Club Lotus

[nebogipfel]

Just had a lot at members cars on the HLC website, some of them are a lot newer than ours?

Yes I should have said we are welcome, unfortunately it's our Elans which are not.

[Spyder fan]

Just had a lot at members cars on the HLC website, some of them are a lot newer than ours?

Yes I should have said we are welcome, unfortunately it's our Elans which are not.

I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have somebody like me as a member!


The Seven's appear to be included as a link to the MK1 to Mk6 cars which were non mainstream production cars aimed at club racers, all the other cars covered by the club were developed as race cars including the 26R's, other cars not covered by HLR were not developed as race cars although some of course were raced such as type 14's, various production Elan's and Lotus Cortina's, but these were road class production cars and that's the point I think HLR are trying to make by distinguishing between models that they accept.

Club Lotus launched the 'Original Elan' specific section of the club a while back now, so we members are being catered for. Progress with the club elan section of the website appears to be slow, but you have to remember that it's being put together by a small enthusiastic group of people who are not full time employees of Club Lotus and are giving their time for no more reward than the dubious joy of peeing off their nearest and dearest by spending another couple of hours at the computer compiling the necessary lists and keeping in contact with hopefully influential people to get the elan the recognition it deserves in it's birthday year.


Regards

Alan

[nebogipfel]

Club Lotus launched the 'Original Elan' specific section of the club a while back now, so we members are being catered for. Progress with the club elan section of the website appears to be slow, but you have to remember that it's being put together by a small enthusiastic group of people who are not full time employees of Club Lotus and are giving their time for no more reward than the dubious joy of peeing off their nearest and dearest by spending another couple of hours at the computer compiling the necessary lists and keeping in contact with hopefully influential people to get the elan the recognition it deserves in it's birthday year.
Regards
Alan

Hi Alan,

Yes, all the above is good news but I still like the look of the HLR. CL on the other hand looks like a corporate organisation and caters for so much modern Lotus and current Lotus in which I have no interest. HLR has a much more enthusiasts feel to it and I feel the Elan would slot in quite nicely. I know it's not going to happen .....

I'm not a member of CL as I said earlier and am unlikely to join just to get access to the Elan section.

That's just me, I'm an odd old stick

[elansprint71]

There seems to be nothing stopping "us" joining either the Historic Lotus Register (HLR) or the Historic Lotus Club (HLC). The issue is around the cars we own.
HLR publishes a list of cars which they "cover", the Elite, Elan and Europa are excluded. HLC seem to be a bit more liberal, in that they have photos of +2 and Elan in their past magazines.

Interestingly both clubs show links to other Lotus clubs but neither one mentions the other; can we conclude that they were once a single entity?

I guess that both are geared up to handle the very low volumes of "historic" cars and would not be able to face coping with an inundation of production-car owners; although I can't see what the problem would be, especially if an in-comer offered to maintain a register.

[Spyder fan]

Hi Alan,

Yes, all the above is good news but I still like the look of the HLR. CL on the other hand looks like a corporate organisation and caters for so much modern Lotus and current Lotus in which I have no interest. HLR has a much more enthusiasts feel to it and I feel the Elan would slot in quite nicely. I know it's not going to happen .....

I'm not a member of CL as I said earlier and am unlikely to join just to get access to the Elan section.

That's just me, I'm an odd old stick

Hi John,
I'm an eccentric and proud of it, no need to hunt with the pack when things just drop dead at your feet after all.....

I had a good scout around their website and they state that they may take on other models in the future, here's a quote from the About/Contact tab on their home page

Future

The Historic Lotus Register is not limited to its present range, and it is intended that expansion into additional models should take place, but this can only happen when a suitable Registrar volunteers to register information on the model concerned, and contribute to the overall operation of HLR.

So it looks like an enthusiastic bunch of us will need to join and pool the resources and lobbying required to get the cars recognised.

Regards to all

Alan

[elansprint71]

I'd like to volunteer to be one of that enthusiastic bunch; Captian Mainwearing.

[pereirac]

Happy to add my two bits as well and help

Carl

[elansprint71]

... and another thing; CL do not (as far as I can tell) seem to be doing anything about the Donington Historic Festival.

