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AREA LEADER:

Rob Ford
Tel./Fax: +44 (0)1761 453351
E-Mail: roblotusford49_AT_mbzonline_DOT_net

Rob uses Canon imaging products: http://www.canon.co.uk
and
Lowepro carrying solutions for the imaging world: http://www.lowepro.com

January 5th John Lawry Re-scheduled to July 20th February 2nd  #1 Brian Utton Of Castrol Oils on lubrication technology February 16th  #2 Tom Falconer "Purchase orders from Potash Lane", Lotus Elan M100, and Corvette ZR1 March 2nd Russell Hayes * "From Lotus to Cortina" April 6th  #1 John Oakley On Lotus - The Big Lotus Quiz April 20th  #2 Patrick Peal * Colin Chapman's former son-in-law on the new Lotus Evora May 11th  #1 Graham Warner Racing the Elite 'LOV 1' & Elan 26Rs, and Lotus May 18th  #2 Dr. Alex Moulton The theory, design, and applications of suspension systems, plus the Moulton bicycle concept from 1962 to 2010 June 1st  #1 Dennis Roberts * Ex Ford on stress engineering and body engineering June 15th  #2 David Lockspeiser On racing Formula Juniors, Lotus, aircraft design, and working as a test pilot July 6th  #1 Bill Colson The Lotus Fifteen Story July 20th  #2 John Lawry Racing the Mk VI, Mk XI, and prototype Elite August 3rd Tony Shute Lotus Head of Products - The Lotus Elise Story September 7th Brian Angus Of Lotus - The Lotus Esprit Story October 5th Mike Marsden The Schneider Trophy Races November 2nd Charles Helps The Lotus Mark Six Story December 7th Alvin Cohen Lotus in the Sixties: An Enthusiast's Story

Future speakers (dates to be announced):

TBA John Marshall & Gerry Bath On Racing TBA Chris Barber "Lotus Elite Syncopations And All That Jazz" TBA John Wagstaff & Bill Allen TBA John Bolding The Lotus 47

TBA Susan Miller On Lotus TBA Tony Pritchard "Colin Chapman's cock-ups" TBA Bob Dance & Richard Parramint On Lotus TBA "Gentleman" Jack Sears

Venue:  The Bull Inn, Hinton; adjacent to Junction 18 of the M4. Date:  1st Tuesday of every month at 8PM, except where noted otherwise (note extra meetings on the 3rd Tuesday).

Important note: All meetings are subject to last minute changes beyond our control.
Members are advised to check before travelling long distances (to check, call Rob on the number above).

A '*' denotes a change from the previously listed speaker.

(You may wish to bring a cushion to make the seats more comfortable!)

All Lotus enthusiasts are welcome.


Thanks go to all previous years' guest speakers.



Farbio Sports Cars Ltd.: http://www.farbiosportscars.com

Club meeting pictures  Posted July 20th, 2010
Pictures from the first and second June meetings, respectively: Dennis Roberts David Lockspeiser

Lotus terminates European dealer network  Posted July 20th, 2010
http://pistonheads.com/lotus/default.asp?storyId=22187

Lotuseer Peter Cambridge passes away  Posted June 23rd, 2010

"An Englishman called Cambridge who lived in Wales." One of the boys from Ford. Peter Cambridge, a long time friend and supporter of Club Lotus Avon, passed away over the weekend of 12th & 13th June 2010. Peter was involved in designing icons of styling, namely the Lotus Elite Type 14, Lotus Europa and Lotus Elan Plus 2, and also the Bell Jet Ranger helicopter - the world's most successful helicopter. Peter attended as many of our meetings as he could and only ill health prevented him from attending recent meetings. Peter will be missed by us all, but never forgotten. Rob Ford, Club Lotus Avon, June 2010 Peter Cambridge with Mike Costin of Cosworth on the left, and Mike Marsden nearest to the camera.

