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John's Online
LOTUS Museum
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Lotus Cars
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1948 - 1968 1968 - 1985 1986 1987 - 1993 1993-Present
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Modern Heraldry:
The
LOTUS
Nose Badge
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  The LOTUS company logo for the nose badge is a triangular British Racing Green lozenge on a field of bright Yellow. 
(A Triangle may have been chosen to underscore the rock solid handling that Lotus is known for, as it is the most stable shape in Architecture.
The Pyramids have certainly stood the test of Time.) 
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  The letters at the top of the triangular green lozenge are:
" A - C - B - C ".
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  They are the Monogramed initials of: 
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman,
the Designer, Builder, and Founder of LOTUS.-
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  As he told me himself when I met him as a fourteen year old boy in 1966 after the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, N.Y., Colin Chapman calls his car a " ... LOTUS , ... because once you-drive it, you will forget all of the others". 
  (The LOT UnSold explaination could also be plausible, but as most people, especially a young kid,  would not be privy to the British way of Tracking Inventory, Chapman may have come up with a more romantic explaination for the name by referring to the Lotus Eaters of "The Odyssey".
Personally, I think that the UnSold explaination ranks with the ACBC of the Monogram standing for Allen Brothers & Colin Chapman, as Chapman was also cultured and witty besides being a great Engineer !!!) 
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  In the logo, the initials of the Monogram are LARGER than the lettering of the name LOTUS, for-Lotus-is-indeed, 
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Anthony-'Colin'-Bruce-Chapman !!!
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  The triangular lozenge is colored British Racing Green, because it is the color designated for cars of British origin that will be competing in international events.
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  The lozenge is placed on a field of Bright Yellow, signifying the sunny days that Chapman hoped would lie ahead for his company.-
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  The name LOTUS appears in NON - SERIF Letters !!!
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Although the ACBC Monogram was done in a 
Serif- style, the Small 'C' does NOT have Serifs.
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  This becomes significant later as a way to distinguish Chapman - era badges from the Corporate GM / Bugatti / Proton & Aftermarket badges on which the name LOTUS appears in Serifed Letters. 
Colin Chapman was an ambitious young man, with new ideas about the design of motor cars. 
Perhaps he felt that Serifed Letters looked too OLD FASHIONED, and instead went with the more modern and clean, (more aerodynamic?), looking non - serif style of type. 
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  A Round Marque Patch was produced, which mirrored the nose badge perfectly.-
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  A special Mechanics Patch, (which was worn on the Service Mechanics uniform), was produced.-
It was triangular in shape, and has Green Lettering on an Orange / Yellow background.-
It was made in TWO sizes.-
A Large 7.5" X 5" size was worn on the back of the uniform, and a Small 2.75" X 2" size was worn above the left breast pocket on the front of the uniform.-
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  Nine days after our departure from Troy my men and I found ourselves in England, and miles from our original course. 
In order to learn a bit more about this alien place, I sent three of my bravest men on a scouting mission. 
Unfortunately they learned a lot more than I had counted on. 
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  On their expedition, my men found themselves among the natives of our temporary habitat. 
Like any good host, these natives introduced my men to one of their favorite vehicles: the Lotus. 
A single taste of this native fruit made my men forget everything they had ever driven; where they came from, where they were going, everything. 
They could only think of the Lotus. 
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  Although many of my other men would have enjoyed this exciting way of driving, at this point I decided I wouldn’t give them the chance to choose it. 
For their own good, of course. 
After all, the Lotus would need a waiver as it would not pass the mandatory Crash Tests.
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  Sadly, I had to put the three crazed men in chains after they tried to steal one of the cars, and leave them behind. 
Not only had they lost all sense of obligation and duty, but their sickness could have affected my entire crew. 
Minus three, we sailed in the direction of our original course.
(Paraphrased from "The Odyessey" by Homer)----
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Let us swear an oath, and keep it with an equal mind,
In the hollow Lotus-land to drive and lie reclined
On the hills like Gods together, careless of mankind. . . .
(Paraphrased from "The Lotus-Eaters" by Alfred Lord Tennyson)----
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  All Lotus competition cars were painted British Racing Green with Yellow detailing, until the advent of paid corporate sponsership which turned them into rolling billboards. 
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  On April 7 of 1968, World Champion Driver Jim Clark was killed at Hockenheim, Germany, while driving a LOTUS Type 48 in a Formula 2 race. ------------------
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  From that day forward, all Chapman- era LOTUS cars have worn a black nose badge, out of respect for his passing.
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. (Back in the early 1970's, I was told by LOTUS East that existing factory stocks of green & yellow nosebadges were depleted by selling them only to owners of cars-manufactured prior to the date of Jim Clark's death,-as replacements for stolen-or damaged badges. 
Additional stocks of green & yellow nosebadges were only ordered by the factory to supply the owners of the early cars, and only as they were needed. 
I had to show them my registration, which indicated a 1967 LOTUS, in order to purchase a new Green & Yellow Nose Badge to replace the cracked and chipped one on my car, and it took months to get. 
Back orders for the Badges were held until a sufficient quantity had been reached to warrant a small production run of them.) 
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  The practice was again carried forward upon the death of Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman in 1982, (which was an immense loss to us all). 
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  Some people claim that a black nose badge indicates a special vehicle, one that has a hotter then normal engine, or that has had special chassis adjustments done. 
Others would have you believe that both the Green & Yellow and the Black nose badges were used concurrently on the road cars, and that they are interchangable. 
