40 replies to this topic

[MonzaDriver]

Ciao to everyone in this forum,

I've just found this fooage with this Richard Parramit,

I dont know who he is, but it seems he knew a lot about Colin.

My preferresd part is " never leave Lotus without the check "

I higly recommand this footage to everyone, if is 14 minutes long.

But it's full of gems

Ciao,

MonzaDriver

 

https://www.youtube....ch?v=KmCHJV1fug

 

If the link doesn't work here the name:

 

Richard Parramit Talks Lotus, Colin Chapman & Lifw with CLA

 

[mariner]

I hope Bob Sparshott won't mind me telling this story he regaled us with in a talk he gave to the 750MC.

 

Somebody had the clever idea of putting Takumo Sato, , new in F1 , into a Lotus 49 at the Historic Monaco race so he could learn the circuit in a powerful car.

 

Since Bob was, of course Graham Hil's 1968 mechanic on the 49B, he was inivited by Classic Team Lotus to lend a hand with spannering the 49 at Monaco.

 

Morning practice was coming to an end and Clive Chapman told the team it was lunch break time so lets go to a resturant.

 

Bob said he thought about the average Team Lotus working day, looked at Clive and just said " you are not like your old man are you!

[MonzaDriver]

Thank you Mariner,

I know very little about Clive Chapman,

lookin at the few footages about him it seems to me,

a different type of person compared to his father.

Some things you heard in the footage I indicated to the forum,

are difficult to believe also for me.

MonzaDriver

Edited by MonzaDriver, 02 July 2016 - 13:25.

[Bloggsworth]

Is he ever going to get to the point...

The first school leaver? I worked for Lotus at Panshanger when I was still at school as a holiday job (Trevor Shann bought one of our Siamese kittens), and went there after I left school the following year.

[kayemod]

Very unimpressive, when he finally stopps waffling, it strikes me as a rather feeble attempt to cash in on a very tenuous aquaintance, if even that. If this guy worked on the Lotus assembly line, he'd hardly ever have seen Colin Chapman at all, much less had any contact with him. Chapman wasn't interested in the production process and had little contact with it, his only real interests were the racing side, and engineering and design in general. Some of the stories just don't ring true, the one about him arriving in a power slide and not slowing down at the barrier for one, I'm sure that's pure invention, and he left no tyre-marks on the floor of the Director's garage or anywhere else on the site. With most of the non-shop floor staff, I spent much of my time in the glass-fronted main office, I saw ACBC arrive and depart many times, most often in his favourite red 4-door Mk 2 Lotus Cortina or the blue Elan +2, very occasionally in Hazel's Mercedes 450SL, and the only thing that was in any way remarkable about the way he drove, was in the way he'd rev a cold engine, never a good idea with a twin cam. He was a fast driver outside the factory certainly, very risky on occasion, more than once I arrived at work to see a crunched +2 on a trailer behind Security's Land Rover, after they'd been summoned to come in a hurry to remove the evidence before Police etc arrived, he paid for the silence of at least two crash victims that I know of. It's very difficult to describe The Man to anyone who hadn't met him, but brash, determined, supremely gifted and surprisingly insecure would cover much of it. He seemed to resist getting friendly with employees, kept them at arms length, but I never experienced him being rude or unkind to anyone. He was admired and respected in a way I've never experienced anywhere else, most of the staff almost revered him, he was referred to almost invariably as "The Old Man", never, ever as "Chunky" which I think was a childhood nickname that he hated. As an intuitive designer and engineer, I've never known anyone like him, you could work on something for days, he'd come along and instantly sum up where you were right or going the wrong way, he got that right almost every time. He had many faults, most of which have been well documented, but I don't think he acted in any way that was different from any other autocratic business chief. His word was law at Lotus, but I never saw him as unreasonable, as long as you knew what you were talking about, he'd always listen to your point of view, though if you talked him round on anything, he'd usually take the credit, I think he honestly believed that your suggestions had been the way he'd been thinking all along. I found him slightly awe inspiring but surprisingly vulnerable in some ways, the hair dye and built-up shoes for instance, and he had one or two minor and embarassing to him health problems, the way he got his secretary to re-write speeches avoiding the letter 'R' as much as possible, his came out more as a 'W',  but I don't think many met him and came away unimpressed. I knew him in the 1970s mostly, and by all accounts, he was less impressive with more human flaws in the following decade, but although I was only fairly junior in my Lotus years, I value greatly the years I spent working with him, I doubt if it would be possible to find many pepole who had real contact with Colin Chapman who would say very much against him, most found his faults more amusing than anything else, but don't take any notice of unreliable witnesses like Richard Parramit, who doesn't appear to have known The Man at all.

