Factory production photos

[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.


Bash

[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!


Cheers, Richard

[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.

Bash

[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:




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

Cheers, Richard

[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.

[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/

Bash

[bash]

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

Bash

[Hawaiis0]

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

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 mine

[bash]

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

Bash

[TrevorK]

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.

For some reason I don't see a photo, only a grey and white no entry sign.

[bash]

The engine we should have had, the type 909 v8.




You can see where the Corvette inlet manifold came from.

Bash

[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

[bash]

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

Bash

I think we are all getting stir crazy

[richardw]

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

Bash

I think we are all getting stir crazy

Was there life before lockdown?

[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

Tony