They think there is no significance as to-whether a car has a Black badge or not. 
If that were truely the case, why would Colin Chapman even consider going through the expense of making and stocking TWO different LOTUS nosebadges, considering the notorious cheapskate that he was when it came to cutting production costs. 
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  Colin Chapman meant the Black nose badge to be an Homage` to a very dear and loyal friend. 
A friend that he missed to the very last day of his own life.
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  Only Lotus cars that were manufactured prior to 04/07/68 have the right to OFFICIALLY wear a Green & Yellow Nose Badge. 
Any street LOTUS, that was manufactured after that date and which is wearing a green and yellow nose-badge, is pretending to be something that it is not, and I would consider it a disgrace to the memories of both Jim Clark and Colin Chapman. 
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  An unusual patch has been recently turning up on eBay. 
It is supposed to be a Jim Clark Memorial Patch that was made by the Lotus factory for use by the Racing Team. 
It is selling for $6.99, which is a ridiculously low price for such a rare item if it was real.
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  IT IS A TOTAL FAKE !!! 
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  If a Memorial Patch HAD been made, it would DUPLICATE the Black Nose Badge that was used on ALL of the Lotus road cars after 04/07/68  in Jim Clark's honor. 
Instead, the patch is a Silver Triangular Lozenge with Yellow lettering on a Black background. 
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  After the death of Jim Clark the Green & Yellow Nose Badge was continued to be used on only SOME of the  Lotus Racing cars built for Customers, and Team LOTUS continued to use the original Green & Yellow marque patch on the uniforms of the Drivers and Mechanics until the sponsership of  the John Player Specials started. 
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The Original Chapman- era Team Lotus Patch that was 
used on the Drivers Suits and the Mechanics Uniforms.
It was basically the Standard Lotus Marque Patch with the 
word 'TEAM' embroidered above the Triangular Lozenge 
which was set a little lower in the Roundel.----------------------
The lettering of the words TEAM and LOTUS was Sans Serif, 
and the Small 'C' of the Monogram was also Sans Serif.-------
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The TEAM LOTUS Patch
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Jim Clark wearing the 
Team Lotus Patch on 
his Driving Suit.
.		 Graham Hill wearing his 
Team Lotus Patch.

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  The Black Lotus Logo Nose Badge was used on all Team Lotus cars, such as the Type 62 Europa, the Type 49B  Formula 1, and the Type 74 Formula 2. 
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  In 1970, starting with the Type 72 Formula 1 car, Team Lotus used a Nose Badge with the initials JPS on them,  since the Formula 1 cars were being sponsered by the John Player Tabacco Company. 
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A Patch made in the style of the F1 
John Player Special nosebadge.
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  Following the death of Colin Chapman in 1982, and starting with the Type 92, the Team Lotus cars wore a Black Nose Badge with only the Chapman ACBC Monogram on it. 
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Formula 1 ACBC Monogram badge 
on the nose of a Lotus Type 97T.
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  Team Lotus continued to use this Monogram badge until 1987. 
When GM bought the company they then used a modified Lotus Logo Badge that said TEAM LOTUS under the Monogram. 
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Original
Chapman- era
Team Lotus Logo
  The words TEAM and LOTUS are Sans Serif, as is the Small 'C' in the ACBC Monogram. 
  The Triangle was set a little lower in the Roundel to make room for the word TEAM at the top.
  All dimensions were otherwise identical to the Original Marque emblem.
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Revised
Team Lotus Logo
  This Emblem was introduced on the Type 99T Formula 1 car of 1987after the Team stopped using the ACBC Memorial Nose Badge. 
  The words TEAM and LOTUS are Sans Serif, and so is the Small "C' of the Monogram, just as on the original Team Lotus emblem. 
  However, the two bottom angles of the Triangle were made more acute so that the bottom 'Rocker' could be flattened in order to put TEAM LOTUS on one line.
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Bugatti
'New Style'
Team Lotus Logo
  The words TEAM LOTUS are now Serifed, and so is the Small 'C' in the Monogram. 
  Notice that the Triangle has reverted back to its original shape, and that the bottom 'Rocker' is more rounded. 
The words TEAm and LOTUS were made smaller so that they would fit. 
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Green & Gold Team Lotus emblem 
used on the Type 102 F1 car. 
Please note that the lettering is Sans Serif in the style 
of the ORIGINAL Chapman- era Lotus Logo, and that 
the Small 'C' in the ACBC Monogram also has no Serif.
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Green & Gold Team Lotus emblem 
used on the Type 102B F1 car.
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  In 1992 the Type 107 Formula One car reverted back to a Green & Yellow Lotus Nose Badge, but it was of the Bugatti type which has the name LOTUS in Serifed letters. 
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The New Style Bugatti Lotus Marque emblem 
was used on the Type 107 F1 car.--------------------
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On the Type 107B F1 car, Team Lotus used the New Style 
Yellow, Green, & White Bugatti Lotus Logo with Team Lotus 
included on it to show solidarity with the Lotus Car Company. 
The effort was wasted, as Lotus Cars later sued Clive Chapman 
for wanting to use the emblem as his Classic Team Lotus Logo.
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  Maybe at the time Team Lotus also longed for the Glory Days, and tried to call them back with a return to their roots. 
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  The Type 109 Formula One car of 1994 was the last of its kind to wear a Lotus Nose Badge, as Team Lotus quit racing after that season. 
