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Home , Caterham Cars, Colin Chapman, Team Lotus (2010–11)

The Chapman Report

Published by the Golden Gate Lotus Club www.gglotus.org February 2008

How Much for that Lotus in the Window? editor Are the prices of the used dropping like Stockton real estate values? Well, no. Some owners appear to be in pure anxiety over some scenario like this, fearing they would have to sell their for pennies on the dollar. Well, some of us have through this before and want to say just relax. I shopped for my first Lotus, a used Elan, in 1965. I would stop by a Lotus dealership that was owned by a guy named Bob Challman about every day, as I lived in Re- dondo Beach and worked at LAX (LA Airport). I had been intro- Elan and Elise at the Laguna Track Day. duced to Lotus by the ads that were to give him anything on the Elan; created and paid for by Bob, and So what’s that Elan selling for didn’t want it. I told a friend in the placed in and Driver or Road today? About $15K, and that’s not SCCA about it and he bought it for and Track. His ads were the only even in perfect, restored condition less than $500. marketing for Lotus in the U.S., and for that price. PS: I tried to buy a So, that should have been about he was the car’s leading cheerlead- Seven from Bob Challman back the end of the and Lotus er. He had to be, as in ‘65. He said: “forget it, kid.” cars in general. had little concern for marketing at Smart man. any level. I could have gotten an Elan with low miles then for $3500 February Meeting from him, but my dad wouldn’t co-sign the loan. He also wouldn’t Friday, Feb 15th, 7:30 pm let me get the Porsche RSK Spider in Vasek Polak’s used car lot for Host: Tom and Cherie Carney $2600. He hadn’t heard of either of those car companies, so let me buy Burlingame, Ca 94010 a ‘58 Desoto. The early 70’s would come and you could pick up a Lotus for CHEAP. How cheap? I was in Las Vegas by then, and heard from a friend that someone had tried to trade in an Elan on a new Fiat Spyder. The dealership had refused page 2 2008 Lotus Meet David Anderson GGLC Founder John Ridley moved to southern Oregon a while ago and he's been the driving force behind the 2008 conven- tion and autocross. So put October 2 thru 5 2008 on your calendar and plan to drive (or trailer) your Lotus to Canyonville, Oregon! Event headquarters will be the Seven Feathers Casino and Resort. Plenty of easy park- ing and a great resort (your scribe is told). The autocross will be designed by Barry Spencer (past national autox champion)! There will be a Lotus car show and a town parade! For more info, watch the GGLC web More Europas at the Laguna Track Day. Do Europas site and this newsletter. Or call John Rid- breed? They sure don’t die. Nice car. ley at 541-825-3370. Calendar

Feb 15th meeting. The Carneys, Burlingame. March 21st meeting. Jim McClure’s March 21st, Track Day, Thunder Hill March 29-30th, Goodguys, Pleasanton April 18th Meeting, The Richens, San Francisco April 20th, Autocross Clinic, Marina Airport KAMPENA MOTORS April 27th, Dream Machines, Half Moon Bay May 4th, Hillsborough Concours May 16 meeting. The Andersons, Hillsborough. Infineon Raceway

For more and up to date information on these GGLC and 28935 Arnold Drive F-10 other events check the GGLC website at www.gglotus.org Sonoma, CA 95476 Phone # 707-933-8039 WWW.KAMPENA.COM Parts and Service for Independent LOTUS Parts & Service Specializing in Lotus Elans and Europas www.jaeparts.com Quality and Considerate Service Tel: 805-967-5767 Total Ground Up Restorations to Fax: 805-967-6183 Routine Maintenance

Factory parts for the latest Esprits and M100 Elans to Huge Inventory of New and Used Parts Vintage racing and restoration parts for the classic Many Hard to Find Pieces Lotus. Also, pain-free next-day drop ship service for parts we may not have. CALL NOW FOR COMPETITIVE PRICES, EXPERIENCE AND SERVICE. page 3 car will be getting what Tesla editor GGLC Track Day, Tesla Toast? calls an "interim" transmission.” From the San Jose Mercury OK, some may get their cars Laguna by David Anderson News: “The messy divorce be- but with bad trannys and maybe It was cold but dry all day at tween Tesla Motors' co-founder a few other problems. But, their Laguna Seca. It was hard to get and the Silicon Valley electric- service