Moving Motor Show invitation from Lotus Cars  Posted June 23rd, 2010

Goodwood Festival of Speed - Moving Motor Show invitation from Lotus Cars Dear Club Lotus member, Lotus Cars is pleased to confirm their attendance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2010, and to be involved in the Moving Motor Show in its inaugural year. As a Lotus enthusiast, we would like to invite you to participate by offering you the chance to attend the Moving Motor Show day on Thursday, 1st July as official guests of Lotus. You'll get to see an outstanding assortment of fabulous cars from Lotus's past, present, and future. Highlights among these will be the freshly restored Lotus Type 49 that was raced by Jim Clark in 1967, the award winning Evora, including the Carbon and Hybrid Concept versions unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, and the new 2011 Model Year Elise which has the lowest CO2 for its performance level for any petrol sports car in the world. To register, simply go to http://www.lotusevora.com/en-gb/goodwood and complete the online form. Tickets are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, and will be sent out shortly before the event. More information on the Moving Motor Show can be found on the Goodwood website at http://www.goodwood.com We hope you can attend. Kind regards, The Lotus Events Team, Lotus Cars Ltd. Hethel, Norwich, Norfolk, NR14 8EZ, England. Tel.:  +44 (0)1953 608000 Web:  http://www.grouplotus.com

LEADFOOTS Luncheon  Posted June 22nd, 2010
Here are details from Brian Caldersmith of the next LEADFOOTS Luncheon, which will take place on Wednesday, 14th July 2010: LEADFOOTS lunch July 2010.doc E-Mail:  briantc_AT_bigpond_DOT_com

Club meeting pictures  Posted June 3rd, 2010

Pictures from the 20th April, 11th May, and 18th May meetings, respectively: Patrick Peal gave a superb talk on the Lotus Evora. Patrick Peal (right) and Brian Buckland Graham Warner gave his first talk to Club Lotus Avon on racing the following vehicles: Lotus Elite reg. no. LOV 1 Lotus Elan & Lotus Elan 26R Other topics included rallying the Lancia Stratos, and repeated restorations of the Bristol Blenheim bomber. Graham Warner (left) and Jim Glennie John Dorsett, Brian Buckland, Graham Warner, & Jim Glennie Dr. Alex Moulton gave an excellent talk on his family history, his life in engineering, and work with suspension systems for cars and bicycles. He also autographed copies of his book entitled 'Alex Moulton From Bristol To Bradford-on-Avon: A Lifetime In Engineering'. Dr. Alex was ably assisted by Seamus Nicolson. Dr. Alex Moulton Seamus Nicolson Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meetings.

March club meeting  Posted April 21st, 2010
Guest speaker Russell Hayes gave an excellent talk about Lotus & TVR, and briefly touched on his new book on the Ford Cortina. Russell Hayes (left) and Roger Fowler of GS cars discuss the GS Europa

Club meeting photos  Posted February 19th, 2010
Brian Utton gave a superb in-depth talk on oil technology to the members on Tuesday 2nd February 2010. We all enjoyed it immensely. Guest speaker Tom Falconer gave an informative talk on his experiences supplying Lotus, with behind-the-scenes stories about the Corvette ZR1 and Elan M100:

Fuel prices  Posted December 30th, 2009
Here in the land of rip-off and eye-watering taxes, people don't need reminding how completely absurd and out of all proportion fuel prices are. So, at a time when so many people are in debt and struggling to survive, the following will not make welcome reading: http://www.motoring.co.uk/car-news/ fuel-prices-go-up-for-xmas-then-extra-vat-for-the-new-year-_15877

LEADFOOTS Christmas card  Posted December 14th, 2009
2009 has been a quiet year for LEADFOOTS for various reasons, but be assured there will be more activity in 2010. Have a great season, and I hope next year is one of the really good ones for you, Brian

Second November club meeting  Posted December 14th, 2009
Rodney Gooch, one of the directors of Castle Combe Race Circuit, gave a very interesting talk about his personal experiences entitled "Both Sides of the Track". The talk was followed by a very in-depth question and answer session. A good evening was had by all.

First November club meeting  Posted November 17th, 2009
Stephen and Joyce Hall gave a superb talk complete with wonderful slides of their epic trip; over 11,300 miles, from Panama to Alaska in their Lotus Elan Plus 2.

Second October club meeting  Posted November 17th, 2009
Jem Marsh gave an excellent talk celebrating 50 years of Marcos. Members were able to buy signed copies of Jem's book "Making My Marque".

