Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Club Lotus / Alan Morgan, Things To Do List for Donington 2014:

1) Arrange car park marshals to direct Lotus only cars to the front of exhibition hall car park.
2) Arrange catering vans outside exhibition hall for early risers, preferably with a decent Italian coffee machine.
3) Arrange outside rolling display area for noteworthy cars (anything the noteworthy marshal fancies).
4) Arrange noteworthy car spotting marshal (see item 3).
5) Arrange to prostate oneself to QED, Paul Matty and other traders who were a no show this year and persuade them to come back for free if necessary.
6) Arrange some family oriented attractions, maybe a bouncy castle and merry go round
7) Arrange something for the ladies to look at (preferably not Grumpy Bodger in his Y fronts)
8 ) Arrange handing out rosettes for EVERY Lotus that turns up, with special Gold rosettes for notable cars
9) Arrange someone who knows nothing about Lotus cars to hand out the Gold rosettes to the cars they like.
10) Arrange some fun to be put back into this major gathering
11) Arrange to pick a weekend that doesn't clash with another major event P L E A S E !

Any others? feel free to add to the list, feedback is needed to make the show better.

Was there both days on the NYLOC stand with my Lotus

Problem is Club Lotus is stuck in a bit of a time warp and has failed to attract the younger Lotus owners as it has sucked up to the older membership/cars.

If the show is to continue Club Lotus need:

1, To appeal to ALL Lotus owners
2. Organise the day with an Elise racing date - you may scoff but the Elise is far and away the most popular Lotus ever - CL need to attract the owners - the traders will follow. For what its worth CL has a pipe and slipper image amongst the Elise brigade - they really must change this as the old guard won't last forever!
3, Organise the car park - what a lamentable effort
4, Attract the traders back with some sort of incentive - however I noted the traders who supported this event and will be dealing with them in the future
5. As stated try to make the event more family orientated

Where was the celebration of the current Lotus F1 effort?

However thank the Lord for Classic Team Lotus - I spent far too much of my time gawping at their cars - worth the admission fee for this alone

My opinions - as an owner of both classic and modern Lotus

12) If need be free or reduced cost stall space to Autojumblers

John

13. some kind of programme/flyer - parking map - where to park your lotus, where the nearest cash points are, show times talk times etc

This is an event where something seems to fall off every year - different things that have worked well in the past seem to not happen.

I'm sure the talks were great, but there was nowhere to sit and I couldn't hear anything other than calssic team lotus films or touring cars.

The Donnington Marshalls were clearly briefed on access and parking for the show (I intentionally came in the paddock entrance) but nothing appeard to have been organnised for Lotus parking.

It was a good show, but should have been great!

SimonE wrote:Was there both days on the NYLOC stand with my Lotus

Problem is Club Lotus is stuck in a bit of a time warp and has failed to attract the younger Lotus owners as it has sucked up to the older membership/cars.

Snip

Very good point Simon, the Elise is Lotus most successful ever model, but is in the minority at most CL events, the younger drivers who own them are most likely turned off by the pipe and slippers image. I'm 53 which is below average age for an Elan owner going by most of the owners I meet.

Only 53 - seriously?

Watch it Taff! You don't look no spring chicken yourself

Personally, I thought the show was pretty good. As we are all having a go at advice for next year, here's my 2p.

1) It would be great to have separate boards or meeting areas for the different cars. I don't know about others, but I am less interested in Elises, Esprits, etc. One of the big points of coming (probably the biggest) is to meet other Elan owners, and that failed badly for me this year.
2) There was a relly nice selection of cars fairly close to the centre itself on both days, although it would be nice if the car-park directly outside was Lotus only.
3) There were some great cars on the inside too, but many fewer. It would be nice to see more, but given the rules about how long they need to be there for, I don't know how to make this work. Perhaps if the end close to gate 19 was entirely for interesting cars, and being close to the gate, you could be less rigid on how long they need to be on display for?
4) As has been pointed out, I don't think the autojumble can really compare with ebay. Its nice to have, but really, there are better ways of getting hold of most of these parts. The organisers could make lots of effort, but it still doesn't mean I am going to find a nice steering wheel at decent money.
5) Although it was nice to see Sue Miller (and I will put more business her way as a result), I don't think the event is a glorified shopping day either. If I want parts from a supplier, I'll order them. The presence of Paul Matty does not govern success.
6) I didn't notice very many children, and most of the ladies sounded fairly well informed. I'm not sure activities for other halves/children is money well spent. People come to meet other Lotus folk for the one day a year when we're together.

Was great to meet some of you again & some new faces too - but I'm sorry I didn't see/meet more.

I am 36, and am not only the youngest Elan owner I know, but the youngest classic car owner. It's a lonely place to be...

As for the suggestions regarding the show, I would agree on most counts. Many of the parking issues seem to stem from the venue itself and the apparent lack of support for the event. Maybe because there were multiple things going on at the same time the staff were very thin on the ground. As I arrived to the GP Collection car park, there were so many people wandering aimless trying to figure out where the show might be. I only found it as I had been previous years, so I wandered over in the general direction, but still had to ask someone coming the other way to make sure. And even that person, who had parked in the GP area as well, in a Lotus, believed that the marshals didn't allow him into the Lotus car park. But when I decided to move my car, there was plenty of empty space in front of the hall regardless of the non-Lotus cars being there as well. Some clear signs and a volunteer or two at the entrance would've made a world of difference.

