Essex and Thieme

As a modeller I like to build 1/43rd kits. Now a recent aquisition is the Tameo Lotus 81 kit. Looking through all the parts and instructions I started to recall thing from that great period of F1.

This Essex livery always made an impression on me. The metallic blue with red striping, but especially the mirror look of the side pods! The 81, the 88, the Penske Indy car (not F1 I know). All great looking.

But what kind of oil company was Essex in reality? Was it really big or all bogus and fraud?

Who was David Thieme really and where is he now? He somehow vanished.

Why did the sponsorship deal go bust?

It would be great to know more behind another great Lotus look.

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
As a modeller I like to build 1/43rd kits. Now a recent aquisition is the Tameo Lotus 81 kit. Looking through all the parts and instructions I started to recall thing from that great period of F1.

This Essex livery always made an impression on me. The metallic blue with red striping, but especially the mirror look of the side pods! The 81, the 88, the Penske Indy car (not F1 I know). All great looking.

But what kind of oil company was Essex in reality? Was it really big or all bogus and fraud?

Who was David Thieme really and where is he now? He somehow vanished.

Why did the sponsorship deal go bust?

It would be great to know more behind another great Lotus look.

If I recall correctly, Thieme's family made their money in WW2. He eventually decided that he could make money in the oil game - basically dealt in oil futures, and also claimed to exploit overcapacity in the oil industry - the theory was that he'd buy the stuff when the market was at rock bottom and sell it when the OPEC sheikhs decided they wanted new air-forces or Grand Prix circuits or districts of London and put prices up.

Seems that the oil market took a nosedive towards the end of 1980 - think of what was going on in the Persian Gulf at the time between Iran and Iraq! - and that Thieme was making big deals with money borrowed from Credit Suisse. Now Swiss banks tend to like people paying up, so it was no surprise that next time Thieme passed through the land of the gnomes he was invited to discuss matters. In a police cell.....

He was eventually released, and the Essex logos remained on the Lotuses for a while, but they gradually became JPSes again...

I don't know how much of Essex was smoke and mirrors rather than a sound business, but either way Thieme was definitely a sharp operator! He was certainly a big lifestyle influence on Chapman - leading him more to Michelin starred-restaurants than meat pies and amphetamines?;)

Definite motorsport fan though - sponsored the Porsche 936s one year, and as well as the Lotus F1 link, he tried to get Chapman and Rudd to do a gas-turbine Essex-Lotus (with an RR Gem gas turbine) for Le Mans. I think his racing activities were mostly managed and brokered by Francois Mazet, who flitted across the outer reaches of F1 with a run in a hired March in '71.

There's quite a bit about Thieme in Crombac's and Lawrence's books on Chapman. Not all of it flattering. In a sense he was a few years ahead of his time, he would've fitted better into the era of Akagi, Luhti, van Rossem, Sassetti etc ;)

François Mazet is an interesting name in this connection, I remember reading that he was involved with Racing Officialdom before his Essex time, and recall identifying his character head on a Monte Carlo post race photograph (1992?) around the Prince's lounge. Anyone with some details on his post-racing "career"?

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
As a modeller I like to build 1/43rd kits. Now a recent aquisition is the Tameo Lotus 81 kit. Looking through all the parts and instructions I started to recall thing from that great period of F1.

This Essex livery always made an impression on me. The metallic blue with red striping, but especially the mirror look of the side pods! The 81, the 88, the Penske Indy car (not F1 I know). All great looking.

But what kind of oil company was Essex in reality? Was it really big or all bogus and fraud?

If you are thinking of Essex Wire, that company was the primary supplier of automotive wiring harnesses to Ford Motor Company from the late 1950's through the early 1980's. Ford Motor Company through Henry Ford, was a big proponent of US Midwestern small-town suppliers of components that Ford really was not interested in building themselves, mainly small components, and wiring harnesses, even in the 1970's were considered small components. Essex, headquartered for years in Ft. Wayne Indiana, grew by buying out smaller electrical wiring suppliers around the Midwest in the early 1960's, maintaining a fairly large network of wiring harness and electrical switch factories in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and western Pennsylvania. From the late 1960's until about 1980, Essex was a unit of United Technologies (born out of United Aircraft), once one of the largest conglomerate corporations in the US. Essex was involved not only in automotive wiring and switches, but also in electrical transmission technology, and was taken private, out of UT in the early 1980's. Most of their old, smaller factories disappeared into the "Contradora" region along the Rio Grande by 1980-85 however. How would I know all of this? Well, I was the personnel manager of a large Essex Group factory in Lafayette Indiana from 1976-78, which made the largest, heaviest automotive wiring harnesses ever built, those for the 1973-78 Lincoln Continental MkIV & MkV, along with the 1973-77 Ford Thunderbird (something like 60lbs and almost 700 feet of wire).