First October club meeting  Posted November 1st, 2009

Robin Read was the guest speaker at Club Lotus Avon on Tuesday October 6th 2009. Robin's chosen topic was Lotus at first hand 1959-1962. Robin was joined by special guest Warren King. Robin provided us with an insight into the workings of Lotus at the time they were introducing their first GT Coupe, the Lotus Elite Type 14. Robin gave a complete breakdown of all of the problems associated with bringing the Elite to the US market. This insider's view provided a lot of information still not generally known even today, some fifty years after the event. Warren King, being Fred Bushell's right hand man, was able to advise us about the financial events also taking place at that time. Those of you who have seen the detailed lists of the Lotus Elite CBU records will know that these were all hand written by Warren. Everyone attending enjoyed the evening immensely, and a big vote of thanks go to Robin & Warren for a splendid evening.

Club meeting photos  Posted October 28th, 2009
Guest speakers Ansar Ali, Bob, and Andy Noble chat about Sevens at the second September meeting: Left to right - Ansar Ali, Bob, Andy Noble

Mopar Muscle in the West Country  Posted August 23rd, 2009

It is not every day that you come across a Sixties muscle car, especially in the West Country. The '68 Dodge Charger R/T in the photos has been the subject of a full rebuild and looks stock in appearance except for the wheels. The original 440 engine has gone to make way for a 528 HEMI; 8,653cc producing around 600 horsepower and 1,000 foot pounds of torque. Fuel economy is about 14 mpg when cruising and 7 (yes, 7) mpg when being used in anger. The owner has just completed a few runs on the drag strip and is now considering the purchase of some rear slicks for increased performance on the strip. The car carries the UK registration 'HEM 528F' - very appropriate for a 1968 528 HEMI Dodge Charger.

Club meeting photos  Posted August 15th, 2009
Guest speakers Barrie "Whizzo" Williams and Nick Fulcher at the July and August meetings, respectively:

New 6 speed all aluminium gearbox conversion  Posted August 6th, 2009

From Club Lotus HQ: For Elan and Elan +2 owners - replacement and enhancement for the original '60s Elan. New 6 speed all aluminium gearbox straight forward conversion using the majority of the original parts. No modifications to your car chassis, engine bay, etc. This will keep the car with an original appearance. Now could be the opportunity to enjoy your Lotus for modern-day conditions with the 6 speeder. Neil Myers and his team of engineers, at the request of some loyal customers, have solved the conundrum of using these cars in today's day-to-day conditions. Neil looked at the 5 speed options including the obvious choice of the 5 speed Ford variations and decided that a more light weight unit with correct ratios (in true Lotus tradition) in the form of a modern 6 speed is the way forward. After looking at many options he has now found a suitable gearbox. Bookings are now being taken for the installation; this normally takes two days, but we request that you speak to Neil as each customer's requirements and car condition will vary. Very shortly we will hopefully have a demonstration vehicle for your perusal, i.e. to see the installation and to try out the vehicle. Please call Neil Myers / Vincent Haydon partnership for further details: Neil:  01604 644 982 Vincent:  01590 682 508 / 07860 391 320 E-mail:  vincenthaydon_AT_live_DOT_co_DOT_uk Please note of course it is possible to have this installation fitted to other vehicles such as the Lotus 7, Lotus Cortina Mk1, Mk2, and Caterham Super 7; basically anything fitted with a twin cam or a 1600/1700 cross flow engine.

Club meeting photos  Posted June 22nd, 2009

Club Lotus Avon area were very pleased to welcome Tony Shute and the brand new Lotus Evora to the Bull Inn at Hinton on Tuesday, June 2nd 2009. The members arrived in various Lotus models to check out the Evora that had only been registered and taxed that morning. The meeting in the car park was followed by an in-depth talk on the design and development of the Evora, fully illustrated by an animated PowerPoint presentation. Many thanks go to Tony Shute, Head of Lotus Products, from all at Club Lotus Avon for an enjoyable evening.

Club meeting photos  Posted May 26th, 2009

An audience with Mike & Rhoda Costin at the May club meeting. Mike & Rhoda Costin were the guests of Club Lotus Avon on Tuesday 5th May 2009. The format for the evening was a meal with friends, followed by Mike's informal chat with the members of Club Lotus Avon. The noted guests attending included: Alan Morgan, chairman of Club Lotus Ben & Gerald Rood Ernie Unger Bill Allen Warren King Keith & Ann Hall John & Simon Campbell-Jones Andy Bradshaw Charles Helps Mike & Alyson Marsden Richard Ashmead Paul Betambeau Graham Capel Barry Sheraton Malcolm & Martin Ricketts Brian Buckland As usual, Mike regaled the audience with many in-depth tales of life at Lotus and Cosworth, answering many questions from the floor. See photos below of the evening's events.