network will be able to tires up to good temperatures in car company continues. sort those issues in due time. the 40-50 degree F chill. Your Tesla has ousted several Wait, there is no service network reporter had stayed in Carmel senior executives and about a yet. They could also be doing Valley overnight and had to dozen other employees in recent quite well, on their own or as a scrape 1/8 inch of frost/ice off weeks. Darry Siry, the com- part of a larger car company by the tow car windows at 7AM... pany's vice president of sales, that time. Very unusual for Carmel. marketing and service, said the I would have loved for the We had a full slate of 75 moves were related to "per- Tesla to have succeded, but I entrants (the track limits to 25 on formance management." Ze'ev honestly can’t see this scenario track at once, a firm limitation). Drori, coming true. One or two entrants packed up The news of the firings - they P.S.: Since this article, there before lunch allowing lucky late aren't layoffs, Siry said, as the have been more positive press applicants to register and get on San Carlos company lists 39 job on Tesla, including the latest track in the afternoon. openings on its Web site - was Autoweek. It is reported that The entrants were split into announced on a new Web site by there is another transmission, 3 25 car groups. Each group Martin Eberhard, who founded one speed. The Chairman of the ran a 20 minute session so a the company along with Marc Board and major investor, Elon full set was once an hour: each Tarpenning. Musk, has received his car. He group could predict when to be On his www.teslafounders. stated that he had $50 million in ready to go on track. We kept to com late Thursday, Eberhard the company. There have yet to schedule very well all day. named 16 people who have left be any long term tests of the car, One Elise had engine trouble the company in recent days, and and, no financials are reported by (reportedly a camshaft had been he added more names Friday Tesla. As a privately held com- replaced and the replacement morning. He called it "a blood- pany, the are not required to tell failed). Otherwise there were no bath," and said Tesla's new us anything, and they don’t. incidents. management team has made cuts We had 6 Europas (!) and 2 among its top executives, many Lotus Bytes Elans and at least 10 Elise/Exige engineers, its service organiza- Dave Anderson on hand. We must not forget tion and its firmware team. Regional Autocrossing Dave Platt's very quick Esprit Eberhard was replaced by an Member Jesus Villareal has been of course: he skipped the last interim CEO in mid-2007, and campaigning his 73 Europa to couple of sessions as he cracked left the company entirely just good effect, winning X Prepared a brake disk and did not dare after Drori's . at SCCA San Francisco Re- press on, he had to drive home! Originally scheduled for gion's event November 18 2007 Evil Twins Racing (Dan delivery early in 2007, the first at Castle Airfield, Atwater CA. and Sharon Wardman and Joel production Tesla has yet The picture in the November Farber) brought 2 Europas and a to be built. Delays, most related issue of "North American Pylon" Zink : I sat (well, to the car's transmission, mean shows his beautiful paint job really laid down) in the Zink in the first customers won't get their and large rear wing and large the paddock and don't quite un- $100,000 cars for at least a few front splitter (what we used to derstand how one could actually more months, and even then the call an air-dam). drive such a cramped vehicle! Next one is at Thunderhilll. page 4 Press Release um tub and glassfibre composite Lotus News body. Kimberley won’t confirm New Lotuses On Horizon where the engine’s coming from, company, small enough that a but doesn’t argue with the logic Eagle Lands Next Year, Fol- ‘can do’ culture can flourish, as it lowed by Esprit Replacement of our guess at a unit, did in Colin’s (Chapman) day.’ most likely a 3.2-litre V6 with EVO - September 3, 2007 New 2+2 From the outside Lotus looks about 300bhp. Kimberley is clearly passion- When we interviewed Kim- to be in a precarious position. ate about Lotus’s forthcoming Owner Proton is subject to a berley in 2006, he had just re- models, starting with Project viewed progress with the Esprit takeover