Hi from Hethel

[Kimbers]

Hi everyone, My name is Anthony Kimberley and my dad was project leader and Engineering Director on the Esprit. I've joined because a friend recommended the site, I'm a total Lotus fanatic having grown up in the factory (literally) and also deal in Lotus memorabilia on e-bay.

Feel free to contact me if you have any technical or historical questions

Cheers all

Tony K

[x6gas]

Cool Tony - great to have you on Board.

I guess you'll be selling the Merc and looking for an Esprit soon then B)

Cheers, Ian

[Jussi]

Hello Anthony or is it Tony and welcome to forum

It's nice to have people with "factory knowledge" around here.

...prepare for some tough questions from Wayne

[Kimbers]

Cool Tony - great to have you on Board.

I guess you'll be selling the Merc and looking for an Esprit soon then  B)

Cheers, Ian

Unfortunately I can't as I have disgusted my father by working for Mercedes.......he'll never forgive me...

[hovgaard]

Good to have you aboard the board.

Now please start telling some anecdotes!

[Kimbers]

Good to have you aboard the board.

Now please start telling some anecdotes!

Anecdote number 1.

Colin had a Merc 600 which after it's third engine the Engineering team decided to intervene. After looking at the problem....well there was only one problem, Colin. Near the factory is a famous dip in the road with a hump on the exit. It's called Putnams leap after Roger Putnam had a nasty accident there. If you get up to about 85 on the exit you can quite literally fly, which is what Colin was doing...but at over 100mph the car was hitting with such force it was ripping the sump clean off the car. After armour plating the whole bottom of the engine bay there was never another problem!

[cbclotus]

Excellent to see you on the forum,looking forward to reading your memoires with regard to your Lotus upbringing.This is what these forums need,a true account of the history of Lotus cars.By the way my wife says i no longer need to stalk you by email,i can contact you here! Mike Claudia and Mel.

[Kimbers]

Excellent to see you on the forum,looking forward to reading your memoires with regard to your Lotus upbringing.This is what these forums need,a true account of the history of Lotus cars.By the way my wife says i no longer need to stalk you by email,i can contact you here!   Mike Claudia and Mel.

Hi mike, Claudia and Mel

Dad and I are having a laugh he's been telling me anecdotes for the last hour and haven't been able to put them up as laughing too much to see the screen. Think I might start a post specially for it!

Tony

[Paul C]

...Think I might start a post specially for it!

Please do.

Welcome.

[fmxa]

Hi everyone, My name is Anthony Kimberley and my dad was project leader and Engineering Director on the Esprit. I've joined because a friend recommended the site, I'm a total Lotus fanatic having grown up in the factory (literally) and also deal in Lotus memorabilia on e-bay.

Feel free to contact me if you have any technical or historical questions

Cheers all

Tony K

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome from a S4s owner in California (say thanks to your dad for such a great car from me!)

[Kimbers]

Welcome from a S4s owner in California (say thanks to your dad for such a great car from me!)

Tell me where you are and he'll be over there next month......you can thank him yourself......

by the way the rumours are true, he's been made a Director of Lotus USA and will be starting with dealer visits....

[cbclotus]

can we come...can we come....can we?Mike,Claudia,Mel

[cbclotus]

That is brilliant news!()this is fantastic news for Lotus fans worldwide!!!p.s can we PLEASSSSSSE still go on holiday.

[MKE40]

Feel free to contact me if you have any technical or historical questions

Cheers all

Tony K

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tony , Welcome ( again!)

With access to the " Horses Mouth ", You will be able to put a few of the "Guessers"

and " I Think it was........" correctly in the picture.

One query though ...

There was a chap at Hethel, Val Dare-Bryan who went on to design the Attillas with Roy Pierpoint ( for whom I worked) Val introduced me to Climax Elites one of which he owned , the MK6 never appealed to me but the Elite was a whole new ball game.

We also specialised in setting up Saloon cars for the track and had a few interesting cars about at times , also housing the secret Alan Mann Ford USA team prepping the first attempt on the Monte .

I understand that Val is now back in the Norfolk area from the guys that are now running an Attilla in series racing.

Would your dad know his whereabouts , or an email address ?

Cheers,

Mike

[fmxa]

Tell me where you are and he'll be over there next month......you can thank him yourself......

by the way the rumours are true, he's been made a Director of Lotus USA and will be starting with dealer visits....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm just south of Los Angeles. If he's going to be in the area, the South Coast Lotus Club would be honored to buy him a pint or two!

Cheers!

Paul

[Kimbers]

That is brilliant news!()this is fantastic news for Lotus fans worldwide!!!p.s can we PLEASSSSSSE still go on holiday.

no

[Kimbers]

Tony , Welcome ( again!)

With access to the " Horses Mouth ", You will be able to put a few of the "Guessers"

and " I Think it was........"  correctly in the picture.

One query though ...

There was a chap at Hethel, Val Dare-Bryan who went on to design the Attillas with Roy Pierpoint ( for whom I worked)  Val introduced me to Climax Elites one of which he owned , the MK6 never appealed to me but the Elite was a whole new ball game.

We also specialised in setting up Saloon cars for the track and had a few interesting cars about at times , also housing the secret Alan Mann Ford USA team prepping the first attempt on the Monte .

I understand that Val is now back in the Norfolk area from the guys that are now running an Attilla in series racing.

Would your dad know his whereabouts , or an email address ?

Cheers,

Mike

Will check, He's gone out to dinner but will check for you asap.

[MKE40]

Will check, He's gone out to dinner but will check for you asap.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tony , Thanks for that ...

Mike

[WayneB]

Hi Tony, glad you let Mike Brewer talk you into joining the forum

Pleased to hear about your dads new job in America B)

We are quite the bunch, dont you think?

(Im with your dad on the Mercedes thing)

Edited November 27, 2005 by WayneB

[Guest teigan]

U.K. NAZI GOLD

isn't difficult at all to scrape away the sump on a mercedes. i've done it numerous times, and i drive very conservatively. so, not sure that qualifies as an anecdote.

[USAndretti42]

Welcome to the forum, Tony.

A friend of mine used to, in fact may still, work with Colin, Mike's brother. How is he doing nowadays?

Looking forward to plenty of anecdotes.

[esprit350]

Welcome Tony, thank you in advance for all the stories

Howard

[Bibs]

Welcome to the forum Tony

[Alan Paterson]

Hi Tony,

Your Dad's name was mentioned to me by Bobby Bell of Bell & Colvill fame, when I was filming 'Esprit-Addiction for Life' and I really wished I'd been able to do an interview with him for the film. I believe he was MD at Lotus when Bell & Colvill developed their first turbo assisted S1.

If I do a follow up film, do you think he'd agree to being filmed?

'Esprit-Addiction for Life' is now out on DVD.

Kind regards

Alan

[Kimbers]

If I do a follow up film, do you think he'd agree to being filmed?

'Esprit-Addiction for Life' is now out on DVD.

Kind regards

Alan

Alan

Dad says he is more than happy to assist with filming/interview etc. Can put you in touch with private e-mail. Just send me yours.

Regards

Tony

Edited November 29, 2005 by Bibs