14 replies to this topic

[Mistron]

I've been reading up on sevens lately, and it struck me, that given the cars fame at the same time as JC's, it seems unusual that I've never seen a photo of Jimmy in a seven.

Has anyone ever seen or read of him using one either for racing, road use or in publicity of the time?

[Mistron]

Has anyone ever seen or read of him using one either for racing, road use or in publicity of the time?

No? that's what I thought!

[D-Type]

I think that by the time Clark arrived at Lotus, although still selling the seven the ambition was to go more sophisticated, initially with the Elite and then with the Elan.

[Allan Lupton]

Yes I agree with Duncan, by 1960 when Clark became a Team Lotus driver, the Seven was not what ACBC wanted the world to concentrate on, and in fact it was Scott-Watson's purchase of an Elite for Clark to race that drew Chapman's attention to him as a driver.
Publicity photos of Lotus' new driver would also promote the new Elite and quite soon afterwards the Elan needed publicity.
It is probably not too much to suggest that the success of the Seven was rather unexpected, bearing in mind it was an upgraded Six and appeared in 1957 after the much more sophisticated VIII (1954), IX(1955), X(1955) and XI(1956) were being built and sold.
(Dates quoted from Jabby Crombac)

Edited by Allan Lupton, 20 March 2010 - 18:02.

[hansfohr]

I've been reading up on sevens lately, and it struck me, that given the cars fame at the same time as JC's, it seems unusual that I've never seen a photo of Jimmy in a seven. Has anyone ever seen or read of him using one either for racing, road use or in publicity of the time?

I checked the data in Jim's biography: he never raced a Seven. Not on the circuit that is....

[Mistron]

I know, and I suspect the above is all true, but given that the 7 was built by Lotus components during the off season and aimed at the racing enthusiast posibly even more than the Elan, I'm surprised JC was not A. a fan or B. seen in one on occassion. Whether the car was 'pushed' by the sales guys or not, it was a long running production model. And after all, JC is well documented for wanting to try a full range of cars (ERA etc). You'd think he'd enjoy a seven as much as the rest of us.

And Iain Scott-Watson was an early customer for the Elite and Clark was involved with Lotus from the earliest days if the Seven when it was being promoted. Ahillclimb in a S1 might have been a possibility? As far as I can tell the S2 was still being actively promoted when he won his first title, though admittedly by '65 the Elan was very much more the favouerd route for Lotus , you'd think you'd still stick your champion in your race car for the road!

[Giraffe]

I clearly remember ads with Jim and both the Elan and Lotus Cortina, but never a 7. Perhaps they thought it might be brand overkill?

[kayemod]

I clearly remember ads with Jim and both the Elan and Lotus Cortina, but never a 7. Perhaps they thought it might be brand overkill?

Before my time at Lotus, but Jimmy was endlessly curious as a driver, he'd drive absolutely anything at every opportunity. There would have been Sevens around the Team and the factory every time he went there, and it's inconceivable that he wouldn't have driven them more than once. Slightly odd that there doesn't seem to be any photographic evidence, but I'm sure he must have driven a Seven on quite a few occasions.

[David McKinney]

I checked the data in Jim's biography: he never raced a Seven. Not on the circuit that is....

Thanks Hans
I think we can presume everyone knows that
That's why no-one gave a positive answer over the past week

[hansfohr]

Thanks Hans
I think we can presume everyone knows that
That's why no-one gave a positive answer over the past week

Well, you never know if he raced the Seven around Duns in leisure time.

[MCS]

Well, you never know if he raced the Seven around Duns in leisure time.

Just out of curiosity, was Patrick McGoohan the only driver of the Seven used in "The Prisoner" ?

[Mistron]

No. Famously Graham Nearn of Caterham appears in th elast episode delivering the car back to No 6's home on his return to London. The actor booked to do the scene couldn't drive it (?) This is when the famous shots of McGoohan crouching at the front of 'KAR 120C' were shot. Nearne requested them as payment and certainly got his use out of them over the years.

In another episode No 6 has his body transposed with a scientist (as you do) and 'he' drives to Austria, which appeared curiously back projected, so this was No 6, but not McGoohan, if you see what I mean.

'Mrs Butterworth' who takes over his flat in Buckingham place also took over the car and lends it to No 6 when he returns in one episode ('Many happy returns'?). She appears as No 2 at the end of the episode.

'tis a very odd series!

Edited by Mistron, 20 March 2010 - 23:20.

[Graham Gauld]

I am not aware of Jim ever driving a Lotus Seven. It never came up in conversation. When Jim Clark joined Team Lotus he was driving his own new Porsche but Colin Chapman did not want his new driver to be seen in a Porsche hence the supply of a Lotus Elite which was not Ian Scott Watson's original car.

[MCS]

No. Famously Graham Nearn of Caterham appears in th elast episode delivering the car back to No 6's home on his return to London. The actor booked to do the scene couldn't drive it (?) This is when the famous shots of McGoohan crouching at the front of 'KAR 120C' were shot. Nearne requested them as payment and certainly got his use out of them over the years.

Yes, I can remember the pictures now. I still have, somewhere, a number of black and white photographs of scenes from The Prisoner which I bought from a shop in either Greek Street or Frith Street in London in the early eighties. (I can't find them of course, so I may not still have them at all)...

[Mistron]

I am not aware of Jim ever driving a Lotus Seven. It never came up in conversation. When Jim Clark joined Team Lotus he was driving his own new Porsche but Colin Chapman did not want his new driver to be seen in a Porsche hence the supply of a Lotus Elite which was not Ian Scott Watson's original car.

Was this the yellow car which was for sale as a restoration project in the last couple of years?