Popular Post Guy Munday Posted October 14, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 I've recently acquired the actual car that Mike Kimberley revealed to the world at the launch of the M100. It is Prototype 14 with a huge history file, including internal memos circulated amongst the design team in the run up to the show. It was unused for 5 years prior to me acquiring it so has required a bit of a makeover in order to MOT it, which I have now done. It's still got a lot of pre production parts on it and also a few early-car features like the double flip headlamps that were deleted after about six months of production. I would be interested to know if anyone has any information or images relating to the Earls Court show that year. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOTUSMAN33 Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Hi Guy I wondered who bought that one at auction, I was tempted myself. Well done you have a great bit of Lotus History. I recommend you read Mark Hughes book Lotus Elan. It is known as the bible and certainly has loads of information about the development cars, yours is mentioned also. I own Inital build 10 which has all the early features and remained with Lotus until late 1996. Did it need much work to get road worthy? Wait until you start taking it to bits as you will be amazed what messages and info is hidden behind trim/panels etc. I am still finding 1989 stuff now after taking it to bits as part of the investigation. Fantastic investment and great to have another early Elan saved. ???? Dave 2 Quote Do or do not, there is no try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Munday Posted October 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Hi Dave, I was following your thread with interest as there must be similarities between our cars. It had not been used for five years so needed quite a lot of work. I've concentrated on the mechanical side including brakes, suspension, etc so that I could get the car MOT'd which I have now done. It has been subject to a thorough clean and has come up surprisingly well with little damage to the paint or interior. Next will be to start on some further adjustments and improvements to various bits and pieces - mainly non standard parts that don't fit or function that well (and probably never did). As I buy and sell Lotus, it will then be offered for sale (rather than me getting involved in a total strip down and rebuild). I do have a conscience, however, and would love this car to stay within the UK Lotus community if possible so if anybody would like to discuss it before it goes on general sale, I would love to hear from you. I really think it's a car that should be seen and enjoyed again and it would be perfect if a forum member were to take it on. The images are great, by the way. Many thanks for posting! Guy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOTUSMAN33 Posted October 15, 2016 Report Share Posted October 15, 2016 Hi Guy Thought I knew the name but had a blank moment! Still glad you are doing all the donkey work to bring PP14 back to life. I had similar issues with IB10 and security devices which thankfully are all removed and in the past now. It would be great when finished and detailed to try and organise a photoshoot of both cars together. Still trying to confirm mine was the Detroit motor show car as it carries LHD headlights and was the US emission control development car, Andy Graham confirmed it was built to press car standard. Detroit motorshow car You may find this chart interesting, it was compiled by myself, Dave Speck (LEC) with help from Andy at Lotus. It shows all the early M100 development, build and press cars. Some info is blanked for the usual reasons; Keep us updated on progress and post some pics when finished, you have a very special Elan and like you I hope someone on the forum gets it. Dave Quote Do or do not, there is no try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_speck Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 Cheers Geoffers for the heads up. If there's anything I can assist with, don't hesitate to ask. TTFN Specky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Guy Munday Posted January 12, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 12, 2017 I've been given about a dozen super images of the car on the show stand in 1989. Here are a couple. I've now almost completed a total overhaul of the front brakes which were binding and overheating quite severely. I have also renewed the alternator as it was not producing enough to keep the red light off! I took it out for a twenty mile run over Christmas and it really is now driving like an M100 should! That was definitely not the case when I first got it! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Guy Munday Posted January 23, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 (edited) I've just acquired Mike Kimberley's original speech notes from the Earl's Court launch! Stapled to the back of an original brochure are two stand invitations with typed and handwritten notes. It was given to somebody who was in the audience at the time and brazenly asked if he could have it! It's a great piece of memorabilia that can stay with the car. Edited January 23, 2017 by Guy Munday 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOTUSMAN33 Posted January 23, 2017 Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 Absolute gold dust, what a great find to add additional provenance to an already special piece of Lotus history! ??? Dave Quote Do or do not, there is no try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM johnpwalsh Posted January 25, 2017 Gold FFM Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 On 10/15/2016 at 14:09, LOTUSMAN33 said: Hi Guy Thought I knew the name but had a blank moment! Still glad you are