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Colin Chapman would have been 80 today


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#51 Tony Matthews

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 10:09

What he designed wasn't using new theory's but he had done what others didn't do. Study published work and applied it.


Do you think that applies to Kieth Duckworth too? Another hero...

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#52 RogerFrench

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 14:09

With a friend we asked him how to turn an Austin 7 rear axle over so as to lower the spring mounts. I think that he thought that we were stupid, because we couldn't understand how to so it, but he came through and explained how it was done, and made us embarrased that we young engineering students couldn't figure it out.


A little off-topic, but he might also have told you that you turn an A7 axle over to raise the spring mounts, as for a Trials car, maybe.


#53 B Squared

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 14:49

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My up close and personal moment with Colin Chapman at Indianapolis in 1969. Still one of, if not my favorite, race car of all time. I was 11 years old and staked out the walk from Gasoline Alley to the pit lane with my brother and was able to get Andy Granatelli, Art Pollard and Colin Chapman to sign my Pollard photo from the 1968 race. Pollard's signature under Andy's, my pen was failing me! Very decent to my brother and I. I think he was surprised that we knew who he was, but he gladly signed our photos. My brother's oldest son is named Colin out of respect to the great designer of our youth.

Brian



#54 Robin Fairservice

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 15:51

A little off-topic, but he might also have told you that you turn an A7 axle over to raise the spring mounts, as for a Trials car, maybe.


Sorry, I should have re-read what I wrote. Our intent, and question, was to lower the chassis by getting the spring mounts onto the top of the axle.


#55 DOHC

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 16:49

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My up close and personal moment with Colin Chapman at Indianapolis in 1969. Still one of, if not my favorite, race car of all time. I was 11 years old and staked out the walk from Gasoline Alley to the pit lane with my brother and was able to get Andy Granatelli, Art Pollard and Colin Chapman to sign my Pollard photo from the 1968 race. Pollard's signature under Andy's, my pen was failing me! Very decent to my brother and I. I think he was surprised that we knew who he was, but he gladly signed our photos. My brother's oldest son is named Colin out of respect to the great designer of our youth.

Brian



Oh that's something! My favorite car too -- what a bold design and what a daring route to take when Team Lotus had already had such success with groundbreaking car designs at Indy. That piece is not up for sale, is it? :drunk:

#56 Kingsleyrob

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 17:12

..............I got a bit closer......... :smoking:

Me too, and my recollection is that he was only too willing to provide a TNFette with his autograph! As usual Giraffe, we were following each other around that day...

Like my long-necked friend I too got Jackie Oliver's autograph that same day, and he was highly amused to sign underneath it earlier this year at the Le Mans Film Festival.

Oh, such accessibility to our heroes when we were wide eyed fourteen year olds! How do they get on today I wonder. (The fourteen year olds, not the heroes).

Brian, my pen gave in a couple of years earlier while in the hand of Jim Clark. :well: It did leave an indent in the page, and I, as you do when you are 12, filled it in using a biro. Giraffe and I have discussed whether therefore it counts as an autograph or not, but that's a philosophical discussion for another thread... ;)

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Rob :wave:

Edited by Kingsleyrob, 20 May 2009 - 17:19.


#57 Giraffe

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 17:33

The Kingsleyrob Memorial Autograph Book is the most impressive that I have ever seen outside of anorakland; ie collected for the love of it and not by a trainspotter trying to add value to something with e-bay and beyond in mind! I have some good'uns, but Rob's leaves me completley in the shade!
Respect!!! :clap:

#58 sterling49

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 17:41

The Kingsleyrob Memorial Autograph Book is the most impressive that I have ever seen outside of anorakland; ie collected for the love of it and not by a trainspotter trying to add value to something with e-bay and beyond in mind! I have some good'uns, but Rob's leaves me completley in the shade!
Respect!!! :clap:



I have noticed Rob wearing a scarf, not seen him in his French Connection Anorak yet though :lol: :wave:

#59 Giraffe

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 17:46

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By giraffe138

A gift from one of Colin's mechanics to a starstruck Assembly Area marshal in 1970. :up:

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#60 Lotus Elitist

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Posted 21 May 2009 - 20:30

My souvenir from ACBC is one of the the road cars that he drove! I am new to this forum, but I thought that folks who are interested in the later period of ACBC's career might be interested in the following two pictures of him, both taken at the 1980 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

The Lotus Elite S2.2 in both pics (LCL 852V) was the recently released 2.2 litre version of the Elite, and this one was painted and trimmed in the colours of the F1 team sponsors, Essex Petroleum and Tissot. Colin had the car taken to all of the European GP events in 1980 and 81 so that he had a four-seater Lotus available when he flew in.

I bought the car in 1997 and restored it back to as-new condition, and have researched its history with the team, finding these photos as well as others from the Monaco harbourside at the May 1980 GP and also the Spanish GP. Is it possible that forum members who visited the European GP circuits in 80/81 may have photos from the Lotus paddocks with my car in the background?

UK viewers in the south of England can go and see the car, along with many other Chapman creations, at this Saturday’s Club Lotus track day at the Castle Combe circuit in Wiltshire, free entry.

Leigh Greenham, Oxford, UK

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