[elansprint71]

Right- no time like the present... strike while the iron is hot.... etc

I have e-mailed the Chairman of HLR to see what they would envisage the duties of an Elan registrar would be and what sort of help they would want with the running of things. I'm sure that between us we can come up with the goods, assuming that there is sufficient interest.

[nebogipfel]

I have e-mailed the Chairman of HLR to see what they would envisage the duties of an Elan registrar would be and what sort of help they would want with the running of things....

It'll be interesting to hear the result ...

[elansprint71]

I have e-mailed the Chairman of HLR to see what they would envisage the duties of an Elan registrar would be and what sort of help they would want with the running of things....

It'll be interesting to hear the result ...

He has replied to my e-mail asking me to ring him, which I will do tomorrow, chores permitting(!).

[DeanG]

I've been a member of HLR for a few years. They have an excellent magazine with many of the people who made Lotus history as contributers. Several recent issues were devoted to the Lotus quere box (transmission) its design, function, manufacture, issues... The club members seem to be very focused on the early history of Lotus with emphasis on racing. Vintage racing is heavily covered. Originality is the god they worship.

If that is interesting to you send them some money and see if you fit in.

[elansprint71]

Had a good chat today with Victor (Chairman), excellent bloke. His wife runs an immaculate Elan Sprint, btw.
There are about 800 members of the HLR (which Victor reminded me is a Register rather than a Club), he said that Elan owners would be welcome to join (and thereby swell the coffers); quite a few of their number have Elans, +2 and later models.
I mentioned that there is already an Elan register (Jim Boone's) and he said "so why would you want another?" which, I have to say, I did not have a handy answer for.
I have an invitation to write a "what is happening in Elan-world" piece for their magazine (Victor is sending me a copy of their latest issue). I would welcome any suggestions on what to include in this.

So... my current position is to subscribe to HLR and see what happens; I guess the onus is on us to state our case; I get the impression that we will get a warm welcome.

[Spyder fan]

Nice one Pete.

It may well be described by Victor as a register rather than a club, but there's definitely a club like atmosphere where they congregate, in addition they run events, if that's not a club then what is? Does Jim organise events.... nope didn't think so.

I have been tempted in the past to join up for the magazine alone; although I have a reputation as a molester of all things original, the history of the cars interests me a lot and one day when I manage to pick up an unmolested original car that deserves to stay that way I will pour as much money and enthusiasm into that project as I do into my current cars.

I would definitely stay a member of Club Lotus as I have a lot of time and respect for Alan Morgan and his team, and I think the Elan section will become a jewel in the crown with Brian, Tim and others behind it, but I see no conflict in joining HLR as well for a more focused insight into the early road and race cars. If some of us find the time to contribute to the register thereby adding Elans it can only be to the benefit of all.

BTW: please write in the magazine that everyone is getting rid of their Lotus twincams and folded metal chassis and fitting Zetecs and Duratecs and spaceframe chassis with Sierra Cosworth brakes..... after all that's the state of the Elan scene at the moment as I see it

Regards

Alan

[elansprint71]

Nice one Pete.

It may well be described by Victor as a register rather than a club, but there's definitely a club like atmosphere where they congregate, in addition they run events, if that's not a club then what is? Does Jim organise events.... nope didn't think so.

I have been tempted in the past to join up for the magazine alone; although I have a reputation as a molester of all things original, the history of the cars interests me a lot and one day when I manage to pick up an unmolested original car that deserves to stay that way I will pour as much money and enthusiasm into that project as I do into my current cars.

I would definitely stay a member of Club Lotus as I have a lot of time and respect for Alan Morgan and his team, and I think the Elan section will become a jewel in the crown with Brian, Tim and others behind it, but I see no conflict in joining HLR as well for a more focused insight into the early road and race cars. If some of us find the time to contribute to the register thereby adding Elans it can only be to the benefit of all.

BTW: please write in the magazine that everyone is getting rid of their Lotus twincams and folded metal chassis and fitting Zetecs and Duratecs and spaceframe chassis with Sierra Cosworth brakes..... after all that's the state of the Elan scene at the moment as I see it

Regards

Alan

Absolutely agree, I'm sure that the CL Elan section will be great when it is up and running.