Factory production photos

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bash
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Factory production photos

Post by bash »

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.
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by richardw »

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!
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Cheers, Richard
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bash
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by bash »

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.

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Re: Factory production photos

Post by richardw »

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:

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Again, courtesy of Eddie Clarke, who is also seen assembling an engine.

Cheers, Richard
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by rbgosling »

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.

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Last edited by rbgosling on Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:21, edited 2 times in total.
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bash
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by bash »

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/

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Re: Factory production photos

Post by bash »

Brill period video with Excels et al.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC7zPH4zcZ8

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Re: Factory production photos

Post by Hawaiis0 »

bash 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/

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bash
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by bash »

from an Esprit site but 4 seater pictures are nearly as popular.
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistor ... Visit.html

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Re: Factory production photos

Post by TrevorK »

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.

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For some reason I don't see a photo, only a grey and white no entry sign.
What car is that?

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bash
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by bash »

The engine we should have had, the type 909 v8.
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You can see where the Corvette inlet manifold came from.

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Re: Factory production photos

Post by richardw »

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
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by bash »

bash wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:46
Brill period video with Excels et al.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC7zPH4zcZ8

Bash
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richardw
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by richardw »

bash wrote:
Thu Mar 25, 2021 06:29
bash wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:46
Brill period video with Excels et al.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC7zPH4zcZ8

Bash
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Was there life before lockdown?
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Re: Factory production photos

Post by MetBlue »

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 😢😢😢

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