Lotus is Motorsport Magazine

[Feffman]

Hi All:

Just popped by the book store this evening and noticed thsi months issue of "Motorsport" has Mario's Lotus 79 on the cover with a very nice in-dept look at Lotus F1 racing including some unsung heroes like Bob Dance and Bob Sparshot (Sparshot was kind enough to get my Graham Hill print "Mr. Monaco" signed by both Bette and Damon Hill for me). Should be a good read.

Feff

[Autocross7]

I'll def. have to pick it up. Bob Dance is the man! One of the cars in the Barber Motor Sports Museum was running at an okay level prior to the last LOG. The crew there (some friends of mine) got it going pretty good... Bob spent a minute with it and it started humming like a Grand Prix winner! :yes:

Nicest guy too... bought us a round or two...

[WayneB]

Yes Bob Dance is something of a Lotus legend and has probably forgotten more about the GP cars than most of us will ever know.

Sadly (for me anyways) I have never had the pleasure of meeting him, I did visit Classic Team Lotus a couple of years ago, but Bob had nipped out and still hadn't returned 2 hours later whilst we were looking around and talking to Clive Chapman.

Dissapointing, it would have been great to have met him in his natural habitat so to speak, but I'm pretty sure I will be able to track him down one day so he can spill the beans.:)

[Brian Skeoch]

Wayne,

I bet that trip to classic team lotus was " bitchin "

[Mark B.]

It's a great issue. Here's my copy next to what appears to be the latest Lotus brochure and what's the signiture written on the cover ? . . . ah yes Giorgetto Giugiaros (the second greatest car designer in the world).

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc299/mark_88_turbo/100_1906.jpg

[WayneB]

Ahhh, I see you have met the master, Mark.:yes:

Where , when and how please.:)

Why a current Lotus catologue though, nothing in there has beniffited from his imput?:confused:.

[WayneB]

Wayne,

I bet that trip to classic team lotus was " bitchin "

Yes it was interesting.

They are just down the road from the factory in an old concrete building (bunker really) that the USAF errected at the airbase base in the war.

This is the original Team Lotus HQ, before Colin Chapman bought Ketteringham Hall and moved the operation there later on.

By todays palatial F1 operation standards the place is quite small and basic, with no mega buck CNC macines or autoclave ovens, just a hand mill, a lathe and a vertical drill.

They are looking after some very cool cars, and were refurbing one of the Renault Turbo era F1 cars (great to see one all apart).

Some great F1 cars emerged from that place back in the day.:yes:

[clockwork]

I`m glad you left room for Mr Hickman at number one Mark,I have his card and a note asking if I would get in touch with him when he returned to home,which I eventually did to give him the sad news that he couldn`t have my Orange,we spent a couple of hours on the phone nattering about the early days at the factory and stuff,interesting man. :lol:

[WayneB]

I think Ron Hickman ended up one of the wealthiest car designers ever too (but ironically not from his car designs).:no:

He is ruputed to have a great car collection so your +2 must be quite the thing If he wanted to buy it.:yes:

So the list of Lotuses top body designers goes:

1 Ron Hickman:money:

2 Giorgetto Giugiaro:icon18:

3 Oliver Winterbottom:weight_lift:

4 John Frayling:confused:

5 Hey Jules Thompson

6 Simple Simon Cox

7 Colin Spoonfed

8 Barney's Hat

8 Peter Stevenzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz:yawn:

9 Stevey Cringe

13 Russty Carrt


99 Donaldo Cocconi:flowers:

[clockwork]

Thankyou Wayne,I think he was overcome by the orangeyness,his house I believe is the only private house to appear on a postage stamp,but as they say size isn`t everything,he has a good selection of Lotii,he even invited me over for a hillclimb event where I could drive either an Elite or an Elan from his collection. :lol:

[WayneB]

I do hope you are going to take him up on that offer!:mf_dribble:

http://www.michael-hickman.org/hickman/h_images/ville_devereux_3.jpg

[clockwork]

Sadly,no,I made my apologies and offered him a drive at the next show we were both at, :) Life eh,plus my chances of renewing my comp. licence are slimmer than Sir Henry Seagraves.:)

[Mark B.]

I'm afraid I didn't meet the great man. It was a gift.

I must say IMO Giugiaro is the greatest car designer of all time. His portfolio is second to none.

Peter Stevens is a good Designer but not in the same league as Giugiaro for innovation, daring design and forward thinking. Stevens did a nice job with the Esprit redesign, and also the the F1 and XJR-15, but not to impressed with the rest of his folio, some of which is dull and compromised. And I really didn't like the MG SV-R :(.

[WayneB]

Great Mark, but you are being a little down on old Pete, he has a nice moustache just like mine.:lol:

He has worked some minor and major miracles for the British motor industry for relitively not a lot of money over the past 30 odd years, and of course traditionally in the past British management always seemed to favour the design of a foreigner as they seemed to be able to put on a bit of a more flamboyant show than the natives.

I still think If Peter Stevens was given total free reign over a sports car design even at this late point in his carear he could come up with a real blockbuster (as long as his Majic Markers havent all dried up).

Giugiaro is a legend and he is so talented he exists on a complete other level to most designers, I dont think anyone that prolific will ever inhabit the world of design again after he is gone, I think in the future he will be seen as Leonardo da Vinci'c sucessor such has been his design influence on the modern world..