Jay Leno's 1969 Lotus Elan

[WayneB]

Heres a video from Jay Leno's Garage.
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/video_player.shtml?vid=984581

Jay explains how he came to own a 1969 Elan and the work that they have done to it.

He seems to enjoy thrashing the living daylights out of it (alot):lol:

Lots of other video's on his other interesting cars as well (check out the Eco Jet).

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EBSr8DcDTQs/SYmkkyhzlsI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/ggtOASOJPmw/s320/LenoElan1.jpg

[Brian Skeoch]

man that was neat to watch.... thanks ..

[WayneB]

I was quite shocked to hear Jay say that Elan still has its original factory paint job (and looks that good).:ohmy:

A friend of mine had an Elan that also had its factory original paint job, which was a faded, worn out, stress cracked ugly mess.:crying:

[Mark B.]

Fantastic vid! He's a total Lotus convert.

[clockwork]

He does have a lot of nice things,and enjoys them too,win win situation :)

[stryder]

He has two Elans.

[Autocross7]

But no Elite or Esprit... He really needs one of each. He has the means and I have thought this before...


Cameron

[WayneB]

Colin Chapman and Jim Clark agree you dont really need an Esprit If you own a couple of Lamborghini Miura's (and a Countach)!:)
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/WayneBarr/chpman-clark_miura_a_s.jpg?t=1253881637
I could stare at that Orange Miura S all day (and night).
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/images/photos/L_Miura_11.jpg

[Autocross7]

The Esprit is just my favorite. Price is really relative. Given stupid money I would still have an Esprit... :yes:



Cameron

[WayneB]

Dont get me wrong Cameron, I think alot of my Esprit too and as it has an ideal combination (to me) of Italian styling and British engineering I will be keeping it untill I take a dirt nap.

I have a few friends who have ALOT more money than me and have great varied car collections , but none are compelled to own an Esprit.

They have driven mine and ask alot of questions, but for some reason it just doesn't grab them in the same way it did me.

Not long ago I was thinking about selling it to get the room to get a Lamborghini (Urraco or Diablo) or Maserati (Khamsin), but truth be known I guess I just would never be able to get used to paying $1500 for a clutch release bearing and some of the other astronomic prices the parts fetch for those cars.

[eurosport]

I think the Esprit has suffered over the years from being looked upon as a "cheap" exotic. Flimsy, unreliable, more than a Pcar and cheaper than an Fcar, despite it's performance level. People had/have to dig a little deeper into Lotus DNA to appreciate an Esprit and Lotus in general. Many are unwilling or uninterested to do so. Pcars require less investment in time and attention. Fcars have greater cache and, with their racing in real time rather than a memory (and perhaps with the help of Mr. Bahar, Puma, Legos, etc.), just have greater brand awareness. What did Esprit product placements of the 70's, 80's, 90's get? Double digit yearly sales figures over the Esprit's twilight decades?

Hopefully Lotus have turned a new corner in brand awareness. Since the S1 Elise was introduced, tens of thousands of new Loti are now on the world's roads, with yet a new image coming with the Evora.

Mr. Bahar would seem to have a lot to contribute in this regard. I'm just a little trepidatious as all I've ever seen is the same picture of him and am waiting for a full-fledged press release in his words about what Lotus means to him and where he's going to take it.:001_unsure:

[Autocross7]

I here you both.. .and agree. I currently have a Ferrari 308GTS along side my Esprit, and for the life of me I could not tell you the Ferrari is better. And, it is not more fun. They are very different cars, and so the Ferrari is fun, but it is a different type of fun. By the numbers, the Ferrari cars (almost all of them) are as common place as Hondas in a carpool line next to the Esprit. I like that myself, but it is the very thing many of my friends with the means and the cars do not like. To each... and so on and so fourth.

My trouble is that I am like Jay Lenno. I like everything... even old tractors. However, the family I was born into cannot support my desired habbit and the economy certainly does not seem to be willing to make up the difference! Hahaha... No complaints though! I do so looooovvvvve my Esprit. :yes::thumbup:


Cameron

[bobbythejudge]

That was a real interesting video,Jay has quite a garage there. I have a '73 Europa TC Special that I acquired last year with original paint(bronze) and have it running really super and it would take a lot for me to part with it. I waited 36 years to get one and a divorce and believe me it was WORTH it!!! :cowboy::steeringwheel:

[WayneB]

Love him or hate him you have to admire the enthusiasm Jay Leno has for all cars and mechanical objects.

He has built up one of the most interesting working collections of automobiles in the world, much more interesting to me than some multi million dollar never to be driven, no oil in the crankase,artificially restored collections that are typical of some of the well heeled American collector car set.

Looking forwards to actually meeting him in person one day.:yes:

[stryder]

He is indeed a great guy.

[Autocross7]

Some of the most interesting items he has collected and restored to working order are not autos at all. He has a number of large industrial machines in his collection that performed varios factory tasks at some point in their life. One of the is so heavy that he had to have the floors of his building tore up and then replaced with much thicker and stronger floors before the machine could be assembled...

Cameron