Photographs of the factory and the employees

[Specky]

I'll add a few Photographs here to get the ball rolling.

Do you see a familiar face?

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[Specky]

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[Specky]

Here's a Photo of the last SE coming off the production... I've blocked out the car and cropped the picture

Here are the boys for a final photo as the production line is about to fall silent.



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[clemo]

dave what is the sticker detailing on the smaller pic of brit with the nice s2 blue wheels on?
and what is the reg plates on he final 2 se's on the last pictures?
also the seats on the matt black are not the loop headrests from mk2 cavaliers as on most prototype cars..

[Monty]

Great to see the old photos

[Specky]

dave what is the sticker detailing on the smaller pic of brit with the nice s2 blue wheels on?
and what is the reg plates on he final 2 se's on the last pictures?
also the seats on the matt black are not the loop headrests from mk2 cavaliers as on most prototype cars..

I'll upload another picture, it's not as good but will show the "50,000th" badge

I've doctored the Picture above as I have the original, the last Elan is on the production line behind them.

Those two cars were a few from the end of the run and were not registered as they had only just left the line.

The matt black car was made of clay and the paint was still wet when the picture was taken.

[Specky]

Wagons Roll!!!

and no Clemo, I don't know the Regs...



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[Specky]

[Sy V]

Nice to see that Lotus (in the shot of the white car) had already started to address the leaking roof syndrome (this picture and the black clay model are in the 'bible' of course.
I've seen a monochrome version of the picture with the two blue cars. Wasn't it taken at some dockyard while the cars awaited shipping across the channel for the trip to Italy? I think I saw it in one of the many magazine articles.
They're also wearing pre-production hoods without our infamous extruded seals!

[Specky]

Just undertaking a bit of eBay surfing this evening and came across this little bezzler....

This photograph must be a bit of gold dust, as you can see..... these cars are the mules...Toyota lights etc....

So time it's time for me to get my bidding head on, If I win the auction I'll post the full photo as soon as I can.

Anyone Know a Dave in Ipswich

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270862168920#ht_500wt_1357

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[tb10]

Does anyone know the number of the Elan that was given to the Princes Trust?

Regards


John

[Specky]

What Number would you like?

chassis, Reg, Build,

I can find out if you so desire?

It must be squirreled away somewhere...

TTFN

[tb10]

What Number would you like?

chassis, Reg, Build,

I can find out if you so desire?

It must be squirreled away somewhere...

TTFN

Just curious as I have No 711 which is almost the same colour but I know mine was originally from Bell and Colvill.....

Cheers


John

[Specky]

May be these details might help you.

Lotus produced its 50,000th car in March, and in celebration donated the car, an Elan S2, to Prince Charles' Princes Trust charity. With the help of former Lotus driver and film star, Britt Ekland, and an English newspaper, the Elan S2 raised £65,000. Production of the limited edition S2 ceased in August 1995.

Britt.jpg (11.17 KiB) Viewed 11616 times

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[Specky]

Just undertaking a bit of eBay surfing this evening and came across this little bezzler....

This photograph must be a bit of gold dust, as you can see..... these cars are the mules...Toyota lights etc....

So time it's time for me to get my bidding head on, If I win the auction I'll post the full photo as soon as I can.

Anyone Know a Dave in Ipswich

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270862168920#ht_500wt_1357

$(KGrHqFHJDEE7BcvfUhPBO0pnJJH2!~~60_12.JPG

TTFN

I received the photograph today and I've now got the full picture under scrutiny, there are 11 cars in the photograph.... and I've left my copy of the bible at work

Also I need your help please, could you put on your Sherlock Holmes heads and try to work out what cars they are, and see if you agree or disagree or could add even more information?

working from front right backwards :-

Vulcan Grey Car 459 LHD Euro Turbo B227YMH General local evaluation, hood seal work Canada.
Crash test yellow Car 463 LHD..............
Red Car 501 RHD N/A F269DNG Ride/handling, power steering development
Red Car 461 LHD US Turbo Major GM durability test at Milbrook, US Standard
Crash test yellow Car 462 LHD US Turbo US Crash test car
Black Car 503 LHD Euro Turbo A310ANH Major durability test, European standard

Middle backwards

silver Car 457 RHD UK Turbo C93 NCA Reference car for in-house "ride and drive", legal work
Green RHD.... Either car 451 or car 455
Green Either car 451,452 or 455
Blue possibly car 454 or car 453

Left corner

Pac Blue Car 454 LHD US TURBO. D517TYS General development, Artic circle



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[Specky]

Small update,

There's a period photographic label on the back with a reference number.... And the company is still in business, I'll let you know if the trail goes cold or warms up a treat.

Here's hoping....

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[Rambo]

Also I need your help please, could you put on your Sherlock Holmes heads and try to work out what cars they are, and see if you agree or disagree or could add even more information?

They look like M100's to me Dave

What are all those black circles on the photo ? The photo I saw on E-Bay didn't have them from memory.

PS I think I helped push the price up for a certain "Dave from Ipswich"

[Specky]

Cheers Rambo,

M100's they are then

It doesn't matter about pushing the price up, I know who most are, but to tell the truth no one was anywhere close to my max bid and It wasn't the Dave from Ipswich I thought it was.

The black circles are to prevent first class reproduction as it's a fairly high Rez scan, several cars have minor alertations as well. One day in the future I aim to put all the photographs into print together.

As for an update on the actual photograph in question, the original company has sold the rights to someone else. I must make contact with them to see where the story ends up.

I now have my copy of the bible, so it's time to do some reading over the weekend.

TTFN

[Specky]

Aother one of the pre productions photographs appeared on Ebay last night.

I'll try and work out which cars these are.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOTUS-ELAN-M1 ... 3f1243ca64



All good stuff.

TTFN

[Specky]

I don't have access to a computer but here's another.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0898880307

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