A. owned as the model was not certified as legal as of that time. It still drew in nearly 100 Lotus cars. Dick, Juliet, Foster, Ben, and a few others did a great job to put that event on as I think that it was supposed to be in Wisconsin that year but it wasn't coming together for some reason so the Club yanked it away and the folks at NELLI (ex BALLS) put together a great show. The event ended just 8 days before 911 which changed a lot of things for everyone.

Gary

[Hethel_Haus]

Perhaps a venue at one of the classic motorsports tracks would be a good choice? Road America up here in Wisconsin does a nice fall vintage race in September and does a feature marque. They hosted the American Bugatti Club one year which was a fantastic event. All of the Bugatti's took to the track which was a glorious sound. I would imagine a full track of Lotus Elan's would make a great sound track too. Plus loads of fun driving the 4 mile road course. Way better than the round oval at Indy!

Steve
'73 Elan +2S/130 Cabriolet

[garyeanderson]

So was this discussed at LOG31 and what are the possible locations for LOG32?

Gary

[lance54]

Just returned form Watkins Glen where 3 Elans were competing. I'll make contact with the Lime Rock Vintage Race management about next Labor Day.

BTW...Peter Egan was at the Glen with a newly restored Crossle 32F. I spoke with him about his Elan and why it was sold so soon after the restoration. He said it was the most trouble prone car he every owned! too many repairs of the same things again and agian.

I guess he forgot what he wrote years ago in Road & Track.....

Peter Egan on Lotus Elans......

???..the question is, Do I really need this car? I guess nobody really needs an Lotus Elan, so buying one is not a rational decision.

It?s simply a question of romance and character balanced against time and money, part of a great class quandary that comes up over and over in our lives:

? Wooden boat or fiberglass boat?
? Modern split-level or old stone farm house?
? Fabric-covered Citabria or aluminum Piper Cherokee?
? Manic-depressive exotic dancer or the girl next door?
? Norton Commando or new Honda VFR750?
? Faded Lotus Elan or shiny new Miata?

Essentially, it?s an age-old contest between things that work and things that need work, things that serve and things that we serve.

Are romantic objects, by some unwritten law of the Universe, always more demanding? Or do we simply ascribe romance, automatically, to things that are more difficult and troublesome? Why are accelerated entrophy and a touch of frailty so often mingled with beauty?

And if ?beauty is the promise of pleasure? why does it always bust our knuckles and drain the checkbook?

Darned if I know. I?m just a victum.

[elancoupe]

So was this discussed at LOG31 and what are the possible locations for LOG32?

Gary

Orlando Florida, October 2012.

[garyeanderson]

The last time I was in Florida none of my Lotus were built. I guess I have to wait some more.

Lime Rock seems like a better deal. It seems like we just did the 50th for the Elite and had a pretty good group of people from around the North East of U.S. and Canada.

I seem to remember Beau watering a picnic basket of one of the Rolls owner's down by the foot bridge on his way to cool off in the stream.

Gary

[memini55]

Well to long of hual for me too. Will wait for another one near our area.

Nice that Beau was selective in nature!

Mark

[garyeanderson]

Maybe 2013 in Atlanta, at least a 63 Elan 1600 or two might be there.

or we can do Tiny's for lunch on almost any Wednesday.

[memini55]

Gary

I vote for Tiny's and a trip down the road would be a perfect plus. I would even come back east. Now that I have seen and heard about all the cool things happening in your neck of the woods. I would also vote for a trip to say Kentucky or Tenn area.

So I see you are ahead of me now with all your posts, keep up the good work! Or should I say knowledge.

Mark

[lance54]

If we get something going during one of the Eastern or Midwestern 2012 vintage race events an all-Elan race might be possible.

Here's 14 active Elan racers that are all within stricking distance of say MidOhio:

Phil Aviery IL
Keith Dunbar OH
Jeff Fisher MI
Jim Fletcher IL
Jeff Haliand MO
George Hosvepian IL
Clark Lance NJ
Bob Leitzinger PA
Tom Monti MA
Michael Moore MD
Lou Rohan OH
Alex Rorke IL
Peter Shultz PA
Roy Walzer CT

We won't know how many participants can be secured (racers and non-racers) until something is on the calendar.

The 2007 Elite 50th Event at Lime Rock got off the ground in January of the same year and turned into a great event. With 12 times the number of Elan's to draw from we should expect a great 50th Elan Event in 2012.

[garyeanderson]

Google says 730 miles each way to Mid Ohio, so call it 12 hours plus. Thats just about the limit of what I care to drive in a day. If I take U.S. 30 most of the way I am sure its 2 days. What month are we talking for this event? It would be best try and make plans as early as possible.

Gary