Club meeting photo  Posted April 23rd, 2009
Guest speaker Terry Sanger at the April club meeting: Guest speaker Terry Sanger

National speed limit reduction  Posted April 23rd, 2009

Here we go again; more lunacy from the ship of fools otherwise known as the government. Cars are, of course, faster, safer, more efficient, and less polluting than they used to be. Despite this, the British government now wants to reduce the national speed limit from 60 MPH to 50. But then, these people haven't allowed common sense or wisdom to get in the way of their decision-making in the past, so why now? If you have any remaining faith in this country's 'democracy', I suggest you sign the following petition if you DON'T want the limit reduced (only brought to my attention by Rob): http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/noNSLreduction/

Roy Macgregor articles  Posted April 17th, 2009
Here is an interesting article titled 'The Lotus Years', written by Roy Macgregor on his time at Lotus: The Lotus Years Also, a period article on the M20 Elan +2, titled 'A Car Is Born': Page #1 Page #2

Second March speaker, Tim Hain  Posted March 12th, 2009
At the March 17th meeting, Tim Hain will be be discussing, among other things, his Stirling Moss project: "I've spent 8 years photographing Stirling, and have spent a good deal of time in his company, with a wealth of insightful, hitherto unpublished, and often highly humorous stories!"

Club meeting photos  Posted January 26th, 2009
Guest speaker Sir John Whitmore, and Chris Barber at the January club meeting: Guest speaker Sir John Whitmore Chris Barber

LEADFOOTS Christmas card  Posted December 22nd, 2008
LEADFOOTS Christmas card from Brian Caldersmith.

Club meeting photo  Posted December 22nd, 2008
Guest speaker John Miles at the December club meeting: Guest speaker John Miles

Lotus Sunbeam article photographs  Posted December 18th, 2008
Here are some additional pictures pertaining to the article below.

Lotus Sunbeam article  Posted Novmeber 19th, 2008
Here is Rob's article on the Lotus Sunbeam from the Autumn '92 issue of 'Lotus elite' magazine: Page #1 Page #2 Page #3 Page #4

Club meeting photo  Posted October 29th, 2008
Gordon Murray gave a thoroughly enjoyable talk at the October meeting. Gordon's lecture covered his history and current project, and was followed by a Q&A session. Guest speaker Gordon Murray

Click here for old news.

13th June 2010

BAC100 Parade Sunday, approx. 10:00 AM A parade of vehicles through Bristol as part of the 'BAC100'; celebrating 100 years of manufacturing at BAC, Filton. The event will take place on Sunday, 13th of June, and will begin with a static display in the Rolls Royce car park on Gypsy Patch Lane, Filton, Bristol, starting at approximately 10:00 AM. The vehicles will then move off, probably at about 1:30 PM, and parade to the centre of Bristol and back again to the RR car park. If any Club Lotus members are interested in taking part in this event, please contact Ray Bulmer: E-Mail:  raybulmer_AT_blueyonder_DOT_co_DOT_uk