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The last F1 car, the Lotus Type 109, used the Bugatti 
Lotus emblem, with the word Team omitted from it.-
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  All of the Lotus road cars continued to use the Black Lotus Nose Badge until the company was purchased by British Car Auctions in 1986. 
At that time David Wickens changed the design of the Lotus Nose Badge so that it looked like a squashed lozenge. 
The Lozenge was Green in color, and the Lettering was Gold. 
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  Following Colin Chapman’s shockingly early death, time couldn’t stand still and within weeks Lotus had been re-organised under the temporary chairmanship of Fred Bushell. 
By the following August the company had been re-financed with capital from, amongst others, British Car Auctions and Toyota.
As BCA held the largest stake, its ebullient chairman, David Wickens assumed the same role at Hethel. 
It was a new beginning, full of hope. 
Wickens quickly and controversially stamped his authority on Lotus by ditching the famous yellow and green Lotus badge for a British Racing Green shield that looked more like a squashed lozenge. 
It hardly endeared Wickens to Lotus enthusiasts. (Focalpoint)
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  GM  bought Lotus in 1987, and changed  the Logo again. 
They omitted the ACBC Monogram from it in an effort to erase the memory of Colin Chapman and his achievements from the company. 
After receiving many complaints from Lotus enthusiasts from around the world they later restored the ACBC Monogram, but they made it MUCH smaller then it had been to downplay Chapman's contributions. 
It was their way of saying that Lotus was no longer Chapman's company, and since it was now their's, things would be done differently and as they wanted. 
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  After Bugatti bought Lotus from GM in 1993 they restored the original Green & Yellow Nose Badge in an effort to show continuity and a link with the past Lotus history that no longer existed, but they changed the lettering of the LOTUS name, (and the small 'C' in the Monogram), to a serrifed style. 
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  Many younger Lotus owners of  the older racing and road cars have changed their Black Nose Badges  to Green & Yellow ones, either out of superstition or a mis-guided fantasy of trying to recapture the Lotus past. 
  They may long for the glory days of Jim Clark who won his Driver Championships in cars wearing a Green & Yellow Lotus Badge, but forget that  Graham Hill won his Championship in a car with a Black Badge. 
Technically Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Mario Andretti won their World Championships while driving John Player Specials, which is a distinction that Colin Chapman himself made. 
That is why he did not put Lotus Nose Badges on those cars, although they were some of the greatest cars that Lotus ever built. 
They instead wore the Black JPS badge. 
  A real Lotus enthusiast who honors the history and the traditions that Colin Chapmen started will leave a Black Lotus Nose Badge alone, because that is where it belongs. 
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Exit British Car Auctions, Enter GM <:(
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  In the mid- 1980's the Ford Motor Company had the chance to buy LOTUS. 
They turned the offer down, and instead opted to buy both Aston Martin and Jaguar. 
They have also purchased Rover and Volvo. 
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  (Colin Chapman would probably have been very offended at that turn of events, considering the long and illustrious association that Ford has had with LOTUS. 
To this day, when many people hear the name LOTUS, they think that it is an English Ford. 
They can not really be faulted for this mistake, considering the many famous LOTUS race cars that proclaimed that they were 'Powered by Ford' !!! ) 
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  General Motors became alarmed by Ford's aquisitions, and decided that they had better make a few of their own.
When Ford passed on LOTUS, GM stepped in and purchased the company. 
They proclaimed that the marque would become a new division, just as Saturn and GEO had. 
(You remember GEO, don't you?) 
It was said at the time that the cars would first be sold through Pontiac dealers, so that the American public could be re-introduced to the LOTUS name and reputation. 
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  Under General Motors ownership, a new "Corprate Logo" was designed for the Esprit Turbo.-
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(This transitional badge is reproduced for you below.)
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  GM used the new Wickens-style Lotus Logo, which had a squashed Triangular Green Lozenge  with the lettering of the name LOTUS changed to a very stylized Serifed type, but  their new logo omitted the A - C - B - C Monogram on it !!! 
This was sacrilege to the millions of Lotus fans around the world, who raised a great cry of protest. 
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  It was planned that the new corporate LOTUS logo would be used as much as possible. 
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A Dealership Sign
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A Uniform Patch
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An Elan +2 Parts Book
This was a deliberate effort  to remove the memory of Colin Chapman from Lotus, 
as the Elan +2 was a Chapman- era car, and the Service Manuals had used the 
older Marque Logo for many years.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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  After a great outcry was raised by Lotus enthusiasts from around the world concerning the removal of the ACBC Monogram from the logo, a later  badge was used on the Esprit' and Excel' which had a very small Monogram, to deliberately down-play-Colin Chapman's contributions to the company,  and also to the art of automotive engineering. 
(However, the Small 'C' in the Monogram now had a Serif to reflect the change to a Serifed typestyle for the name LOTUS.)
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  He would, after all, be a-very tough act to follow !
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The Badge that is shown is Black and Gold, as was 
fitted to the Limited Edition John Player Special Esprit. 
The Badges that were normally fitted to the 
other Lotus cars were Dark Green and Gold.
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  To try to remove the memory of Colin Chapman from LOTUS would be akin to erasing Sir William Lyons from the history of Jaguar, or David Brown from the history of Aston Martin. 
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  Let us not EVER forget the man who made it all possible, but In truth I'm-sorry-to say, the real spirit of LOTUS passed away when-Colin Chapman did !!!
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  Such is the fate of fame in a world of hostle corporate takeovers. 