Regarding the lack of traders. I know some people don't go there to buy parts, but many do, or, like me, go to establish contacts and discuss first hand potential work/purchases with the specialists, etc.. Besides, a more packed hall looks better and makes for a better show. Plus, many traders offer discounts at shows which makes for a great opportunity for the punters, and drums up business. I got 10% off on the rollcage from Spyder by putting the deposit down at the show. Fantastic.

Anyway, I don't want to be a total downer as I had a good time, I just fear that, the way it is going, the event will dwindle and disappear, which would be a great shame.

Regards,
Adi

I'm only 38, and not a million miles away, Adi. Less lonely than you know!

Hi All,
Having read some of the feedback some members have made regarding the CL show this weekend just gone, although I am sure CL put in a lot of hard work and effort in getting the event back online and on stream and like many I was hoping to see alot more activity and traders there and was so disapointed to see it so empty and slack midday which reduced the amount of what to see and look at- although there were some cracking displays on show..

Having spoken with a number of clubs and traders there needs to be more of a collaboration with CL to help let the traders/sponsors pull in visitors and attract a wider section of the loti and general motoring community and perhaps have more interactive displays such as a lotus elan simulator or whatever model is best and hand out prizes and donations to charity

For the technically minded - I would have liked to have seen more of the Ron Hickman design and drawings showing the development of the elan or the like as this is what I find fascinating and a shame it was not really highlighted as to how sharp the design was in the hey days and still is now- timeless ! ..

Although have seen a rolling chassis - but , have we seen a body suspended above a chassis showing how the elan/esprit /elise is put together etc -just an idea.

One final thing - why does the catering inside have to be so expensive - and badly priced as when I bought a plate of chips - it was listed at a ?1 and then when came to pay ?2.50 - i know should have moaned

Not much healthy options too !

I'm looking forward to next year and hope the show continues to go from strength to strength and just needs to keep up with the times and become regarded as one of the best shows in the Uk and Europe

Good to have met some members at the weekend and shame so cold on the day with rain showers pending .

Nico
Lotus Elan S3 19658 DHC

Hi All,

I think I win the Youngest Elan Memeber competition, I have just turned 34!

I have to agree with the other posts on here, the show this year was a dissapointment, After managing to get the wife, 3 month old son, and parents squeezed into the car (not the elan !) we turned up to find that:

The mashals were no help
When we parked up there was nothing to tell you where the show was

the walk through the cars to the show was good but it seemed a shame to have all those lotus cars sat out side of the main area.

Camparing this show to the previous years in Malvern, Malvern was so much better, nice surroundings and all lotus cars surrounding the stalls.

Please go back to Malvern !!

Im not sure about other people but I look forward to the stalls selling parts as this gives me an opportunity to view and handle the parts before I buy them.

So this year was very dissapointing to find not many stalls.


it would be a real shame to loose this show but I fear it may not last.

All you young whippersnappers are making me feel old now!

The last Malvern show benefitted from excellent weather and from a visitors point of view it was a great place. First of all we were sort of herded into the cow sheds, but at least all the Lotus were together, and then later in the day some of us managed to escape and park on the grassed area outside. The M100's had organised their own marquee which was fantastic for them.

I remember the traders moaning that it wasn't Donington, but this was probably because they had to think about new places to overnight or they had to travel further than normal or didn't understand the Malvern way of doing things for the set up.

It was a very busy show and boosted by a parallel show (can't remember what it was now) which raised numbers and gave something else to look at if you needed a rest from looking at Lotus. My wife chose the colour for our S4 there when we saw a Sprint in pistachio over white on Gordon Lunds stand. (quite by chance it was parked next to ours on Saturday) All in all the most memorable show for me in recent years.

mmmm......
I like Malvern........
I didnt like the accomodation......

we searched high and low for something reasonable at a reasonable rate....
didnt find much.....
and then when we inquired about more that about 2 rooms it became impossible.....

we ended up scattered all over malvern......

twaz my only gripe really......

personally the Donington show is...erm....the same.....
I prefer the carpark unless Im after something....but generally if I wanted something from the likes of Matty or Miller then I usually ring up and buy it........
mmmmmm.....have a quick rummage through some rusty bits.....never buy.....more a sort of 'guess the spare part' competition with myself.....

I'll still go....

My 2p.

I love going to Donington in my car and meeting everybody. I had a good time. I am 55 so perhaps in the cloth cap brigade (I do have one).I know a lot of hard work goes into it by Alan and his team. I am worried about how quiet it was on the Sunday and concened about it dying out. My points are generally the same. These are the top line items:

Lack of traders. I know we can and do all use Susan M, P Matty and C Neil?s (and others). However If you sell a few bits you tend to buy some bits before the wife catches you and wants a cut. So I want to see the usual suspects. I want to buy bits at a show.
Free or nominal fee (fiver or tenner) for Club Members tables: There was a lot of free space!. Whilst EBay may have changed things, who want to pay the 10% and also a wedge for PayPal. I once booked a table before I realised the cost. I have used the club table many times for which I am grateful. I don?t think that a lot of people realise about using it although it is clearly stated each year. I think that an initiative like this would encourage lots to get their spare Lotus parts out the garage if they could just book a table (even bring their own) and set some bits up. Not everybody can be arsed with Ebay. Then there is swapping parts. I am up for that when strapped for cash but have some good bits. The behind the scene search for parts is live and well as I see it. Maybe not for those who are very well off but for a good amount of us mortals.

Whilst there are clearly some rusty bits of tat that is not always the case if folk empty their old boxes. Lots good parts exist and others that can be brought back from the brink.

Mike