For General Servicing, contact Colin Taylor: Tel.:  01761 415687 Lotus Elise Specialists, Brooke-Kensington Ltd. Brooke House E6, Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon, OX26 4LD. Tel.:  01869 325551 Fax:  01869 322164 E-Mail:  simon@brooke-kensington.co.uk Web:  http://www.brooke-kensington.co.uk Caterham Dealers, Millwood Millwood Motor Company Ltd., Mill Garage, Cam, Dursley, Glos., GL11 5DH. Tel.:  01453 544321 Fax:  01453 544671 Web:  http://www.millwood-mc.co.uk Track Developments Cotswold House, 32 The Tarters, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 0NT. Tel.:  01666 840482 E-Mail:  davidcooper@trackdevelopments.co.uk Web:  http://www.trackdevelopments.co.uk T.A. & J.M. Coburn Trimmers Widhill House, Blunsdon, Swindon, SN2 4DA. Tel.:  01793 721501 Fax:  01793 721531 Historic Lotus Specialist, Mike Brotherwood Tel. (Daytime):  01380 859989 Tel. (Evening):  01249 760284 Fax:  01249 760530 Web:  http://www.mikebrotherwood.com Coterie Press Ltd. 6 Forest Hill Industrial Estate, Perry Vale, Forest Hill, London, SE23 2LX. Tel.:  0208 699 5111 Fax:  0208 291 6463 Web:  http://www.coteriepress.com Fibreglass Services Progress Garage, Yapton Lane, Walberton, Arundal, West Sussex, BN18 0AS. Tel.:  01243 554422 Fax:  01243 554545 Web:  http://www.fibreglassservices.co.uk Autodromo Ltd. - Design and Model Making Unit 5, West Wales Business Park, Redstone Road, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, SA67 7ES. Tel.:  01834 860999 E-Mail:  sales@autodromo.co.uk Web:  http://www.autodromo.co.uk Bath Model Centre (The Modeller's Den) 2 Lower Borough Walls, Bath, BA1 1QR. Tel.:  01225 460115 Web:  http://www.bathmodelcentre.com For all of your cycling needs in Bath contact: CADENCE Bike Shop 9 Chelsea Road, Bath, BA1 3PP. Tel.:  01225 446887 Web:  http://www.cadencebikeshop.com Web links: The Lotus Links Page: http://www.webtractor.com/teamlotus/lotlink.htm Organized Lotus Links: http://silverstone.fortunecity.com/cosworth/633/Lotlinks.htm Manually selected Lotus car resources: http://www.cbel.com/lotus_cars/ Banks Europas: http://www.banks-europa.co.uk Lotuseers Audio CDs for sale: http://www.yesterdaysracers.com Moto-Lita steering wheels: http://www.moto-lita.co.uk Motorsport artist, Tim Layzell: http://www.timlayzell.com Millers Oils: http://www.millersoils.co.uk Meguiars Polishes: http://www.meguiars.co.uk The Future Endeavour Club: http://www.feclub.co.uk Dennis Ortenburger's Lotus Elite Journal: http://www.lotuselitejournal.com '88 Lotus Espirt Turbo: http://www.lotusespritturbo.com PePiPoo - Helping the motorist to get justice: http://www.pepipoo.com A-Plan Car Insurance, Bath: http://www.aplan.co.uk/motor/car-insurance-quote.php Classic Car Instruments: http://www.classic-car-directory.com/parts/partsdetail.asp?id=Instruments Patrick Neame's motorsport photography: http://www.incamera.co.uk Tim Hain: http://www.timhain.com Nick Fulcher: http://www.coachtrimmer.co.uk Option 1 (bodywork & paint): http://www.option1sportscars.co.uk Lotus Bits (parts supplier): http://www.lotusbits.com Track Sport - Car driving track days at racing circuits nationwide: http://www.tracksport.co.uk Rob supports the Silver Ring Choir of Bath: http://www.silverringchoir.org & The Bath Chorus: http://www.thebathchorus.org.uk/concerts.html Jazz violinist: http://www.lizzlipscombe.co.uk

UK Lotus Dealer List

Mick Miller Classic Lotus Specialist Specializing in parts for the Lotus Elan and Plus 2. Carlton Cross, Kelsale, Saxmundham, Suffolk, IP17 2NL. Telephone Susan Miller: 01728 603307 Now accepting major credit cards.

Registration number for sale I have a registration for sale, 'E7CEL', which would appeal to Lotus Excel owners. Please contact Nick: Tel./Text:  0781-EASYREG E-Mail:  nick_AT_easyreg_DOT_biz

LOTUS ELITE A LEADFOOTS ANNOUNCEMENT It does not happen often, but there is a new Elite on the market in Australia. Bob Bennett has finally decided to divest himself of #1747 due to continued lack of use. Not an easy decision, but my guess is that his off-shore sailing has more than interfered with his priorities. Those interested parties should contact him direct to discuss the whole affair at (02) 9974-5393.

1985 LOTUS EXCEL £4,500 ono. White/red half leather. 2 owners; current (lady) owner only uses 'Blossom' on sunny summer days - not very often then! Very good condition. Immobiliser fitted. Service history. Most recent repairs include brake pipe replacement and stainless steel exhaust. Recorded mileage approx. 62,500. Taxed 'til October 2010, MoT 'til April 2011. Located in Gloucestershire. Call Les on 01453 826088 or 07896 373699. E-Mail:  leswest_AT_waitrose_DOT_com

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