Art Anderson

Originally posted by Aanderson
If you are thinking of Essex Wire

Nope - Essex Petroleum.

But Essex Wire also sponsored a GT40 IIRC [at least] for Jackie Oliver. There's a nice Lotus symmetry!

Weren't their colours white and brown?

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
As a modeller I like to build 1/43rd kits. Now a recent aquisition is the Tameo Lotus 81 kit. Looking through all the parts and instructions I started to recall thing from that great period of F1.

This Essex livery always made an impression on me. The metallic blue with red striping, but especially the mirror look of the side pods! The 81, the 88, the Penske Indy car (not F1 I know). All great looking.

But what kind of oil company was Essex in reality? Was it really big or all bogus and fraud?

Who was David Thieme really and where is he now? He somehow vanished.

Why did the sponsorship deal go bust?

It would be great to know more behind another great Lotus look.

But the main question remains.. Where is he nowadays? Is he still alive? Would it be an idea to bring him out to Goodwood???

At Spa last weekend we were happy to see John Nielsen in the Zytek 06S for 1000km. And in great form. Nielsen is always a strong contender. However the sponsor. This isn't Thieme's return, is it? But what company did back the all danish driver squad at Spa last week (I guess after a week nostalgia applies to this pics??).



And in Rivage (Bruxelles is the name nowadays I believe?)

nix, its a finance co. Bjørn

I knew David (in Brussels) before he made his money and after he lost it. Rumor has it he went back to the States penniless after having lived at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco in the late 80's (I saw him there). The rest of the rumor is that he committed suicide.

Since Fioranno's (rather sad) post is the first one in years, information about David Thieme appears to be hard to find indeed. I mean, if TNF-ers can't come up with much more than this then who is?

Just to add a little to the Lotus/Essex story: when the 88 was banned it was claimed Chapman had said that it had gotten him into all sorts of trouble with Thieme, as part of his contract with Essex was that Lotus would produce a new car every year. I wonder if this is true, as it can have been just Chapman trying to steer away attention on the car's obvious flaws. Also, I can not imagine the Essex-money was as good (leave alone as secure) as what he got from JPS with whom he did a (new) deal halfway through 1981, which at the time was quite a milestone money wise.

Finally, I think it was Heinz Pruller who wrote in those days already that he couldn't help but wonder if the whole Essex-circus (the oilbusiness, the F1-sponsorship, the parties, etc.) wasn't just a way for Thieme "to cover up different kind of transactions."

Oh yeah: and didn't Mansour Ojjeh's dad bail him out of that Swiss jail?

I like your theme, no pun intended, I to remember the sparkling silver,red & blue colour scheme of the Essex sponsored racing cars. Do not know any thing about the man himself but could not help but post some images of Essex cars. Especially as no one had mentioned the Wildcat (apparently another motorsport venture supported by strange source of oil funding) for Mario Adretti which I think was from 1981 or 82. Hoping I have done the links correctly




http://www.indy500.c...s_500/13425/p/3

I met David Thieme a couple of times, both very briefly, but however legitimately he made his money, he certainly knew how to spend it! In all I did four cutaways for Essex Petroleum, this being the last. The upper canopy was famously wrecked by a Harrier hovering over the Paddock at Brands Hatch. I was under the impression that he had made his money, prior to setting up Essex, as a designer of bespoke interiors of oil-barrons' private jets. His corporate colour scheme may have been a bit on the garish side, but he, complete with square, black-framed glasses, goatee, black hat and white 'blouse' shirt and his cars added a bit of interest to the racing scene of the time.