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Exit GM, Enter Bugatti <:)
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  To their credit, when Bugatti bought LOTUS from GM in 1993 they used a NEW badge that was based on  the original green and yellow Lotus Marque logo, and thus tried to give a sense of continuity to the company. 
However, they kept a SERIFED style lettering for the name LOTUS, 
and made the Chapman Monogram slightly LARGER & Bolde than it had originally been, (and kept a Serif on the Small 'C' of the ACBC Monogram), perhaps in an effort to subliminally insinuate a connection to the past glories that no longer existed.
They also changed the background to a Norfolk Mustard Yellow, (which has a tinge of red to it),  and the Green of the Triangular Lozenge is darker. 
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ORIGINAL Chapman- era Nose Badge
The LOTUS name is Sans Serif. 
The Small 'C' in the Monogram is Sans Serif.
The background is a Pale Sun Yellow, 
and the Lozenge is British Racing Green.
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Bugatti 'New Style' Nose Badge
The Monogram is both Larger & Bolder, 
and the Small 'C' on the Monogram has 
a Serif.----------------------------------------------------
The lettering of the LOTUS name has 
changed to a Serifed style.------------------
The background is Norfolk Mustard Yellow, 
and the Green is darker.------------------------------
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  The Marque Patch has also been modified with a Deeper Norfolk Mustard Yellow background and a Darker Green Lozenge, and the lettering has been changed to the Serif type, so that the patch mirrors the new nose badge. 
Notice that a Serif has been added to the Upper 'Horn' of the Small 'C' in the ACBC Monogram on the Patch as well. 
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  Any private entrants who race their Lotus cars, can use the Marque Patch on their uniforms, even if they are not factory sponsered. 
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  After all, it is good advertising (and free!!!) for Lotus if the entrant can win or even place in his class, and God knows that Lotus needs all the help that they can get to remain visible on the Competition Scene that they have been drifting away from for years now. 
(The last successful Lotus Racing Car was the Type 106 Esprit X180R which competed in the mid- 1980's, and I don't count the various One Marque Racing Series that the Factory has set up because the car is competing against other cars which are identical to it.) 
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  Technology that is used only to DAZZLE the public is a SHAM. 
It only counts if it is actually used on a Race Track, and is vindicated by WINNING a race. 
Back in the Chapman- era Glory Days, Lotus was a leader in bringing new technology to the Racing Scene, and proved the superiority of that technology by winning MANY races with it against various highly competitve opponents such as Ferrari, BRM, Brabham, McLaren, Tyrell, Matra, etc..
Those other opponents were also working on technology of their own, but somehow Colin Chapman was always able to get the Upper Hand and find a better way of doing things.
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  Lotus needs a large infusion of MONEY to be able to hire some of the best of the recent crop of automotive designers so that they can again build a car that will be able to compete with the best of the current Formula One teams and hopefully win a few more races.
THAT will be the only way to regain their credibility as a cutting edge car company, but it will probably NOT happen as the Corporate Management are too concerned with protecting their own High Salaries and Golden Parachutes !!! 
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  It is becoming laughable that Lotus has basically become a Johnny-One-Note car company, and is currently only producing variations of cars that are based on a chassis technology that is already over 10 YEARS OLD !!! 
What is even more laughable is that Lotus keeps raising the prices on these rolling antiques, thinking that they are in the same class as a Ferrari because of their PAST history as a WINNING Formula One Team, (a History that the present Management is NOT entitled to use but which they have been trying to capitalize on by producing the Green & Yellow Elise Type 25, the Red, White, & Gold Elise Type 49, and the Black & Gold Elise Type 72 vehicles). 
Boy, talk about resting on your Laurels. 
Those Laurels are now  over 30 Years old and they have turned to DUST !!! 
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  Colin Chapman proved time and time again that a car didn't have to be EXPENSIVE or OVER- ENGINEERED to compete against and BEAT other cars with greater Snob Appeal.
I have to ask why Lotus is now aiming their marketing at the same snobs that Colin Chapman had disdained, and are leaving their loyal followers of many years in the lurch. 
The Yuppies that they are selling cars to have little regard for the history of the Marque, (why should they, when the Factory itself seems to have so little regard for it themselves), and many treat the owners of the older Lotus cars with the same kind of contempt that Enzo Ferrari had originally treated Colin Chapman and his upstart car company when Lotus first started racing. 
(Even later Esprit owners have done this, forgetting that without the Europa there NEVER would have been an Esprit !!!) 
Chapman knocked the grin off of Enzo's face by proving that his cars could run with the best that Ferrari could throw at him, and winning the Car Constructors Championsip SEVEN times !!! 
  (Ferrari eventually came to terms with the winning ways of Lotus, and was forced to adopt some of the concepts that Chapman pioneered in order to remain competitive. 
Enzo even humbled himself and expressed regret upon learning of the passing of Colin Chapman.) 
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  Colin Chapman sold you a car whose Technology was based on the concept of the MOST performance from the LEAST AMOUNT OF WEIGHT. 
You got great VALUE for your hard earned money, and you also got the satisfaction that comes with upgrading the car as your budget allowed. 
  Lotus now sells you a bass-ackward overweight over- engineered car in which you PAY the most for the LEAST Performance in its price class, and since the cars are pretty much maxed out by the Factory, there is very little that an Owner can do to improve them !!! 
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  The Toyota engine that the Lotus Factory is now putting in the Exige is based on the unit that Lotus Europa owners have been swapping into their cars for years now. 
