I can imagine this being true, but I heard another person on another BB say that he speculated it was possible that Colin Chapman could have faked his own death because of some "Delorean situation".
I highly doubt it, but can anyone tell me what this "Delorean situation" had to do with Colin Chapman? Was he in some kind of trouble?
Err.....Does anyone have any information on this?
Started by
Megatron
, Feb 07 2000 03:40
7 replies to this topic
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#2
Felix Muelas
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Posted 07 February 2000 - 04:09
Megatron,
Yes, there was a campaign, specially in Italy, that suggested an incredible story about what you mention. I have somewhere a "detachable" (from Autosprint) that deals with this question (and that was somehow responsible for me interrupting my long-time subscription to this weekly Italian magazine).
Not being as fluent in English as I would like to (specially with the words that define human attitudes where a part of the brain looks serously affected) I will avoid the temptation of choosing a name to describe the story.
But of course the best thing, in my opinion, would be for you to hear from as many people as you can their own recollection of facts.
And if you still want me to scan the story for you, I will do it.
Never trust one source alone...
;-)
Felix
Yes, there was a campaign, specially in Italy, that suggested an incredible story about what you mention. I have somewhere a "detachable" (from Autosprint) that deals with this question (and that was somehow responsible for me interrupting my long-time subscription to this weekly Italian magazine).
Not being as fluent in English as I would like to (specially with the words that define human attitudes where a part of the brain looks serously affected) I will avoid the temptation of choosing a name to describe the story.
But of course the best thing, in my opinion, would be for you to hear from as many people as you can their own recollection of facts.
And if you still want me to scan the story for you, I will do it.
Never trust one source alone...
;-)
Felix
#3
Jonathan
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Posted 07 February 2000 - 04:22
Delorean or Chapman ?
I think Delorean was clearly in all sorts of trouble as his car was not especially succesfull, and the newly conserverative movement in England wasn't especially interested in throughing money at a money loosing enterprise. Eventually John D was arrested/convicted for smuggling cocaine in an effort to generate sufficiant funds to keep his company in operation.
As discussed in Van Andy's thread on 20 Jan requesting information on a full length biography on Colin Chapman, Lotus did the development work for the Delorean car company, and that much of this development money was actually spent on Lotus's F1 program.
Colin was somewhat notorious for his inability to keep his production car company profitable and his Formula One racing organization succesful at the same time as he was very much running both organizations himself. I would classify Colin more as a brilliant 'hands-on' engineer than as a high-level 'management' type. Rather than delegating authority to others, Colin would attempt to do as much as possible on his own.
My suspicion is that the stresses of juggling the demands of F1 racing with those of running his own production car company, combined with a loss of income from the Delorean deal proved to be a bit too much stress for the man.
I would say that Lotus as an organization has perpetually 'in trouble' to some degree, but I dont have any inside information as to Colin's faking his own death.
I think Delorean was clearly in all sorts of trouble as his car was not especially succesfull, and the newly conserverative movement in England wasn't especially interested in throughing money at a money loosing enterprise. Eventually John D was arrested/convicted for smuggling cocaine in an effort to generate sufficiant funds to keep his company in operation.
As discussed in Van Andy's thread on 20 Jan requesting information on a full length biography on Colin Chapman, Lotus did the development work for the Delorean car company, and that much of this development money was actually spent on Lotus's F1 program.
Colin was somewhat notorious for his inability to keep his production car company profitable and his Formula One racing organization succesful at the same time as he was very much running both organizations himself. I would classify Colin more as a brilliant 'hands-on' engineer than as a high-level 'management' type. Rather than delegating authority to others, Colin would attempt to do as much as possible on his own.
My suspicion is that the stresses of juggling the demands of F1 racing with those of running his own production car company, combined with a loss of income from the Delorean deal proved to be a bit too much stress for the man.
I would say that Lotus as an organization has perpetually 'in trouble' to some degree, but I dont have any inside information as to Colin's faking his own death.
#4
Eric McLoughlin
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Posted 08 February 2000 - 05:39
Megatron
Go back to the 20 January thread on Chapman autobiographies. I and a few others set out some of the details of the De Lorean affair there when replying to the original request. As I mentioned in that thread, the Channel 4 documentary "Secret Lives - Colin Chapman" went into the De Lorean dealings in great detail as well as the Essex Oil affair.