RaceCarToons, thanks for your input, but can you post again? Pllease have a look at this thread:
http://forums.autosp...38&pagenumber=1

Originally posted by Formula Once
Also, I can not imagine the Essex-money was as good (leave alone as secure) as what he got from JPS with whom he did a (new) deal halfway through 1981, which at the time was quite a milestone money wise.

Well it was good to both Chapman and Penske.

Great work of art Tony!

Tony - do you know in which one of the cabinets they kept the drugs?

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
Well it was good to both Chapman and Penske.

And me! And thanks Arjan.

Originally posted by Rockford
Tony - do you know in which one of the cabinets they kept the drugs?

That's about the only thing I DIDN'T find!

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
But the main question remains.. Where is he nowadays? Is he still alive? Would it be an idea to bring him out to Goodwood???

Arjan, about five years ago I sold on eBay a built 1/43 Lotus 81 (by MG - you probably know the one?) to an American, who said he was the brother-in-law of Thiemme. IIRC, he didn't know where he was, but thought it was interesting to collect a few bits related to family history.

Hi Mike, interesting. Come to think of it, Western Models also once did a 1/43rd model of the Essex sponsored Lotus Esprit. I suppose that was a show car?
Did you send the model to Illinois?

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
Come to think of it, Western Models also once did a 1/43rd model of the Essex sponsored Lotus Esprit. I suppose that was a show car?

I assume, Arjan, that you mean - was the full-size car a show car? As far as I know it was a factory option. One was offered as a competition prize by Car magazine, I think. I so nearly won....

Originally posted by Arjan de Roos
Hi Mike, interesting. Come to think of it, Western Models also once did a 1/43rd model of the Essex sponsored Lotus Esprit. I suppose that was a show car?
Did you send the model to Illinois?

Sorry unfortunately I don't recall Arjan...

I have just received this enquiry, i wonder if anyone can help with some photos of team cars etc in the Essex livery.

Hi guys,



As Nigel says, I have owned the Essex Elite S2.2 since 1997, when I bought it from the Dutch collector Eugene van Herpen (now sadly deceased). I have had some success in tracking down its history with the F1 team in 1980 and the first half of the 1981 season, before the period of Essex Petroleum sponsorship ended. Apart from the two Monaco photos, I have also found these great Hockenheim photos featuring ACBC himself. Clive Chapman also found an old file of insurance documents, ferry tickets, itineraries for the GPs etc. And more recently, at one of the TGP events, I managed to photograph the Elite next to the Type 81 F1 car.



In Monaco that year, practically everything was Essex-branded, so as well as the Sunbeam Lotus, the Innocenti Mini and the team buses and transporters, there were Essex scooters, a helicopter, blimps and, of course, some Turbo Esprits (Elio De Angelis had his own). The Sunbeam is still around in England apparently, but I am sure that the Mini has long gone. The first half of the DVD ‘Two Sundays in May’ is an excellent record of the 1980 Monaco GP and all of the Essex razzmatazz.



I only heard about the Autosport Nostalgia Forum recently, so I hope that some members out there may have other Lotus paddock shots from 80/81 that have the Elite in the background.

This query now features in (at least) four threads, including this one started by the Elite's owner. If anyone does come up with anything for him, they might have difficulty deciding where to post it.

Ironically I was with Francois Mazet last Friday and I happened to ask him about David. He said he last heard from him about three years ago and has not a clue where he is now.

HI ALL-I WAS THE DESIGNER OF FALCON AIRCRAFT7HELICOPTRE BELL Longranger AND DD-BUS-ALL MACE IN BASEL-AIRPORT CH(Jet Aviation)
VISITS FROM MARIO ANDRETTI7CARLOS REUTEMANN AND OF COURSE D.THIEME
IN THE END THE PLANE WAS MORE THEN !YEAR "ARRESTED" IN BASEL AND THE BUS WAS SEEN ON A HANDFULL RACES(F1) I was there and they flew me from Basel to the belgian GP with "my" helicoptre
D.Thieme was tricking around in oil-today he is seen rarely in monaco
Mazet had a spedition/truck company that time
R.ROSENBERG rr.design@bluewin.ch

I vaguely recall a story from early ?1980? about Thieme requiring the exhaust pipes to be polished and fragments of something going into the engine thus causing the engines to fail. Anyone else recall that story?