Edited by kayemod, 02 July 2016 - 22:50.

[MonzaDriver]

Dear Kayemode,

your is really one of the best writings about motorsport,

I've ever had the occasion to read, and like everyone else here,

I've read a lot about racing.

Thank you a lot, Terrific.

Me too I could not believe the episode about arriving at the barrier

and it must be open or Chapman fires everyone of the security.

Also the episode about the check, I mean I can easily believe,

​he tried to pay six mounth later, but not that if he has

to write a check he swear about it.

Also those episodes that he fires people so easily, ( just for sport we say in Italy )

I dont believe so.

I really loved the fact that the production line were important for him, because it mean money for racing.

Because for Enzo Ferrari, was the same,

when Fiat brought the production line, in 1969 they say it was just right for him.

He could care about racing.

About his Street crashes I've heard about it,

and I always wonder if Jim Clark's supreme driving style was not a " problem " a " complex " for him.

I've read about and episode where Chapman goes in the rear of a Lotus Cortina,

grabbed to the handles, becasue he would like to put some weight on rear axle,

while Clark was at the wheel.

I wondered if it isn't the case that he would like to see in witch way Clark drove.

Terrific Kayemode, thanks.

MonzaDriver 

[MIchaelFeltham]

..........he was referred to almost invariably as "The Old Man", never, ever as "Chunky" which I think was a childhood nickname that he hated.

 

Apparently, Chapman was called "Chunky" originally, by Tony Rudd. (According to his epic book "It Was Fun!").

 

Why?

 

Since Chapman, when looking at any new race car design, scratched his chin and said "Well, we can take a chunk off here and a chunk off there".

 

Chapman always wanted his racing cars to last just until the end of the race and was always fixated about reducing weight.

 

As Jimmy Clark could attest, since when he first arrived at Brands Hatch to test on the recommendation of Jock McBain, Graham Hill was the main works driver. As Hill descended from Druids to what is now called Graham Hill Bend and was originally Bottom Bend, the car sort of collapsed and the wheel and suspension flew off!

 

A not happy Hill walked back to the pits and Jimmy asked "Does this happen often?"

 

"All the bloody time with Colin's cars!" quoth Hill.

 

(Source: one of the early biographies of Clark: suspect it was "Clark At The Wheel, 1964".)

 

EDIT: More about Jim Clark and that incident at Brands, here, on the Border Reivers site.

 

http://www.borderrei....co.uk/history/

Edited by MIchaelFeltham, 03 July 2016 - 09:48.

[mariner]

I'm not suggesting anyone should build unsafe cars but all the "Lotus fraility" stories etc. should be looked at with the recent Austrian GP rear suspension failures in mind.

 

Mecedes has 400 staff, FEA, CAD, CAM, in-house CF capabilty and a huge budget plus all of MB's home R+D  to supply help.

 

Despite that they have been busy glueing extra bits of CF onto the wishbones and taping it on to try to avoid another failure on race day.

 

Toto Wolfe's comments

 

"What we have done is strengthened the suspension.

"Whether it's the ultimate cure, I doubt it. It is a concern."

 

Force India driver Sergio Perez and Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat also had suspension breakages on Saturday, with the same having happened on Max Verstappen's Red Bull on Friday.

 

None of these people want to see a driver crash but even today not everything  can be catered for.

[kayemod]

Apparently, Chapman was called "Chunky" originally, by Tony Rudd. (According to his epic book "It Was Fun!").

 

Why?

 

Since Chapman, when looking at any new race car design, scratched his chin and said "Well, we can take a chunk off here and a chunk off there".

 

 

I don't think that's right at all, it sounds to me as if Tony Rudd had overheard the the Chunky name and attached it to his own story with his own explanation, and in any case the name dates back to Hornsey and beyond, many years before Rudd & Chapman had even met. I'm sticking with the disliked childhood nickname theory. Very few at Lotus used the name, and certainly never in ACBC's presence. I remember once sitting with three or four other people around Engineering Director Tony Rudd's desk, shielded a little by a screen and pot plants, but still in the big open plan office where all the rest of us worked. Uncle Tony referred to his employer as "Chunky", and hastily looked around him to make sure that Chapman, who'd promised to join us, hadn't appeared yet, so I doubt if even Tony, who Chapman respected greatly, would have said the name in his presence. I did overhear some Team mechanics using the name, but with the older ones at least, their relationship with The Old Man was on a different level from that of the rest of us. Maybe "A well known Motor Racing Historian" could tell us more.