bid, and while the Eagle, a 2+2 designed to sit Malaysian company’s homeland and decided that it wasn’t ex- between the Elise/Exige/Europa treme enough. It seems that the state-of-the-art manufacturing and the new Esprit, and due to plant has huge appeal for poten- car’s dynamics are now much debut at next year’s London sharper, ‘more Lotus’, as befit- tial buyers, a small, specialist motor show, on sale early in maker with a dodgy ting ’s flagship £70,000 2009. Teasingly he grants me a ($140,000) supercar. financial past, based in rural quick glance at pictures of the , could seem like un- Eagle, which appears to be a wanted baggage. mid-engined coupe with (very) More Lotus " Production is now tailored occasional rear seating. Think editor to demand – we’re selling 65 Bertone-bodied Dino 308GT4 Bytes cars a week and we’re making with a modern Lotus twist and The new issue of Autoweek 65 cars a week" you won’t be too wide of the has a good article on all of the Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley mark. Price is likely to be sub- variations of the Elise that are (Photo above with Lotus founder £50K ($100,000). currently available, along with Colin Chapman's image looking Unlike the Europa, the Eagle further information. over his shoulder) confesses that isn’t based on an Elise platform he isn’t party to the machinations but it will use a bonded alumini- of the Proton takeover but he is adamant that whatever the out- come, Lotus has a future. In fact, he believes the company is now as strong as it has ever been – it has returned to profitability and plans to launch an all-new 2+2 at the London Motor Show in 2008 and the Esprit replacement a year later. ‘Production is now tailored to demand – we’re selling 65 cars a week and we’re mak- ing 65 cars a week. We’ve eliminated the build-up of stock, particularly in the US where the situation was out of hand and unsustainable. There’s a need to Richard Ryan, above and opposite, getting driving lessons from refocus Lotus on being a niche Derek Bell in the Bently. page 5 Eleise in the middle of Paris as Speed 8 RideRichardRyan the crowds cheered. Back to December 9, 2007. Bentley Speed 8, right? Well, Bentley brought the 2001 third no. Those early victories (1927 place EXP Speed 8 to the USA to 1930) came in a Speed Six. for some promotional activities. And yes, like the Speed Six, This car weighs about 1,980 the Speed 8 is green, but that is pounds. The 3.6-liter, V-8 pro- about where the similarities end. duced 600+ HP and 550+ foot Two Speed 8s finished first and pounds of torque by using two second at Le Mans 73 years later turbochargers. At speed, the (in 2003). aerodynamics can create about After some inquires, I get an Late in 2000 Bentley an- 4,400 pounds of down force. e-mail from Bentley. “We are nounced a 3-year plan to return Time to go for a ride. Ashley wondering if, on December 9 at to competition at Le Mans. They Mason (the crew chief) opens 3:30, you would have the op- knew it would take some time to the passenger door and pries portunity to take hot laps with design, build, develop, and fine out the last victim. The victim Derek Bell in the Speed 8 at tune the mechanics, drivers, and falls to his hands and knees and Infineon Raceway and then have cars before that 73 year drought kisses the ground muttering, “I a chance to interview Derek. could be broken and the goal of made it. I’m still alive.” He had Please let me know if this is OK winning the most prestigious never been in any kind of race- with you.” Instantly I fire back sports car race in the world could car before. I can’t imagine how my OK. be achieved. Work on the first overpowering the ride must have What does the term “Bent- set of Bentley EXP Speed 8s been for him. ley Speed 8” conjure up in your started. I sit on the bodywork. As I mind? For the 2001 race, Bentley feed my feet and legs into the Those of us, who are not sent a two car team to the fa- passenger’s footwell, then slip students of Green history, may mous French racetrack to con- my upper body in through the think of WO and the boys racing test the 24-hour event. One car door and slides into the seat. around the 1920/1930s English finished third (and first in class) Ashley helps with the belts. I countryside. Their toy? A huge, and one dropped out with electri- yanks