David Thieme is still alive and living in Paris but very ellusive and does not like to talk about the Essex Petroleum days.......

David Thieme is still alive and living in Paris but very ellusive and does not like to talk about the Essex Petroleum days.......

That is good news! What is he up to nowadays? Retired or still active in someway?

That is good news! What is he up to nowadays? Retired or still active in someway?

Hi Arjan - could not really give you much more information. I'm a Lotus Esprit owner and have been in touch with the factory. We were researching information on the Essex Esprits that were made.
The factory is aware of Thiemes whereabouts but as mentioned he is not really interested in discussing the past............

Tony - interested to see your cut-away? If I can ask - how did you become involved? Did Essex/Lotus approach you?

Edited by Nello, 19 June 2009 - 20:53.

Tony - interested to see your cut-away? If I can ask - how did you become involved? Did Essex/Lotus approach you?

Hi Nello, I was commissioned by David Thieme via CSS, Championship Sporting Specialists, who probably had a hand in the whole Essex/Team Lotus arrangement, but I am not sure of the details. I got a trip to Monte Carlo in December to photograph the bus, which was pleasant, and it made a change to illustrate a different type of vehicle.

Hi Nello, I was commissioned by David Thieme via CSS, Championship Sporting Specialists, who probably had a hand in the whole Essex/Team Lotus arrangement, but I am not sure of the details. I got a trip to Monte Carlo in December to photograph the bus, which was pleasant, and it made a change to illustrate a different type of vehicle.

Interesting stuff Tony cheers - don't suppose you have any of those photos available for viewing?

A CURIOOUS HISTORY ABOUT DAVIV THIEME AT THE BRICKYARD FOUND IN THE WEB
"It has been just about a year since the following historic scene took place at Monte Carlo. The dialogue will be paraphrased a bit, since even the principals recall the talk as being a bit fanciful. David Thieme, the shadowy financial genius who is head of Essex Overseas Petroleum Corp., looked levelly at his friend, the great chef Roger Verg�, and murmured, "Tell me. what kind of wine would you say goes with the Indy 500?"

Verg� thought about it seriously, looking at the ceiling and rolling the idea around on his tongue, and then snapped his fingers. "But, of course. I'd say something from Provence," he said. "Um, possibly one of my own Moulin de Mougins, say, the blanc de blancs. It's unassuming in its way, yet robust enough to withstand the roar of the race cars. As for the red, well [perhaps the hint of a Gallic shrug here, the palms up], possibly a Ch�teau Lafite-Rothschild."

Thieme nodded, looking serious as always behind his tinted glasses, and said, "Fine, then. Pack up 15 cases. Plus your pat�s, of course—particularly the quail. And arrange for the caviar. We're going to Indianapolis."

And so a stunning social rite was introduced this May at the old Brickyard. With luck, it might become a glamorous tradition, more heady in its way than the annual 500 Festival Queen's Ball—which. Lord knows, is pretty staggering all by itself. For it turned out that David Thieme had, indeed, been serious about going to Indy with all of his exotic goodies, and, the next thing anybody knew, there were all these folks standing around his hospitality suite at the track. They were drinking the wines—not from paper cups, but real crystal—nibbling at the veal terrine with its piquant sauce verte, and eyeing the chocolate mousse. It also turned out, of course, that Verg�'s selections were exactly the right wines to go with the 500, but that is getting ahead of the story. To fully understand the shattering significance of what Thieme has wrought, one has to go back a bit in time.

For almost as long as there has been an Indy 500, there have been hospitality suites at the track, corporate hideaways where various automotive sponsors entertain clients, friends and, of course, the motor sports press. The cement wall that makes up the backside of the old Tower Terrace grandstand is honeycombed with such suites. In spite of the fact that they are literally holes in the wall, some of the suites are quite lavish, complete with carpeting and paneling, while others offer little more than a linoleum floor, a desk or two and an old Kelvinator refrigerator full of beer.

Since most sponsors tend to be a bit lax about admission, all through May the suites become a freeloaders' row, and living the good life at Indy becomes a race within the race. It is possible for an enterprising reporter to stroll from spot to spot, polishing off a free beer and handful of Fritos here, a homemade sandwich there, or—if his timing is just right—some cold fried chicken for lunch, followed by more beer and potato chips down the line. Dozens of sportswriters return to their hometown newspapers with nearly all of their meal-expense money still squirreled away (you know who you are out there, you rascals).