 

On the story of Chapman racing full tilt at the factory barrier, that's purely an invention, and not a very sensible one. He arrived at work most days in either his Cortina Lotus or the Elan +2, and head-butting a metal barrier isn't something a sane person would try in either of those. There was no metal reinforcement in an Elan body, just a few bonded-in metal bobbins for chassis attachment, and latterly, something like a twisted metal coat hanger tacked inside the outer door skin, as a purely token attempt at providing side impact protection, though it wouldn't have stopped a well-aimed boot. The rest was all fairly lightweight fibreglass from the screen pillars back, chopped-strand mat at that, and laughably flimsy by today's standards. Colin Chapman might sometimes have been reckless behind the wheel, but he certainly wasn't stupid, he'd have emerged headless on the other side of the barrier.

[RogerFrench]

BTW, the chap's name is Richard Parramint. He's with Classic Team Lotus, accompanying Bob Dance to the Lotus Owners Group meeting in, I think, New Jersey at the moment.

[rachael]

Haven't checked but I think in 'It was fun' Tony attributes the source of the name Chunky as Graham Hill.

 

Rachael

[Bloggsworth]

When I was last there he was driving a Ford Galaxie, but that was '64. One night, in '64, while we were bolting bits on the Indycar monocoques, Chapman had a major tantrum, he was outside kicking the door and hammering it with his fists, I have no idea what it was about, but we can't ask Jim Endruweit, I think it was he who was the recipient. It might have been the case of the horizontal dampers. Len Terry appeared with the dampers and when we tried to fit them they rested horizontally as the top spring mounts hit the rear diaphragm (so easy to avoid nowadays with Solid Modelling). It was relatively easily sorted, we were amused, Chapman wasn't.

[kayemod]

Haven't checked but I think in 'It was fun' Tony attributes the source of the name Chunky as Graham Hill.

 

Rachael

 

Graham was a Lotus employee in the Hornsey days of course, but I'm sticking with my hated childhood nickname theory.

 

When I was last there he was driving a Ford Galaxie...

 

 

He loved that car. I followed Colin in his Galaxie home one evening. It had a bench front seat, and I could see that a youngish woman, his secretary perhaps, was sitting right up against him. I couldn't see what he was doing with his hands of course, but I was surprised how slowly he was driving, wandering around slightly on the narrow road at the same time too.

Edited by kayemod, 03 July 2016 - 22:32.

[Doug Nye]

Kayemod is - in my estimation - absolutely spot-on with almost everything written above about ACBC.  But I'm not convinced about possible childhood origins of 'Chunky' as a nickname.  That would be pretty inventive child to child, and I recall my photographer pal Geoff Goddard - who knew Colin very well indeed from the early 1950s forward - referring to him as 'Chunky' possibly in the context of fellow 750MC member Pat Stephens (later best known as a motoring book publisher) having coined the nickname.  I am pretty confident it pre-dated Tony Rudd's involvement with Colin, and indeed pre-dated Colin's emergence as a figure of real achievement...

 

Despite the circumstances in which ACBC found himself shortly before his way-premature death, I was - and remain - a huge fan, privileged and grateful to have known him. But even so, without first seeking expert advice elsewhere, I would not have bought a used car from him... 

 

DCN

[E1pix]

… I remember once sitting with three or four other people around Engineering Director Tony Rudd's desk, shielded a little by a screen and pot plants...

To avoid anyone misinterpreting the great man, surely you're referring to "potted plants?" 

[kayemod]

To avoid anyone misinterpreting the great man, surely you're referring to "potted plants?" 

 

You're right of course, but in the UK the terms "pot plant" and "potted plant" are more or less interchangeable, a pot plant only becomes something it's advisable to keep hidden from view in the context of a drugs bust. I think the plants in question were rubber plants or something similar, and for the record, hand on heart, I didn't partake of a single spliff in all the time I was at Lotus. He's no longer with us to defend himself of course, but I'm sure that Uncle Tony could say the same. Colin Chapman however, I'm not so sure about, legend has it that at times he'd been associated with more than one type of speed.