(Rumour has it that it is actually a copy based on the long out of production Cosworth BDA that was originally installed in the English Ford Escort Rallye Cars of the late 1960's & 'early 70's.) 
Unfortunately, the Exige weighs HUNDREDS of pounds more than a Europa and would need to go on a drastic diet in order to be competative with a similarly powered Europa, but I'm sure that Lotus will sell plenty of them to gullible Yuppies with lots of disposable income who are now the only ones who can afford to buy and maintain them. 
Most of them won't even get their hands soiled by doing their own Tune-ups and Oil Changes, opting instead to pay a dealership $700.00 + to do it. 
  This could be the reason the the prices on the older Chapman- era cars have been steadily appreciating, (in spite of their Kit- Car roots), while the resale values on the newer Lotus cars have been going DOWN. 
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  Lets not forget ONE OTHER IMPORTANT FACT. 
When GM bought Lotus, they only got the rights to the Lotus Road Car Production. 
The Chapman family retained ALL rights to the Team Lotus Racing Facilities & Name, AND ITS HISTORY !!! 
The various later owners of Group Lotus LTD. even gave the Chapman family a hard time about using the OLD Sans- Serrif Lettered Team Lotus Logo for a Classic Team Lotus Logo that they wanted to use to show solidarity with the current car operation. 
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  To my mind, the family was being generous with that overture as they were offering the company the use of the past Racing History with it, thusly bestowing their blessing on the efforts of the Factory, and the newer car models. 
The plan to use the old Team Lotus logo was shot down by the Factory, who got an injunction against the family so that they couldn't proceed. 
(They would have probably tried to make the family change their name as well if they thought that they could get away with it !!!) 
This was done by the Management of a company who originally REMOVED Colin Chapman's Monogram from the Marque Logo, in an effort to ERASE his memory. 
It seems to me that the Lotus factory really ought to be nicer to the Chapman family if they want to sell cars by referring to the past accomplishments of Team Lotus. 

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  Colin's son Clive is presenty ecking out a living by running a Restoration and Preservation Service for the older Chapman- era Formula One cars, and is the TRUE torch- bearer of his fathers legacy as far as I am concerned. 
If you want the real story regarding the accomplishments of Colin Chapman, Clive is the man to talk to, not the PR guys at Lotus Cars who put a spin on things. 
(Don't forget that the concept of "Newspeak" was invented in England, and the current Lotus management doesn't seem adverse to using it.) 
  Clive Chapman went ahead and used the ORIGINAL ACBC Monogram of HIS father  as the logo for Classic Team Lotus, much to the chagrin of the Factory. 


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Classic Team Lotus Logo
Notice that Clive Chapman has used his fathers ORIGINAL Monogram 
which has the Slim Large 'C' and the Small 'C' WITHOUT the Serif.
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  In my opinion the Chapman Family has EVERY right to use Colin's Name, Monogram, and Signature for their own financial survival, considering the way that they have been raked over the coals in the past. 
After all, they are RELATED to the man !!! 
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  The current owners of Group Lotus LTD. have sold at Auction ALL of the historic Lotus vehicles that they had in their possession. 
What manufacturer in their right mind rapes their own Marque History like that ??? 
Maybe the cars were too much of a reminder to them of just how far the company has wandered from the path that Colin had set it on. 
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  I have been a Lotus enthusiast since the early 1960's, but I can no longer say that the release of a new Lotus vehicle is exciting to me anymore, especially at the prices that they are asking for them. 
It has been too much of the same old, same old for far too long now. 
In fact, whenever I start to get depressed at the direction that Lotus has gone in, I just get into my 950 lb. Chapman-era 1967 Type 46 Europa S1A with its modified 190 H.P. Renault 807 Cross-flow Hemi Head engine and blow the doors off of any Porsche, Corvette, or Ferrari that I can find, and I remember what owning a REAL Lotus is all about. 
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  I smile when I remember  that I could build TWO duplicates of my car from parts that are currently available on the open market for the price of ONE new Elise. 
I could build THREE of them for the cost of a new Exige. 
I hear that the new Europa S will be going for FOUR  times the cost of of my car. 
  I hope that you owners of the Post Chapman-era cars will remember THAT, the next time you are tempted to look down your noses at an older Colin Chapman designed 'Kit-Car' Lotus. 
Those older cars are the closest things to a real Racing Car that you will EVER find on the street, and it has been a VERY long time since a Lotus car has won a race by using their current technology in an Open Competition against other manufacturers. 
(Although the Type 115 GT-1 Racer was really a silhouette racer styled to look like an Elise / Exige. 
It was powered by a race prepared 600 H.P. LT5 V8 engine from the Chevrolet ZR1 Corvette in a TUBE STEEL CHASSIS, and as such was the case, didn't really have anything in common with an Elise at all since the Bonded Aluminum Chassis is their Claim to Fame For both the Elise and Exige. 
In fact, Lotus produced the Exige as a 'Look-Alike' to the Type 115, in order to bolster sagging sales of the Elise.) 
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Unlike the Type 105 and Type 106 Espirit X180R that preceded it, the Type 115 GT-1 did not do all that well against real competition. 
  The Aluminum-chassis cars have had a poor racing record, which is why their owners compete in Single Marque Racing Series with them, so that they won't be overly embarassed by the cars performance when competing against the cars of other manufacturers. 
Even a 50 year old genuine Chapman- era Lotus  Seven will outperform the Elise in the handling department, which is why Lotus tried stripping the Elise down to produce the 340R in an effort to regain some of the old racing edge in Clubman events. 