hard on all the belt ad- slab-sided, green, 4-door mon- cal problems. justment tabs, knowing what is ster with large wire wheels and To prepare for the 2003 Le about to happen. a Villiers supercharger sticking Mans, Bentley took the two The passenger side (left side) out 2 feet in front of the massive Speed 8s to the Sebring 12-hour of the Speed 8 was not made for radiator. race and finished third and fourth a tall person. I really only have At some point, they decide behind the Audi R8s. Then a 3 points of contact: my feet are to take on the entire world. two car Bentley team crossed the wedged into the footwell, my They ferry their toys over to the channel for the 2003 Le Mans butt is shoehorned into the seat, French countryside to take on 24-hour race. A Speed 8 started and my head is jammed into the all comers at the big race. For a from the pole. roof. Ashley shows me a bracket few years they beat the pants off 24 hours and 3,198 miles that I can use to hold myself to the world’s automotive giants. later the two Speed 8s crossed one side and keep from falling Then, just for fun, they pick a the finish line in first and second. on Derek in left turns. As he train to race against and try to As part of the victory celebra- lowers the door, Ashley says, beat it to the end of the line (and tion Derek Bell drove the win- “Stand in the footwell when they do beat the train). ning Speed 8 down the Champs And they did all this with a next page page 6 Derek hits the brakes.” Derek starting to grip. G-loads in all background includes; otherwise, reaches over in front of my nose directions skyrocket. Derek is you wouldn’t be reading this to punch the start button. The now fighting the wheel at almost magazine. As a quick review, he adventure begins. every turn. Even with those hard started racing in 1964 in a Lotus Because it is cold (after all pulls on the belts, I crash left and 7 (just like the one in Flash’s it is December), it takes a lap right in the seat. And yes, when garage). He worked his way up or so to get the tires up to some Derek hits the brakes, you do al- through Formula 3 to Formula kind of operating temp so the most stand in the footwell. The 2. His first Formula 1 race was Speed 8 wiggles around a lot and Speed 8’s braking performance in 1968 in a Ferrari at Monza. the side loadings aren’t bad. All is incredible. The acceleration is What a pressure-packed place car movements are transferred strong. The noise level is not bad to start! He was in 16 F-1 races directly from the roof, to my at all. I think the gearbox made driving for Ferrari, , loaner helmet, to my head, to more noise than the engine did. McLaren, and . His sports my brain. But at this moment, Now things are happening car credentials are even more it’s not too bad. Ever being the much faster than they did in the impressive. He has won Le driver instructor, I focused on early laps. Coming outta T-11 Mans five times and three times Derek’s lines, and he gets a very upshifts are wap! wap! wap! at Daytona. His latest win was good grade. His approach and wap! and we turn into T-1 faster at the 2007 “Race of Legends” turn-in for T-7 is a little unusual. than Flash has ever been in a car, held at the Monterey Historics. During a post-ride conversation 160+. The Speed 8 climbs the I need to say thanks to the with Derek, I decide that I will hill into T-2 like a jet fighter on group from Team Bentley and try that line the next time the lift off. Bentley Motor Cars for a great mighty FV hits the track. A few I am sure you know who day at the track. laps in, and the tires are now Derek Bell is and what his Track Day Very unusual for Carmel. 3 25 car groups. Each group Dave Anderson We had a full slate of 75 ran a 20 minute session so a It was cold but dry all day at entrants (Caterham below) ,as full set was once an hour: each Laguna Seca. It was hard to get the track limits to 25 on track at group could predict when to be tires up to good temperatures in once, a firm limitation. One or ready to go on track. We kept to the 40-50 degree F chill. Your two entrants packed up before schedule very well all day. reporter had stayed in Carmel lunch allowing lucky late appli- One Elise had engine trouble Valley overnight and had to cants to register and get on track (reportedly a camshaft had been scrape 1/8 inch of frost/ice off in the afternoon. replaced and the replacement The entrants were split into the tow car windows at 7AM... next page page 7