doing all the donkey work to bring PP14 back to life. I had similar issues with IB10 and security devices which thankfully are all removed and in the past now. It would be great when finished and detailed to try and organise a photoshoot of both cars together. Still trying to confirm mine was the Detroit motor show car as it carries LHD headlights and was the US emission control development car, Andy Graham confirmed it was built to press car standard. Detroit motorshow car You may find this chart interesting, it was compiled by myself, Dave Speck (LEC) with help from Andy at Lotus. It shows all the early M100 development, build and press cars. Some info is blanked for the usual reasons; Keep us updated on progress and post some pics when finished, you have a very special Elan and like you I hope someone on the forum gets it. Dave Interesting list. I find it strange that there are no Green or Yellow cars listed. was there any particular reason, or was it that the other colors were thought to stand out best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Munday Posted January 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2017 They went for an all-silver stand at Earl's Court that year, including an Esprit SE and an Excel SE. The more active press cars were red. Not sure there is a particular reason for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Munday Posted June 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 (edited) I had a chance meeting with Peter Riddle at the weekend. He was Project Manager on the "PP" and "IB" cars and quite a few of the documents on PP14's file are signed by Peter. He had a little trip down memory lane and pointed out quite a few bits that I didn't know about on the car. It sounded like a real nightmare to prepare the cars in time for the show! Peter returned the following day and very generously provided me with further documents relating to the car, on the understanding that they were passed to future owners and stayed with the car. Included was a pristine condition press release, embargoed until Earls Court press day, further press releases relating to the Design Council award in early 1990 and the speech notes relating to a presentation that Peter undertook at the Nurburgring in 1989. These are all really valuable pieces of memorabilia and they have duly been handed over with the car that was collected by its' new owner today. I have to say that, with all of the information that I have gathered, I was in two minds as to whether I should have sold the car or not! It has, however, gone to a Lotus collector (sadly overseas as nobody in the UK could see any value in it) who will now press on with taking the car to the next level, I'm sure. Edited June 14, 2017 by Guy Munday 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOTUSMAN33 Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 Guy Fantastic information and what a super bit of luck reuniting it with PP14, I was going to contact you the weekend for a chat about yours but happy it finally sold, real shame it has left the UK though. Just finished IB10 and been beating myself up over what to do about keeping it or my dry sump. I think you will regret it in time but business is business I guess. Did you take copies of that pack or just photos? Dave :-) Quote Do or do not, there is no try! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exeterjeep Posted December 1, 2020 Report Share Posted December 1, 2020 On 25/01/2017 at 11:58, Guy Munday said: They went for an all-silver stand at Earl's Court that year, including an Esprit SE and an Excel SE. Here are my photos taken at Earl's Court that day of the excel and esprit. I also took many of the Elan photos and passed them onto Andy at Lotus as he approached me as I had a number of photos on my old website, going back to 1984. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Munday Posted December 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2020 I remember that stand so well. Three iconic Lotus models. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exeterjeep Posted December 2, 2020 Report Share Posted December 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, Guy Munday said: I remember that stand so well. Three iconic Lotus models. Was it Andy at lotus who sent you the photos, I also sent him images from the other motorshows I had been to. As a customer of London Lotus Centre I got a 'pass' onto the stands at a number of the shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Munday Posted December 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2020 No, it was actually another M100 enthusiast who saw the advert and volunteered the images. It had a really good portfolio of information by the time I sold it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold FFM Barrykearley Posted December 3, 2020 Gold FFM Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 On 01/12/2020 at 19:51, exeterjeep said: Here are my photos taken at Earl's Court that day of the excel and esprit. I also took many of the Elan photos and passed them onto Andy at Lotus as he approached me as I had a number of photos on my old website, going back to 1984. Do you happen to have them from 1994?? Quote Only here once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exeterjeep Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 7 minutes ago, Barrykearley said: Do you happen to have them from 1994?? No I don't think so. I re-scanned and sent photos for 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989 and 1995 (elise launch) to Andy G at lotus cars. The shows alternated between the NEC and Earls Court and I did not go to the NEC very often. Just looked on google the 1994 show was at the NEC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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