I find that fitting, but poetically tragic and very telling. 
The old Seven, Elite, Elan, and Europa have 'Street-Cred', whereas the Elise and Exige DO NOT !!! 
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  After almost 40 years of Lotus ownership, (I own THREE), I have won my battlestripes. 
I have EARNED the right to my opinions, and I in turn can look down on the owners who have bought shiny new Elises and Exiges, instead of buying a REAL classic Lotus, such as a Seven, Elite, Elan, Elan +2, or Europa. 
The cars may be older, but they STILL deliver more bang per buck then a NEW Lotus. 
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Exit Bugatti, Enter Proton <:(
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.This PLASTIC Lotus Nose Badge was purchased from eBay Seller: stan7040 for $38.00.
DON'T pay more than that for a USED one, as a NEW one only costs $40.00 at a Dealer.
When questioned about the PLASTIC construction, the Seller claimed that he didn't know 
that Lotus Emblems were usually METAL, and had sold Four of these Plastic Badges with 
no complaints.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In light of this situation, I suggest that anyone who is thinking of Bidding for a Lotus 
Badge on eBay should contact the Seller beforehand and confirm what it is made of, 
to avoid Over-Paying for a Plastic one.------------------------------------------------------------------------
After all, why pay $40.00 for a USED Plastic Badge, (plus the Shipping Costs), when 
you can get a NEW Badge at your local Lotus Dealer for the same price !!!----------------
.

  Proton has continued to use the Green & Yellow badge, (with the Serifed LOTUS name), on the cars that they have produced.----------
However, the Badge is now made of PLASTIC, and it has a Raised Bead on the Rim.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is attached to the vehicle with Double-sided Tape.-----------------
(The typical Dealer Price of this Plastic Badge is $40.00, compared to $75.00 for a Metal Badge, so take that into consideration when Bidding on eBay.)-----------
.
  According to some threads I found on Elise Forum pages, the supposed reason for the change was to prevent the damage to the bodywork of the car that was caused by thieves  trying to pry the Metal Badge off.-------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe that for one second, and think that it is just an excuse for Proton's decision to put CRAP on the car because it is less expensive and will increase their profit margin.--------
After all, they are in the business of selling cars, NOT maintaining TRADITION !!!------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is just a case of Newspeak double-talk to put a spin on the fact that Proton in getting CHEAP with the build quality of the cars. 
.
**********************************************
If any Lotus Owners want a real METAL Cloissone Enamel Bugatti-style Badge, (which mounts with Two Screw Studs), they are available from Great British Cars for $39.95, (which is less 
than Lotus gets for the Plastic one).-----------------------------------
The only difference is that the Background is the ORIGINAL Lotus Yellow instead of the correct Norfolk Mustard.------------------------------
(The badge could be used on a new Lotus as a statement of protest.)
The website URL is:
 http://www.gbcarparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=LotusNoseBadge
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Will LOTUS Flower Under Proton?
.
.
Is this the future, (or end), of LOTUS?
(Will LOTUS be as to Proton, as Acura is to Honda, Lexus is to Toyota, or Infinity is to Nissan?)
.
  Proton seems to want to move the marque farther away from the high performance sports car market, and into the family oriented luxury grand touring segment. 
..
.
Proton / LOTUS Europa S
(Can $100,000.00+ Hundai's and Kia's be far behind?)
.
  The Europa S that Proton has LOTUS developing has NOTHING in common with its famous mid-engine ancestor. 
Although it has taken some styling cues and a modified chassis from the Elise, it is a vehicle more along the style of a Mitsubishi Eclipse, Toyota Celica, or Nissan Altima. 
  There was even talk of moving its production to the parent factory in Malayasia, but that that has been put on hold for the time being. 
(I think that Proton is waiting to see how successful the marketing of the car is in Asia, and whether or not the LOTUS factory in England can keep up with the necessary production if it does sell well.) 
If Proton IS successful in selling this vehicle in the Asian market, it could very well design and produce more cars like it, and move the entire LOTUS production out of England !!! 
(To me, such a Badge-engineered vehicle would NO LONGER BE A LOTUS, since the cars that are currently being made in England are already a stretch for that illustrious name.) 
.
  Proton has already given the licensing rights for items bearing the LOTUS logo, (such as patches and stickers), to manufacturers in Asia, instead of to the English firms who have produced these items for more then 50 years. 
These Asian manufacturers have no regard at all for Tradition, as can be seen by the various patches that they have produced so far, some of which are pictured below. 
.
1 2 3 4 5
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6 7 8
9
.
  Only the first ONE, (of the many patches that are being made now), even tries to duplicate the original marque logo in the correct style with a Silver Rim. 
The fourth Maylasian Lotus Club patch, (who really should know better since their government now owns the Lotus Car Company), uses Black instead of Green as the color of the Lozenge on their patch. 
I guess that they wanted it to match the Black ring that their Club Name is stitched into with Gold Seriffed lettering. 
Perhaps they also long for the glory days of the Black & Gold John Player Special cars. 
.
  I am surprised that disreputable Sellers on eBay haven't yet tried to pass off the second and third patches as Jim Clark Memorial items, in spite of their having the wrong Serifed lettering typestyle for that particular Era.
  The seventh Bright Yellow, Green, & Black patch, the eighth Red, Gold, Green, & White patch, and the ninth Red, Flourescent Yellow, & White  patch are just outright garish, and they are some of the ugliest things that I have ever seen. 
.