 

On the "Chunky" tag, I'm pretty sure I was told that it was originally applied by one of Colin's parents, old photographs I've seen show that he was a distinctly hefty child.

[E1pix]

Thanks for respecting my concerns here, Rob.

 

As we know, a real danger of the web — and particularly in such an oft-quoted site such as here — is starting a firestorm from misinterpretation. Somewhere, Colin may be smiling that he left such an respect-worthy impression on so many people.

 

So yes, a rubber plant is something else entirely, otherwise we might be on tires named Bridgestoned.   

 

Thanks Again. 

[Bloggsworth]

...the plants in question were rubber plants or something similar...

Which reminds me, we (Bob Sparshott, Ken Marshall and others) were coming back from Silverstone one evening, and stopped off for a curry in St Albans; we were seated beside an enormous broad-leaved plant, Ken Marshall's sister asked the waiter:

"Excuse me, but is this a Rubber plant?"

and received the reply:

"No madam, it is real..."

Edited by Bloggsworth, 07 July 2016 - 17:12.

[MonzaDriver]

Thanks for respecting my concerns here, Rob.

 

As we know, a real danger of the web — and particularly in such an oft-quoted site such as here — is starting a firestorm from misinterpretation. Somewhere, Colin may be smiling that he left such an respect-worthy impression on so many people.

 

You mean somewhere in Heaven,  or maybe, ipothetically,  

also somewhere here on earth ?

In both cases I agree with you,

he would be pleased, his personality,

makes such an impression so long after his succesful years.

MonzaDriver

Edited by MonzaDriver, 04 July 2016 - 14:11.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Bloggsworth
Which reminds me, we (Bob Sparshott, Ken Marshall and others) were coming back from Silverstone one evening, and stopped off for a curry in St Albans; we were seated beside an enourmous broad-leaved plant, Ken Marshall's sister asked the waiter:

"Excuse me, but is this a Rubber plant?"

and received the reply:

"No madam, it is real..."

That's like the time a few years ago young Jessica was standing beside her father's freshly rebuilt AT4 and someone came enquiring...

"What year is it?"

"2011," replied Jess sincerely.

[E1pix]

Thanks, MonzaDriver.

[Henri Greuter]

The following anecdote was told to me by James Gardner, better known as "Radio" Gardner, one of the few men who was a mechanic/member of the Novi tem at Indy during the years 1941-1960

Radio had retired from the job when his boss Lew Welch went bankrupt and sold off his team.

 

Not a very big man, his son Jim however was a big guy and also working as a crew member on racing teams. For 1963 Jim was not hired yet and his dad Radio had been entirely overwhelmed by the Lotus cars and Jim Clark. He got in touch with Colin Chapman and found out that Lotus still needed some mechanics for race day for tire changes. Radio told Colin that his boy was still unemployed  and an experienced mechanic. So Colin told Radio to bring along his son. Little time later, Radio came up with his son "Big Jim".

Colin looks at Jim, looks to Radio and then said: "I believed you talked about your boy, right?"

 

"Big Jim" however was hired on the crew and he was the man who changed the right rear tire. On films taken on race day you can see him trying to push off the cars after standstill an tumbling over the ground. Form experience with two-gear cars he had not calculated on the Lotus being more quick in accelleration due to the three speed gearbox of the car.

In his book "Jim Clark at the wheel" there is talk about the mechanic who fell on race day, that was Radio's son.

 

 

I still miss the days that I could `switch on the "Radio" ` for some great Indy stories.

 

 

Henri

Edited by Henri Greuter, 07 July 2016 - 18:33.

[arttidesco]

One cannot help but feel that Colin would have learned early in life that every force has an equal and opposite force so you might find this little story from Richard Jenvey about Colin and his coffee cup rather amusing.

 

Richard told me that when the Lotus Sales Director approached Colin Chapman to support a team building a Group 5 Esprit Colin Chapman hit the table so hard to emphasise a negative response that his coffee cup jumped off the desk, but when the Sales Director made a second approach, on behalf of Richard, Colin appears to have learned a valuable lesson and relented agreeing to supply enough parts for Vegatune to build a 270 hp 2 litre / 122cui engine and an Esprit body on favorable terms.

[Nigel Beresford]

Maurice Philippe once told me that Chapman hated people putting things on window ledges, so he had the window ledges set at 45 degrees.