The Chapman Report is published monthly by the Golden Gate Lotus Club, PO Box 117303, Burlingame, CA 94011. The GGLC is a non-profit incorporated car club and is not affiliated with Group Lotus, or Lotus Cars USA. The GGLC’s annual membership dues are $25.00. Opinions expressed in the Chapman Report are those of the authors and do not represent those of the GGLC or its officers. Submissions to the Chapman Report are accepted and encour- aged. Please email them to [email protected] in MS Word, rtf or ASCII text. Submissions may also be mailed to Jim Mc- Clure, 11238 Bubb Road, Cupertino, CA 95014. 2006 GGLC Officers are: President: Clark Vineyard, Vice President:Clark Vineyard, Treasurer: Laura Hamai, Event Coordina- tor: John Zender, Membership Chairman: David Anderson, Secretary: Jon Rosner Chapma Report Staff: Editor: Jim McClure, Circulation Manager: Tom Carney, Advertising Manager: Mel Boss. More Classifieds For Sale: 1973 Europa. Turbo charged, wide tires and wheel flares. Yellow with front to back wide black stripes. Only needs side mirrors and paint touch up. No stress cracks. Upgraded strong brakes. $35,00.00 Joe at (916) 721-3324 or eve. (530) 886-0788. Joe Marman Day (916) 721-3324 > [email protected] (10/07) For Sale: 2005 ELISE.BRG with star guard and touring package. Soft and Hard cover. Low miles, 34000. failed). Otherwise there were no Please contact Katherine at 831-595-6476 (11/07) incidents. Offer: I will be heading out to the bay area in April to pick We had 6 Europas (!) and 2 up an Esprit and tow it back to Minnesota. I will have an empty Elans and at least 10 Elise/Exige uncovered pickup bed and open trailer for the trip out if anybody has on hand. We must not forget something they want to ship from the upper midwest to any points Dave Platt's very quick Esprit between Minneapolis and San Francisco. Cost: gas between the pick of course: he skipped the last up point and dropoff. [email protected] 507 358 2878 couple of sessions as he cracked a brake disk and did not dare press on, he had to drive home! Evil Twins Racing (Dan and Sharon Wardman and Joel Farber) brought 2 Europas(photo on right) and a Zink Formula Ford: I sat (well, really laid down) in the Zink in the paddock and don't quite understand how one could actually drive such a cramped vehicle! Next track day is at Thunder- hill in March. page 8 Classifieds (non-comercial ads are free to GGLC members and will run OLDEN G ATE EVENS for three issues before requiring renewal) G S For Sale: Fully Operational Infineon Raceway 2.17L 1991 Turbo Esprit SE Mo- 28935 Arnold Drive F-10 tor. Head completely rebuilt in Sonoma, CA 95476 October 2006 with nearly $4K in Phone # 707-933-8039 new parts. Authorized Dealer of Price negotiable. Will share shipping cost with buyer. RICHARD L. KAMP Direct Inquires to: [email protected] or call (808) 682-0709 and leave message. Short Video with sound available upon request to confirm operational condition of Designed for Racing Built for Living motor. www.goldengatesevens.com For Sale: Livery Green 1986 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI For Sale: ’67 Lotus Elan Wanted: 1. Elan S2 side- for sale Very Quick Car, Un- S-3 Coupe. Very competitive window glass. Lotus Part Num- fortunately, I no longer fit.... w/long race history. RHD w/ ber 26B0090 (two hole finger- 86,000 Miles, Runs Beauti- no-exp.-spared mechanical lift style) 2. Elan S1/2 door fully, Smogs Easily 5000 miles restoration. Fresh TC. Raced key-lock cylinder(s). Left side since complete engine rebuild CSRG, SOVREN, HMSA, Wine Appears to be Part No. 26B6013 by Barry Spenser ($10K) 6000 Country. For extensive list of LH 3. Steel center-ring from miles since body restoration Vintage Legal mods contact an Elan Plus-2 alloy wheel (are by S.J. City Autobody ($10K) Paul Quackenbush. $39950.00. there any busted or bent Plus-2 $20,000 or Best Offer Call Oli- 530-274-2777, 530-274-8777, alloy wheels out there?) Contact ver at 408-718-8363 [email protected] Marc Charonnat, Cycling2003@

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PO Box 117303, Burlingame, CA 94011 CA Burlingame, 117303, Box PO The Golden Gate Lotus Club Lotus Gate Golden The