**********************************************
  Even worse are the poor reproductions of the Chapman ACBC Monogram that are coming from the Far East. 
They are so badly made that the Small 'C' , (which stands for Colin, the name that he preferred to be called), that is located in the center is illegible, as the points, (hereafter referred to as 'Horns'),  that extend into the 'B' have been cut off. 
There is really no excuse for this as they had no problem keeping the foot of the 'A' , (which is a more complex shape to die-cut), that extends to the left past the Large 'C' . 
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Die-Cut Adhesive Appliques`
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Dash & Headrest Badge
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Window Badge
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Sill Badge
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**************************
Aluminum Door Sill Plates sold 
by American Suppliers on eBay
.

.

..
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Lotus Decals & Stickers
that are being sold on eBay
.
.

.
The eBay Seller of the lower Sticker claims to have an OFFICIAL License 
from Lotus so that he can make them himself.-------------------------------------------
(He actually condemns other eBay Sellers for NOT having a License.)
Although the 'horns' have been restored to the small 'C' in the Monogram, 
the upper section where the 'A' and the small 'C' come together has been 
botched up.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to see a copy of that License Agreement, as I doubt that even 
Proton is so greedy as to allow such a mutilation of the Trademark that they 
have paid so much money for.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Seller only takes PayPal Payments, so it will be more difficult to get 
your money back when you return the Item after discovering the mistake.
.
**************************
Lotus Banners that 
are being sold on eBay
.
.

  As can easily be seen on the above pictures of Sill Plates, Decals & Stickers, and Banners & Flags that are being marketed on  eBay,  many other  manufacturers have also perpetuated this error on the Chapman ACBC Monogram. 
It is much easier to correct the error on these particular products, so the only reason that it still exists is because the manufacturers just don't care.

.
  I have contacted a number of these manufacturers, (who have thanked me for pointing out the mistake), but they still continue to produce them as they are !!!
It just goes to show you that they don't really care about the accuracy of the items that they are producing, and will continue to make them that way as long as there are dim-bulb Lotus enthusiasts, (who don't know or care about the history of the Marque),  that continue to buy them. 
  If the loyal Lotus Enthusiasts from around the world don't put a stop to this practice by refusing to purchase such badly made items, it will only be a matter of time before ALL items with a Lotus Logo will be made this way, (just as in the "Broken Telephone Game", where the final message has been so badly corrupted that it bears no resemblance at all to the original message).
.
  Such will be the fate of the memory of the man who created the most illustrious Marque in the history of Motor Racing, only to have its bones picked apart by the vultures of GREED !!! 
.
**********************************************

.

.
  These pictures of a Lotus Racing Jacket that is being manufactured in Thialand show that the defect in the Chapman Monogram has been corrected. 
However, you will notice that the Marque Emblem on the Right Sleeve, (on the left side of the picture), has been applied UPSIDE DOWN !!! 
  If the Emblem had been a Patch that had been sewn on it would be a relatively minor operation to turn it around so that it would be displayed correctly. 
Unfortunately all of the Graphics and Lettering are EMBROIDERED directly into the jacket, and this defect can NOT be corrected unless the machinery is re-programmed. 
  Since the jacket is being marketed primarily in Asian countries with large Moslem populations, maybe this was done in deference to the Islamic custom that anything that is man-made MUST have a defect in it because only God can be perfect. 
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**********************************************
  Just so that you know who you are really dealing with when you buy a new Lotus: 
.
  Proton is the National Car Company of Maylasia, and is solely owned by the Maylasian Government. 
Maylasia is a MUSLIM nation, and it ia a sobering thought that some of the profits that are gleaned from their ownership of Lotus may be going towards furthering an Islamic Agenda. 
.
Religion in Malaysia
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
.
  According to the 2000 census and CIA, there are approximately 60.4% percent of the population that are following Islam; 19.2 percent Buddhism; 9.1 percent Christianity; 6.3 percent Hinduism; and 3 percent Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditional Chinese religions. [1]
.
  All Malays (the majority race of the country) are REQUIRED to be Muslim as defined by the Constitution of Malaysia. 
Those of Chinese or Indian origin tend not to be Muslim, although they are REQUIRED to become so if they marry a Muslim person.
.
  Additionally, many of the Chinese community, which comprises the bulk of the Buddhist population, actually practise a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religion. 
As there is no official name for this particular set of beliefs, many followers instead list down their religion as Buddhism, mainly for bureaucratic convenience.
.
  Sikhs and Baha'is are also to be found in the country.
.
**********************************************
  In 2002 the government banned the Bible in Malay (Alkitab) and in Iban (Bup Kudus). 
The Kudus uses the term "Allah Taala" for God. 
The ban has since been rescinded. 
Home Minister Abdullah Badawi (now Prime Minister) claimed it was the work of an overzealous bureaucrat and he had then repealed the ban personally. 
(Wikipedia)----
  This was a disconcerting discovery for me to make, as it shows that there are Islamic zealots in the Maylasian Government who are just waiting for an opportunity to repress other Religions. 
.
**********************************************
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.
Chapman Solidarity Emblem
With the ORIGINAL
Colin Chapman Monogram
(The Small 'C' is Sans Serif.)
..
Please note that this Emblem is NOT an OFFICIAL Lotus design !!!
