The Lotus Grand Tourers

C 545 BBP went on car & classic today.

Sorry, I still haven't found time to post my first picture.

https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/ ... ual-8GDxQg

If it wasn't for the horrible door mirrors, I'd say it's a good looking car.

C 545 BBP

Thanks Tony - A new one.
We are homing in on some milestones on the register numbers, but it's getting harder to find new cars. Probably 4 out of 5 I see now are already on the register.
Currently have 846 cars in total, 349 Elite / Eclat ( 1 in 8 of RHD production) and 497 Excels (1 in 4 of RHD production).
I'll post the summaries again when we hit 350 / 500.

About 400 of these are either on the road or have been within the last 5 years.

Tony

Tony, you may already be on it but thought I'd say anyway as there's been some great spots in the wild. I'm on a Facebook group called 'cars you don't see anymore' https://www.facebook.com/groups/1940723526249203 Every now and again an Excel pops up, some on the road (Which I'd imagine you have already) but also a few that have been lying up on driveways &c. May be of use.

It's getting on for a year since I posted summaries of known cars.
We've broken though the 25% mark for Excels.
Elite / Eclat are now past 350 ( over 1 in 8 Found)

Of total cars :

Details for Elite / Eclat :

Very frustrating that there are MANY cars in this group now registered as Historic, so they are taxed (and no doubt therefore on the road), but don't have a new MOT. I need to find a way of showing these.

Details for Excel:


And the summary of Registered names for Excels showing just how many Excels are registered as Eclat !


Tony

Too late for anyone to bid, but a couple of Elites were auctioned today locally having been in storage for some time, I don’t know if they were known here already?

BTX164T https://www.mstauctioneers.co.uk/catalo ... rs-lot-17/

VLY806S https://www.mstauctioneers.co.uk/catalo ... rs-lot-18/

Pity about thr door mirrors.

Dave the cog.

I don’t know if they were known here already?

Both new cars for the register. Thanks for posting links.
Tony

bmjb99 wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2025 00:15 Too late for anyone to bid, but a couple of Elites were auctioned today locally having been in storage for some time, I don’t know if they were known here already?

BTX164T https://www.mstauctioneers.co.uk/catalo ... rs-lot-17/

VLY806S https://www.mstauctioneers.co.uk/catalo ... rs-lot-18/

That brown ones looks a bargain (depending on chassis) and possibly the better of the two.
Not come across this auction house before - will need to keep an eye if the get Lotus through.

Looking at remaining Type 75s numbers on 'Howmanyleft' website and I counted more Hens teeth down Lidl !

Getting very scarce now.

300 with 100 maybe's.

Alan_M wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 15:44

bmjb99 wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2025 00:15 Too late for anyone to bid, but a couple of Elites were auctioned today locally having been in storage for some time, I don’t know if they were known here already?

BTX164T https://www.mstauctioneers.co.uk/catalo ... rs-lot-17/

VLY806S https://www.mstauctioneers.co.uk/catalo ... rs-lot-18/

That brown ones looks a bargain (depending on chassis) and possibly the better of the two.
Not come across this auction house before - will need to keep an eye if the get Lotus through.

They aren’t specialist vehicle auctioneers, I just happened to recognise the Elites’ profiles in the thumbnail pictures of an advertisement for a forthcoming auction.

Another Elite on ebay. LBP 398 P. 62,000 miles showing. Currently at £250. It doesn't look like it's been on the road for well over a decade, so this could be a new one for the register.

I think this one is too bad to see the road again.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/127009921441

Now broken through the 900 mark so time for an update (also thought 912 was a nice number with some direct relevance )
I've created a new category for the cars over 40 years old that have tax, but not a valid MOT.

Personally I find it a bit worrying that 84 cars were taxed last year, so presumably got some road use, but weren't MOTed !

More specifically for the Elite / Eclat:

Although the Series 1 Elite column shows 43 with tax AND MOT, with 33 taxed but no MOT, the reality is that a good few of the 43 won't have an MOT - just not had chance to go back into the MOT checkers and relook at every car. Elite S2 and the Eclat figures are correct representations, suggesting that only 25% of the Historic registered cars are being run with a recent MOT.

Details for the Excel:


And the names under which Excels were actually registered ( these percentages are not moving around much as more cars get added, so look like pretty solid picture).

Curious to know if this is on your list Tony, it looks very savable.
viewtopic.php?p=110019#p110019

Bash

It's on the list. Reply on linked thread.

Cheers, thought it might be, looks too good not to be.

Bash