And all of that explains why David Thieme and his associates, with their smooth wines and velvety sauces, came as such a shock to Indy. They were so different, so elegant. They were so, well, so continental, and in Indy, you can spot continental every time. Still, "We are not trying to falsely impress anybody or to put this place down," said Thieme. Nor was it a case of wretched excess, he said. "We just wanted to bring a touch of Monte Carlo ambience to Indianapolis."

That made perfect sense, since he lives like this all the time. A native of Minnesota, the 38-year-old Thieme now resides in Monaco, where his home and office at the Hotel de Paris overlook the sparkling harbor. His Essex Corporation wheels and deals in oil, maintaining a studied air of cool mystery about it all. Among the recreational things he does with his millions is sponsor a Formula I racing team, with the redoubtable Colin Chapman as chief designer and ex-world champion Mario Andretti as top driver. This year, in a U.S. tie-in with Roger Penske, Thieme is sponsoring the Indy-car efforts of Andretti in selected races that won't conflict with the Grand Prix schedule. The fact that Essex has nothing to sell, unlike most sponsors, makes this one of the great class acts of the year.

On the freeloading circuit, there will never again be anything as classy. And certainly nothing so incongruous. Where other hospitality suites offered salted peanuts, beer and salami sandwiches on Wonder bread, Thieme was serving up Iranian caviar, cold salmon with sauce Maurice, roast filet of beef feuilletage with sauce choron, Paris-Brest for dessert and—to wash it all down—a 1976 Le Montrachet and Ch�teau Lafite-Rothschild. And, yes, it is absolutely true that one freeloader smacked her lips, holding out her glass for a refill, and said, "Lissen, is this here French wine imported?"

Was it ever imported. This here French wine, the Montrachet. for example, costs $96 a bottle. The Lafite-Rothschild costs $150 per bottle—and the Indy crowd was swilling it like it was Thunderbird or Annie Greensprings, while David Thieme looked on benignly. He entertains this lavishly on the Grand Prix circuit all the time, at every stop."

I HOPE YOU ENYOY
As a Lotus collector I am always looking for curious histories and pics from Team Lotus.
Does anybody has pics from the Essex motorhome?
Best Regards

A CURIOOUS HISTORY ABOUT DAVIV THIEME AT THE BRICKYARD FOUND IN THE WEB
"It has been just about a year since the following historic scene took place at Monte Carlo. The dialogue will be paraphrased a bit, since even the principals recall the talk as being a bit fanciful. David Thieme, the shadowy financial genius who is head of Essex Overseas Petroleum Corp., looked levelly at his friend, the great chef Roger Verg�, and murmured, "Tell me. what kind of wine would you say goes with the Indy 500?"

Verg� thought about it seriously, looking at the ceiling and rolling the idea around on his tongue, and then snapped his fingers. "But, of course. I'd say something from Provence," he said. "Um, possibly one of my own Moulin de Mougins, say, the blanc de blancs. It's unassuming in its way, yet robust enough to withstand the roar of the race cars. As for the red, well [perhaps the hint of a Gallic shrug here, the palms up], possibly a Ch�teau Lafite-Rothschild."

Thieme nodded, looking serious as always behind his tinted glasses, and said, "Fine, then. Pack up 15 cases. Plus your pat�s, of course—particularly the quail. And arrange for the caviar. We're going to Indianapolis."

And so a stunning social rite was introduced this May at the old Brickyard. With luck, it might become a glamorous tradition, more heady in its way than the annual 500 Festival Queen's Ball—which. Lord knows, is pretty staggering all by itself. For it turned out that David Thieme had, indeed, been serious about going to Indy with all of his exotic goodies, and, the next thing anybody knew, there were all these folks standing around his hospitality suite at the track. They were drinking the wines—not from paper cups, but real crystal—nibbling at the veal terrine with its piquant sauce verte, and eyeing the chocolate mousse. It also turned out, of course, that Verg�'s selections were exactly the right wines to go with the 500, but that is getting ahead of the story. To fully understand the shattering significance of what Thieme has wrought, one has to go back a bit in time.

