16 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

I'm very embarrassed to admit that I cannot remember who sent me (or maybe posted) a black & white image of Graham Hill in the bright yellow Lotus Eleven, (circa 1900 and freezing to death).

Whoever it was, if you happen to see this, can you either re-send it or re-post it as I cannot find it on my computer.

In my defence, I AM over 60 now.....

[RTH]

Happy Birthday Barry, hope you are feeling better now.
Might this be the same car ?

http://www.independe...end-768900.html

Here again in colour from Octane magazine

http://www.octane-ma...arsforsale=6423

[Barry Boor]

Would some knowledgable person please tell me which, if any, of the following statements is true:

No Lotus Eleven ever ran with a headrest.

Some Lotus Elevens had a headrest.

All Lotus Fifteens had a headrest.

In 1958 it is likely that if a Lotus had no headrest, it was probably an Eleven.

[Lotus11Register]

Hi Barry,

Many, perhaps even most Lotus Elevens had a headfairing. Some had it integral with the tail section but most headfairings were the removable type. So the same Eleven could have a headfairing one weekend and none the next.

Bill Colson is the expert on the Lotus 15 and I hope he will weigh-in here. But I think the 15 was designed for the spare wheel to ride upright behind the driver, within a headfairing. So they may have all had one.

[John Brundage]

If I remember correctly, on the Lotus XV vs Cooper Monaco thread the discussion about head fairings exist. I just took at a Lotus XV. The head fairing does line up with the spare tire. In the the thread I mention above, there are pictures of Derek Jolly's car with and without rear bodywork. One Lotus 11 I am familiar with has the head fairing riveted to the rear bodywork. Was the Lotus 11 head fairing only on the LeMans cars? The Lola MK1's had head fairings. Was this the design style du jour?

[D-Type]

Barry,
Lotsa XI's with and without headrests are pictured on the Lost Elevens thread and a photo showing the spare tyre in the tail of the XV is included on the Lotus XV thread. For completeness, I think all XVII's had headrests and the VIII, IX and X didn't.

[Barry Boor]

Looking at the video of the 1958 Goodwood T.T. there are several 'no headrest' Lotuses featured.

The results list shows that virtually all the Lotuses in that race were Elevens, so I shall paint my model as one of those (probably the red and silver one.)

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Barry Boor
The results list shows that virtually all the Lotuses in that race were Elevens

Lotus Eleven starters: 10
Lotus Fifteen starters: 3

Returning to your original post, AFAIK Club models, such as N G Hill's, always raced with full windscreen and no head-rest

[Barry Boor]

I guess everyone knows about these cars but I don't think I had seen one before:



Apparently, 30 years ago, this car was owned by a Maltese gentleman. It is allegedly chassis #313.

[David McKinney]

According to my records, 313 was with Bryn Williams from 1974 until at least 2002. And didn't have a roof...

[Barry Boor]

Ah, thanks for that, David.

Do you have a record of one being owned by a chap called Farrugia?

[David McKinney]

That'll be a "no"

You could try Victor Thomas at the Historic Lotus Register if you're that keen to know

[bradbury west]

Eleven historian Graham Capel is always very helpful IMHO
Roger Lund

[Barry Boor]

Is he on this forum?

[Lotus11Register]

The red gullwing Eleven is one Charles Sammut has been searching for for some time. He writes:
"This Lotus 11 used to belong to an old friend of mine, Alfred Farrugia who emigrated to the US. I am still in contact with him and he is planning on retiring to Malta in a few months' time. He sold the car to a guy named Raymond who used to work in the oil industry in Libya. Raymond had offered to sell me the car as it was just sitting in his driveway in Mosta (which is also where I live). I already had a Europa Special and an Elan +2 and I was in the process of moving to the Gulf for a few years where I worked as an air traffic controller so I foolishly passed. I have lost contact with this Raymond (surname forgotten) but from that photo I think that he must have sold it to the late Jeffrey Mizzi who was a car importer. It looks like his garage there.

"Jeffrey bought a number of interesting cars and restored them and sold them on. I will pass that photo on to Alfred who has never stopped kicking himself for parting with the car."

Does anyone here know Raymond?

[willga]

According to my records, 313 was with Bryn Williams from 1974 until at least 2002. And didn't have a roof...

It's still in the family, but is now owned and raced by his son, Gareth.



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[David Birchall]

Barry,
Lotsa XI's with and without headrests are pictured on the Lost Elevens thread and a photo showing the spare tyre in the tail of the XV is included on the Lotus XV thread. For completeness, I think all XVII's had headrests and the VIII, IX and X didn't.

Just noticed this. Sorry Duncan, but the XVII (Seventeen) did not normally have a headrest-in fact there may only have been one with a headrest and that has been here in the Vancouver area since 1959/60. This is the car that was entered for/by Innes Ireland at LeMans with a FWB engine (DNS) and was driven by Gendebien at Westwood (and is for sale ).