Its not true to say that the British government were reluctant to give money to De Lorean. On the contrary, they fell over themselves to dish out the dosh. They were desperately trying to improve the unemployment situation in Northern Ireland and in West Belfast in particular. To show how desperate they were, when the De Lorean venture failed, a new company, LearFan took over the empty factory and began a project to build a composite bodied executive turboprop aeroplane. This also received government grants and it also failed, only one prototype being built.
It should also be stated that John De Lorean's arrest for drug dealing was part of an elaborate FBI "sting" operation which was thrown out by the US courts as "entrapment".
Go back to the 20 January thread on Chapman autobiographies. I and a few others set out some of the details of the De Lorean affair there when replying to the original request. As I mentioned in that thread, the Channel 4 documentary "Secret Lives - Colin Chapman" went into the De Lorean dealings in great detail as well as the Essex Oil affair.
Its not true to say that the British government were reluctant to give money to De Lorean. On the contrary, they fell over themselves to dish out the dosh. They were desperately trying to improve the unemployment situation in Northern Ireland and in West Belfast in particular. To show how desperate they were, when the De Lorean venture failed, a new company, LearFan took over the empty factory and began a project to build a composite bodied executive turboprop aeroplane. This also received government grants and it also failed, only one prototype being built.
It should also be stated that John De Lorean's arrest for drug dealing was part of an elaborate FBI "sting" operation which was thrown out by the US courts as "entrapment".
#5
Jonathan
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Posted 08 February 2000 - 14:20
Jonathan Bows to Eric.
I guess you know more about this than I do...
I guess you know more about this than I do...
#6
Falcadore
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Posted 09 February 2000 - 23:58
Back in April, Motor Racing Australia (best articles publication in Aust), did a piece on the 'mystery' of Colin Chapman's death.
Within days of Chapman's death it's suspected he would have been arrested over his and John DeLorean defrauding the British Government of approximately 18 million dollars. It was rather clear the Chapman would not have been able to defend himself adqueately to keep him from prison.
Chapman's accountant of 30 years was later arrested for defrauding De Lorean Motor Company and sentenced to 3 years prison. The judge stated that if DeLorean or Chapman had been present at the trial they would have gotten 10 years.
It then details many of the rumours surrounding his death but winds up saying his body was positively identified by a local policeman Chapman knew.
While Lotus Cars continues to carry his legacy, although now in Proton ownership, and Team Lotus is now a historic racing team. And DeLorean? That name is now most famous for being ground up rebuilt as an atmoic powered, garbage fueled time machine that carried Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd back to the 50's, then the future then to the 'Wild West' before being hit and destroyed by a freight train.
Within days of Chapman's death it's suspected he would have been arrested over his and John DeLorean defrauding the British Government of approximately 18 million dollars. It was rather clear the Chapman would not have been able to defend himself adqueately to keep him from prison.
Chapman's accountant of 30 years was later arrested for defrauding De Lorean Motor Company and sentenced to 3 years prison. The judge stated that if DeLorean or Chapman had been present at the trial they would have gotten 10 years.
It then details many of the rumours surrounding his death but winds up saying his body was positively identified by a local policeman Chapman knew.
While Lotus Cars continues to carry his legacy, although now in Proton ownership, and Team Lotus is now a historic racing team. And DeLorean? That name is now most famous for being ground up rebuilt as an atmoic powered, garbage fueled time machine that carried Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd back to the 50's, then the future then to the 'Wild West' before being hit and destroyed by a freight train.
#7
Ray Bell
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Posted 10 February 2000 - 07:34
Falcadore - I accept your judgement on MRA being the best publication for the sport in Australia.
The current issue has a story on the Mawer 003, but the next one is to cover the McLaren M23-Leyland.
Just thinking about the good old days of F5000 makes me sigh...
The current issue has a story on the Mawer 003, but the next one is to cover the McLaren M23-Leyland.
Just thinking about the good old days of F5000 makes me sigh...
#8
Falcadore
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Posted 10 February 2000 - 21:43
I'm very sorry I missed the F5000 days myself, but as I was only 8 when Alan Jones became world champion I very rarely saw them in action. The alluminium Leyland engine was thought to have great potential for F5000 because of it weight (lack thereof) so I'll await with interest.