For almost as long as there has been an Indy 500, there have been hospitality suites at the track, corporate hideaways where various automotive sponsors entertain clients, friends and, of course, the motor sports press. The cement wall that makes up the backside of the old Tower Terrace grandstand is honeycombed with such suites. In spite of the fact that they are literally holes in the wall, some of the suites are quite lavish, complete with carpeting and paneling, while others offer little more than a linoleum floor, a desk or two and an old Kelvinator refrigerator full of beer.

Since most sponsors tend to be a bit lax about admission, all through May the suites become a freeloaders' row, and living the good life at Indy becomes a race within the race. It is possible for an enterprising reporter to stroll from spot to spot, polishing off a free beer and handful of Fritos here, a homemade sandwich there, or—if his timing is just right—some cold fried chicken for lunch, followed by more beer and potato chips down the line. Dozens of sportswriters return to their hometown newspapers with nearly all of their meal-expense money still squirreled away (you know who you are out there, you rascals).

And all of that explains why David Thieme and his associates, with their smooth wines and velvety sauces, came as such a shock to Indy. They were so different, so elegant. They were so, well, so continental, and in Indy, you can spot continental every time. Still, "We are not trying to falsely impress anybody or to put this place down," said Thieme. Nor was it a case of wretched excess, he said. "We just wanted to bring a touch of Monte Carlo ambience to Indianapolis."

That made perfect sense, since he lives like this all the time. A native of Minnesota, the 38-year-old Thieme now resides in Monaco, where his home and office at the Hotel de Paris overlook the sparkling harbor. His Essex Corporation wheels and deals in oil, maintaining a studied air of cool mystery about it all. Among the recreational things he does with his millions is sponsor a Formula I racing team, with the redoubtable Colin Chapman as chief designer and ex-world champion Mario Andretti as top driver. This year, in a U.S. tie-in with Roger Penske, Thieme is sponsoring the Indy-car efforts of Andretti in selected races that won't conflict with the Grand Prix schedule. The fact that Essex has nothing to sell, unlike most sponsors, makes this one of the great class acts of the year.

On the freeloading circuit, there will never again be anything as classy. And certainly nothing so incongruous. Where other hospitality suites offered salted peanuts, beer and salami sandwiches on Wonder bread, Thieme was serving up Iranian caviar, cold salmon with sauce Maurice, roast filet of beef feuilletage with sauce choron, Paris-Brest for dessert and—to wash it all down—a 1976 Le Montrachet and Ch�teau Lafite-Rothschild. And, yes, it is absolutely true that one freeloader smacked her lips, holding out her glass for a refill, and said, "Lissen, is this here French wine imported?"

Was it ever imported. This here French wine, the Montrachet. for example, costs $96 a bottle. The Lafite-Rothschild costs $150 per bottle—and the Indy crowd was swilling it like it was Thunderbird or Annie Greensprings, while David Thieme looked on benignly. He entertains this lavishly on the Grand Prix circuit all the time, at every stop."

I HOPE YOU ENYOY
As a Lotus collector I am always looking for curious histories and pics from Team Lotus.
Does anybody has pics from the Essex motorhome?
Best Regards

Interesting stuff Tony cheers - don't suppose you have any of those photos available for viewing?

I HAVE ONE OR TWO PICS FROM THE BUS IN MONACO F1-Please send mail to me,so i get your adress: rr.design@bluewin.ch

I was the designer from bus/plane helicoptre that time-but i live in switzerland and its complicated to send you pics here! René Rosenberg

Another interesting history about David....this time in French
http://www.autodiva........3&start=120
You can use a web translator if you (as me) can understant it

Another interesting history about David....this time in French
http://www.autodiva........3&start=120
You can use a web translator if you (as me) can understant it

Another interesting history about David....this time in French
http://www.autodiva........3&start=120
You can use a web translator if you (as me) can understant it

Another interesting history about David....this time in French
http://www.autodiva........3&start=120
You can use a web translator if you (as me) can understant it

Hi there! I used to work with David in Monaco. He was always extremely pleasant and professional in the office. A good boss, and a great enthusiast of F1 and the 24hrs of Le Mans.