 

Ken Tyrrell used to gleefully tell a story of selling a DFV to Lotus. When their van arrived in Ockham to collect, the driver didn't have a cheque with him, so Ken sent him on his way back to Norfolk empty.

[polarboy]

Saw this topic the other month but only now I'm on holiday have I had time to reply
Sad to see at the start Richard gets the usual internet slagging from people who don't really know him or his full story !
Anyway...
As the last poster said the old man hated things on shelves and cut them at 45deg.
Easy to do in a modern house or building but at kett hall your talking about a building built between 1650-1850 ish and many of the walls are 2-3 feet thick,there are some fairly large slopes instead of window sills on some of those walls due to the old mans obsession !!!
Never one to be stopped in his tracks the old man was giving one of his famous bollokings to my old boss.
The guy in question had worked for the old man at cars for many years and chapman had then had him working on his boats at jcl an moonraker among others
My friend was called in to help the f1 team with all the problems they were having with skirts on the type 80
Never one to hold back and a little aggrieved due to the thing he was getting the roasting for being nothing to do with him launched into the old man with "look here Mr chapman don't address your bollaking to me its nothing to do with me"
"it is now,your in charge of the composite department now"
An that's how my friend became head of the composite shop at team lotus an how the old man managed to keep ranting at him for another 5 minutes !
Most people at kett hall would avoid meeting the old man if they could as you never knew what mood he would be in or what he would find fault with
There use to be a saying amongst the guys at kett hall when looking at something new "I like that,I like that,what the bloody hell is THAT !!!" Which was a summary of the old man
As you went round kett hall from the race shop the rest of the team were in the old stables which were in a semi circle around a courtyard.
You went through stores,gearbox,sub assembly,fabrication,machining and finally composites.
The old man probably thought only half the number of people worked there that actually did because if people knew he was on his way round lots of lots of people would go through the departments and back round and into their department after the visit safe in the knowledge that after the composite dept the old man would head down the courtyard an into the hall
MANY people about who were sacked by chapman on the spot
Just a couple of examples for the none believers
If you look at kett hall from the front,to the right you see a lower building which is the chapel an next to that a newer building which was the old man had built as a garage for his cars when the race shop was built.
Had the same red floor tiles and was immaculate ! His pilot and chauffer were based in there an god help the latter if there was a drop of oil on the floor !
Team had a deal with Tamiya an lots of people got the radio control kits when they came out an use to use them out the front of the hall at lunch times
The garages had automated doors which opened when you drove over a wire in front of them ( or stood on the wire)
The old man barked at the chauffeur one day when he went in the garage an there were some leaves in there from outside
The chauffer didn't mean any harm by it when he replied "its them boys when they go out the front with their models an stand on the wire"
That was it no going out the front of the hall
Only problem was the fact wasn't conveyed to a lot of people an unfortunately the next time the old man came along an there were three guys out the front in their lunch hour with their model cars they were sacked on the spot
Bit like the guys tasked with building a new spec car for when the old man got back from the gp
He got back on a Sunday night,saw the car wasn't ready an the 3 mechanics tool boxes were waiting for them outside the door when they arrived for work on Monday morning !!!
When he arrived back at hethel the old man liked to be in kett hall within 5 minutes of the planes wheels touching the tarmac ! 100% guarantee that when they knew the plane was approaching security had all gates/barriers lifted at hethel
Bearing in mind that this was late 70,s early 80,s the automated garage doors at kett hall caused a MASSIVE amount of upset/drama an stress for several electricians/maintenance men an the old man had a real bee in his bonnet about them to say the least
100% one day when they were playing up and wouldn't open quick enough he rammed them an helped them on their way up with the bonnet and roof of his merc.
He also REALLY cared about his secretary sue (those stories another day !) she got stuck in a flood one day down ketteringham lane
Caretaker of kett hall is minding his own buissness when the old man comes up to him "you got a tow rope Charlie?" Who then told him he had at home "right lets get going" an Charlie is in the old mans merc an being driven to his house near ketteringham lane still wondering what the hells happening
The old man explained just as they got to a strickened sue masters and the lotus cars security land rover turned up and went and rescued her
Looking at Charlie and the tow rope the old mans only other words on the subject were "in you go "
So in Charlie went to waist deep water to attach the tow rope to sues Renault. Feuago
The old man went off with Sue
Security towed the Renault to hethel where it was put in one of the hangers,dried out stripped out and rebuilt by several lotus cars workers
Least a rather wet Charlie didn't have far to walk home !

