Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Received my build details from Andy Graham today. It was ordered as a fully assembled body with powertrain supplied separately. It's a high compression engine with Webers. According to Andy the H prefix engine was introduced September 68 and carbs changed to Stromberg in December so mine just made that spec being November build. The engine number is correct on the block however on the vin plate and v5 there are additional digits after the serial number that Andy doesn't recognise, namely 8J16. Does anyone know what these represent ?. The engine number is H#####B8J16. The invoice for the engine was from Racing Engines Ltd., so did Lotus subcontract the engine builds at that time ?. I have the name of the person who ordered the kit in November 68 but this isn't the same as the first registered owner in January 69 so presumably it was assembled then immediately sold to its first owner. Presumably this was common practice as a means of making a profit by selling a fully assembled but unregistered car ?. The selling dealership was Steel Sportscars Scotland. If anyone knows anything about them, where they were based etc. it would help to complete the story.

I think Racing Engines Ltd was the “company” that Lotus created to pass engines through when a kit sale was made.

All part of the wonderful world of Lotus accounting.

Regards
Richard

richardcox_lotus wrote:I think Racing Engines Ltd was the “company” that Lotus created to pass engines through when a kit sale was made.

All part of the wonderful world of Lotus accounting.

Regards
Richard

Lotus and tax dodging...........as if!

8j16 sounds like the Block casting date, in Order 8=1968, J=Sept, 16=day of month....

pharriso wrote:8j16 sounds like the Block casting date, in Order 8=1968, J=Sept, 16=day of month....

Good call, makes sense.

111Robin wrote:

richardcox_lotus wrote:I think Racing Engines Ltd was the “company” that Lotus created to pass engines through when a kit sale was made.

All part of the wonderful world of Lotus accounting.

Regards
Richard

Lotus and tax dodging...........as if!

Customer tax dodging actually. If the car parts came from one firm and the engine came from a different firm, then no purchase tax was needed on a kit car.

Purchase tax changed to VAT when the UK joined the EU (I seem to recall).

EEC, not EU. Big difference

englishmaninwales wrote:EEC, not EU. Big difference

OK, OK I'm usually the one correcting others about that.

Robin, when you got your certificate what did they charge ?

I ask because they revamped the service a year or so ago to include more (unwanted ?) merchandise at a far greater cost.

Can you still get just the certificate?

Thanks
Richard

Hi Richard,
I just emailed Andy so best if you do the same. It's a lot less if you don't want the fancy presentation stuff. A letter on Lotus headed paper is all I wanted,
Cheers,
Robin

Hi Robin
How did you get your build certification I would be interested in the history of my plus 2. It has plastic inserts for the spot lights so looks like as understand that Lotus took an old shell to make it into a +2130s?

Hi,
You can either contact any Lotus dealership or email the archivist Andy Graham directly.
[email protected]

Thanks Robin..