Factory production photos
Moderator: Board Moderators
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Factory production photos
Could be an interesting thread if any of us come across any old photies. I'll start it off with the top half of an Elite coming out of the mould.
Bash
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 2252
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
- Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
- Colour: Essex Blue
- Year: 1981
- Location: Worcestershire
Re: Factory production photos
Great idea for a thread Bash!
I may have posted this before, but a former Lotus employee called Eddie Clarke sent me a few pictures back in 2017. Here is Eddie and his mate (in the foreground) with an engine. Eddies mate looks like he might be spreading it with tomato sauce!
Cheers, Richard
I may have posted this before, but a former Lotus employee called Eddie Clarke sent me a few pictures back in 2017. Here is Eddie and his mate (in the foreground) with an engine. Eddies mate looks like he might be spreading it with tomato sauce!
Cheers, Richard
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Re: Factory production photos
Brill, thats the stuff. Photos of the body production seem quite rare because Lotus were trying to keep the process secret. Its only very recently that I realised that Elite/ Eclat bodies were made this way and that Esprits were hand laid up. It took one and a half days to laminate an Esprit and they could produce 6 Elites a day so its no wonder they wanted to keep it secret.
Bash
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 2252
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
- Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
- Colour: Essex Blue
- Year: 1981
- Location: Worcestershire
Re: Factory production photos
Here are a couple of pages of Lotus World featuring Prince Michael of Kent's visit to the Lotus factory in 1983, showing different aspects of production:
Again, courtesy of Eddie Clarke, who is also seen assembling an engine.
Cheers, Richard
Again, courtesy of Eddie Clarke, who is also seen assembling an engine.
Cheers, Richard
- rbgosling
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1817
- Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2010 22:55
- Model: Lotus Excel SE
- Colour: Midnight Blue
- Year: 1990
- Location: Rugby
Re: Factory production photos
Here's one from my time, would have been about 1996. The eight people in the photo were just about the whole team responsible for this prototype turbocharged 3-cylinder engine for a consultancy client. I'm the one at the back, fourth from left. Third from left is Peter Williams, a former bike racer of some repute in the '70s.
Last edited by rbgosling on Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:21, edited 2 times in total.
"Farmer" Richard
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
2011 Nissan Leaf (Ragly - EV pioneer, must be due to be a classic one day)
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Re: Factory production photos
Follow this link for a set of factory photos that has more Excels in shot than any other Ive seen.
https://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-n ... tory-tour/
Bash
https://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-n ... tory-tour/
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Re: Factory production photos
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
- Hawaiis0
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4358
- Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
- Colour: BRG; Dirty White
- Year: 1986
- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: Factory production photos
My Cars year! The top seat in the picture is 7 off mine if the chassis numbers are correct. I wonder what else might have been minebash wrote:Follow this link for a set of factory photos that has more Excels in shot than any other Ive seen.
https://www.thelotusforums.com/latest-n ... tory-tour/
Bash
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Re: Factory production photos
from an Esprit site but 4 seater pictures are nearly as popular.
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistor ... Visit.html
Bash
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistor ... Visit.html
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 300
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 17:47
- Model: Excel SE (Now gone)
- Colour: White
- Year: 1988
- Location: Northamptonshire
Re: Factory production photos
For some reason I don't see a photo, only a grey and white no entry sign.rbgosling wrote:Here's one from my time, would have been about 1996. The eight people in the photo were just about the whole team responsible for this prototype turbocharged 3-cylinder engine for a consultancy client. I'm the one at the back, fourth from left. Third from left is Peter Williams, a former bike racer of some repute in the '70s.
What car is that?
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Re: Factory production photos
The engine we should have had, the type 909 v8.
You can see where the Corvette inlet manifold came from.
Bash
You can see where the Corvette inlet manifold came from.
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 2252
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
- Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
- Colour: Essex Blue
- Year: 1981
- Location: Worcestershire
Re: Factory production photos
Not a photo but a video - here is a Lotus video from 1984 showing the manufacturing process - mainly on the Esprit but there are Excels there as well:
https://youtu.be/PC7zPH4zcZ8
I’m sure I’ve seen it before but can’t remember where.
Cheers, Richard
https://youtu.be/PC7zPH4zcZ8
I’m sure I’ve seen it before but can’t remember where.
Cheers, Richard
- bash
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 2292
- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 15:34
- Model: Se, V8
- Colour: white
- Year: 1986
- Location: Doncaster
- Contact:
Re: Factory production photos
I think we are all getting stir crazybash wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:46Brill period video with Excels et al.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC7zPH4zcZ8
Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-
- Moderator
- Posts: 2252
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
- Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
- Colour: Essex Blue
- Year: 1981
- Location: Worcestershire
Re: Factory production photos
Was there life before lockdown?bash wrote: ↑Thu Mar 25, 2021 06:29I think we are all getting stir crazybash wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:46Brill period video with Excels et al.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC7zPH4zcZ8
Bash
- MetBlue
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 1624
- Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 21:00
- Model: Elite 74 & Excel 92 (SEish))
- Colour: Metalic Blue
- Year: 1974
- Location: Northampton
Re: Factory production photos
Great video. How times change.
That reception desk looked more like the service desk at my local Screwfix than a welcoming reception.
Oh dear.... I've been too close to architects for too long. AHHHHHH.... What have they done to my mind
Tony
That reception desk looked more like the service desk at my local Screwfix than a welcoming reception.
Oh dear.... I've been too close to architects for too long. AHHHHHH.... What have they done to my mind
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.