[colinsays]

Interesting thread!!!!

I have been aways curious about the relationship between Colin and David Thieme (ESSEX Petroleum).

Some say David spoiled Colin in the way he began to be more concentrated into" high-standing" life than racing issues.....in that way ,that search of "easy money" conducted Colin to the sad De Lorean episode, that could have put him into jail.

Interesting read:

http://www.motorspor...unch-peter-warr

I read somewhere David Thieme still lives in Paris, but nobody knows about him.

Edited by colinsays, 30 August 2016 - 08:03.

[polarboy]

Think the old man was blinded by the light when he got with Essex !
You know what they say "bullshit baffles brains"
Fantastic car launches at the albert hall but visit the head office for Essex in Monaco it was a tiny tiny office for 2 people

[colinsays]

Think the old man was blinded by the light when he got with Essex !
You know what they say "bullshit baffles brains"
Fantastic car launches at the albert hall but visit the head office for Essex in Monaco it was a tiny tiny office for 2 people

 

In fact ,more than 2 people in Monaco 

See images

http://www.gettyimag...photo/160721864

Also spot "party time" at Monaco 80......was not surprise Colin was bored from F1 issues

http://www.gettyimag...photo/160721801

 

 In April 1981, he released the following press statement:

“I shall seriously reconsider… whether Grand Prix racing is still what it purports to be: the pinnacle of sport and technological achievement. Unfortunately, this appears to be no longer the case and, if one does not clean it up, Formula 1 shall end up in a quagmire of plagiarism, chicanery and petty rule interpretation forced by lobbies manipulated by people for whom the sport has no meaning.”

(Colin  was always ahead of his time.....a visionaire)          

Edited by colinsays, 30 August 2016 - 08:21.

[E1pix]

Wow, Colin the Great Predictor!

[colinsays]

I discovered some time ago this rare pic....copyright unknown

I am pretty sure that a funny story is involving Colin.

Has someone any details concerning this boat race?

[2F-001]

I suppose the Essex livery would help to date it, at least.

[Parkesi]

ACBC at his best?

In 1956 a yound Mike Parkes applied for a job and on February, 23^rd Chapman sent a letter:

Dear Sir, NO. Yours faithfully, Chapman. Director.

23^rd October 1969 Chapman wrote: Dear Michael (handwritten), As you know, for a number of years now I have been waiting for the day

when you will have finished your assigment in Italy and will return to England to become the Engineer Director of the Lotus Group of

Companies and Shareholder. Is this day getting nearer or must I wait for ever? I will be pleased to hear from you the latest situation and when

I can get your desk ready for you. Kind regards, Sincerely, Colin (handwritten).

P.S. I will also get your aeroplane and gun warmed up ready for use!

Parkes/Chapman met in December 1969 and in January 1970 MP sent a letter with a list of the sums that he earned in Italy.

After this ACBC obviously lost interest.

All further correspondences were done by P.R.Bushell (Group Financial Director) incl. the final cancellation on 24^th June 1970.

[PeterElleray]

Wasn't that the role Chapman had offered to Tony Rudd in Sept 1969 ...?

[kayemod]

Wasn't that the role Chapman had offered to Tony Rudd in Sept 1969 ...?

 

That's right, "Uncle" Tony was taken on as Lotus Engineering Director, though I've never heard Mike Parkes' name mentioned in connection with that role, or indeed any other at Lotus. I'd have thought that Rudd thinking was from an earlier generation than Colin Chapman's, but the arrangement seemed to function well enough. I still remember sitting through a stern interview with Tony after I handed in my notice, later confirmed in a mildly worrying letter threatening dire retribution if I ever made use of anything I'd learned at Lotus in any future employment or enterprise, I must still have it somewhere. I did exactly that of course, though never on anything that could have caused Group Lotus any great concern. I used some of the same suppliers and information must have got back to them, but I never heard another word.

 

On David Thieme, I was told that the Essex Petroleum offices were nothing more than a rented room in Monte Carlo's Hotel de Paris. He made vast amounts of money in that room, though things came to a halt after he was arrested in Switzerland, I think on suspicion of currency offences, though eventually he seems to have been released without any charges.

[Parkesi]

Chapman wrote on 12th November, 1969:

Dear Michael, I would love to see you when you come to England next and I think your suggestion of the 30th December will be quite okay.

 

Parkes wrote on 3rd January, 1970:

Dear Colin, Thank you for my interesting visit on Tuesday and also for lunch.

I would appreciate it, if you could enlighten me as to what my position would be, vis-a-vis Mr.Austin with regard to engineering decisions,

and if I could ask you to let me know what is his motor industry experience.

Do you regard him as a professional administrator?

[polarboy]

That is a young Clive chapman with Colin and the boat
To deflect Clive away from dangerous motor racing the old man got Clive into power boat racing and "sorted" a bit of sponsorship money
Operation was run from the buildings in the orchard at kett hall,full time boat builder and mechanic an vw transporter to tow the boat
Think Clive still has the boat at was Carlton manor
It was through this racing there was a friendship with the percival/ Hodges power boat team and after tom percivals death lead to Chris Hodges coming to team and watching how we made the f1 tub
Then went onto build a carbon safety cell which became mandatory in power boating and he got the queens award for safety
Friend had to deliver a package to Essex petroleum
Was expecting GRAND offices,reception,conference room etc
Having eventually found the building thought they would have a floor of the building or something
When he eventually found them there were 2 plain doors into two small rooms,that was Essex petroleum
"drunken" shot looks real but 1st "office" shot looks very Essex staged bullshit shot

[colinsays]

That is a young Clive chapman with Colin and the boat
To deflect Clive away from dangerous motor racing the old man got Clive into power boat racing and "sorted" a bit of sponsorship money
Operation was run from the buildings in the orchard at kett hall,full time boat builder and mechanic an vw transporter to tow the boat
Think Clive still has the boat at was Carlton manor
It was through this racing there was a friendship with the percival/ Hodges power boat team and after tom percivals death lead to Chris Hodges coming to team and watching how we made the f1 tub
Then went onto build a carbon safety cell which became mandatory in power boating and he got the queens award for safety
Friend had to deliver a package to Essex petroleum
Was expecting GRAND offices,reception,conference room etc
Having eventually found the building thought they would have a floor of the building or something
When he eventually found them there were 2 plain doors into two small rooms,that was Essex petroleum
"drunken" shot looks real but 1st "office" shot looks very Essex staged bullshit shot

 

Many Thanks for the info...I didn´t know the fact

With your info I was able to find this

 

Edited by colinsays, 31 August 2016 - 11:49.

[PeterElleray]

The Mike Parkes connection gets ever more intriguing!

 

Obviously Mike was wary of Dennis Austin (at that time MD of Lotus Cars i understand), but no mention of Tony Rudd - who Mike must have known on a personal level from the F1 pitlane.

 

Tony was certainly in residence at Hethel, had been since 3rd September 1969, and kind of hard to miss...

 

Was Tony Chief engineer or Engineering Director at that point, or do i need to revist 'It was Fun' to check?

 

Edit: After checking It Was Fun:

 

Tony reported to Denis Austin as Powertrain Manager.. The initial offer was as Technical Director for the Group, but after 'some resistance' (not enough experience of certain areas of roadcars!) that was scaled back to Powertrain manager, the view being that Tony could handle engines, and would soon 'learn' about chassis and suspensions, but other areas would take him more time ! (Not much has changed - in my brief stay in 2012 i got the exact same response).

Edited by PeterElleray, 31 August 2016 - 16:50.

[colinsays]

‘Not Me Driving The Hire Car This Morning Matey…try Col Chapman up the road  ’Jack Brabham Monza mid ’60’s

 Some Carabinieri tried to fine Jack Brabham for speeding....but he was not the driver....

Edited by colinsays, 06 September 2016 - 10:47.

[MonzaDriver]

Dear Colinsays,

Chapman's words were really ahead of time ( thank you for post it)

Above all because Chapman ans Ecclestone invented this mentality.

The very first, who dont cares about sport, were really those two.

And this trick works fine, decade after decade, up until nowdays.

MonzaDriver

. 

[karlcars]

There are some pretty good Chapman stories in my book "Colin Chapman -- Inside the Innovator."

 

I don't have a copy handy here on holiday but one concerned the arrival of a racing driver -- Reutemann? -- for an interview with him only for the official receiving the driver to see Colin's car headed swiftly for the works exit.

 

Then there was the time at a motor show when the sales chief hadn't yet positioned the Lotuses on the stand when Colin arrived. Asked about this, he said there was no use positioning them because Colin always moved them afterward. "How will I know where to move them," came the smiling Chapman response, "if I don't have your arrangement to change?"