It was designed to keep the memory of Colin Chapman alive, and is an 
effort to show solidarity with the Chapman Family in that cause.------------
It would be nice if it could be produced as a Black Enamal & Silver Badge 
which would be displayed on Chapman-era Lotus cars.------------------------------
(Maybe Clive Chapman could arrange with Manhattan Windsor to have it made, 
and distribute it at cost to interested parties.-------------------------------------------------
It would also be nice if he could run up some of the TEAM LOTUS Patches 
as well.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The History of TEAM LOTUS has been written with Blood, and that fact shouldn't 
be forgotten.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We should NEVER forget to remember ALL of the men who have given their lives 
to the Cause for Lotus.)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It could also be used on the later Post- Chapman Lotus vehicles, but 
ONLY IF they were purchased by owners who had a knowledge of the 
Marque History AND if they realize the fact that the direction that the 
present management of Lotus Cars is taking the company isn't what 
Colin had envisioned.----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, and Aston Martin cars are still competing 
and winning in the major Racing Scenes of the World, but Lotus is 
NOT !!!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a sad state of affairs for all of the millions of Lotus enthusiasts 
who have remained loyal to the Marque for these many years.-----------
ALL Lotus cars should be designed with the intent of WINNING RACES, 
and should not be just expensive 'Boulevard Cruisers'.-----------------------------
Does the Lotus Management have its head in the sand to think that they can 
keep our loyality forever, without a least TRYING to produce a car that will be 
competative on the CURRENT World Racing scene?------------------------------------
After all, why should we be expected to pay $100,000.00+ for a new Lotus 
'Supercar', (which will still be built from a hodge- podge of parts procured from 
other automotive manufacturers), when we can buy a Ferrari or Porsche which 
are built In-House upon PROVEN racing technology, and at the very least have 
THEIR OWN ENGINES ???--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Lotus could have tried to purchase the rights for the Rover V8 engine from Ford, 
and could have developed a very reliable High Performance Street Engine from it. 
Just look what TVR was able to do with the engine.)-------------------------------------------
The reality is that Lotus likes to THINK that they are still in a class with Ferrari and Porsche, but in fact their cars are more suited to competing against Toyotas and Caterhams, (and the Caterham BDR engine would wipe their butts).---------------------
.
Enough said !!!
.
Yuppie Owners who bought their Lotus cars to be 'COOL' and to pick 
up girls NEED NOT APPLY, as a History Test will be administered !!!
.
**********************************************
  Such is the VALUE of fame, and TRADITION, in a world of hostile corporate takeovers !!! 
  I can only hope that true Lotus enthusiasts will preserve the memory and  the accomplishments of Anthony 'Colin' Bruce Chapman for the future generations. 
.
.JMM (2008)----
.
.

.
  I recently found this new Logo on a website that is dedicated to the Lotus Exige R. 
It was created by an owner by the name of Fabian Flach. 
It is located at the URL address: 
.
 http://www.exige-r.com/
.
  It appears that Herr Flach's love for his Exige is so great,  (and his ego is also so large), that he has taken it upon himself to remove the ACBC Monogram from the Lotus Marque Logo. 
To me this is a hard slap in the face to all of the loyal Lotus enthusiasts from around the world who fought to have the Monogram restored when it was removed by GM, and shows that Flach has no sense of tradition or loyalty to the Marque. 
JMM (2008)----
.
.

.
  This is a picture that was sent to me by an enthusiast in England of a Red, White, & Gold Nose Badge. 
He claims that he used to give tours of the Lotus factory, and that this is a badge that was made for the Gold Leaf Team LOTUS cars. 
He says that it was given to him by the grateful Lotus Management. 
  I highly doubt that they would chose to give such a rare artifact to him, instead of giving it to a Driver, such as Mario Andretti or John Miles, who actully raced in Lotus cars that carried those colors. 
.
  I have been a Lotus enthusiast for over 40 years, and I can find NO documentation, or ANY pictures of a Lotus racing car wearing one of these badges !!! 
In fact, pictures of every Lotus competition car is shown to be wearing a Black Lotus nose badge from the time of Jim Clarks death. 
The only time that this changed was on some John Player Special cars which used a Black & Gold JPS nose badge, and later on after Colin Chapman had died, a Black nosebadge that had just the ACBC Monogram was used.
When Camel became the sponser a modified Green & Yellow badge that said TEAM LOTUS on it was used. 
.
  Based on this lack of evidence, I feel that the Red, White, & Gold badge is a hoax, and was made by removing the enamal from an original nose badge, and replacing it with these colors.-
After all, Colin Chapman really had no reason to change the colors of the Company Logo, as the rest of the car was contracted to be painted to suit the Sponser. 
  This particular badge may have been made by a Lotus owner who was running Gold Leaf colors on his street car and wanted something different, but if it was done in an effort to gain a monetary reward, (because if the badge WAS real, it would be worth a considerable amount of money), it could be considered a criminal act of fraud. 
.
  One must remember that as the price of Lotus cars gets higher, and the memory of the days of racing glory gets dimmer, it will become more tempting, (and easier), for unscrupulous people to perpetrate such a fraud.
So beware of anyone trying to sell you 'Genuine' Lotus relics, and make sure that you get a good Certificate Of Authenticity and a MONEY BACK guarantee if the item proves to be a fake.
JMM ----
.
..
 Original  Reproduction 1
.
  Another item that Lotus enthusiasts will be interested in is the Coventry Climax 'Godiva' medallion. 
It was cast in Bronze, and inset into the Aluminum valve cover of some of their engines. 
  Lotus used these engines in many of their early models, such as the Mark Eleven and Type 15 Sports Racers, and the Type 14 Elite road car. 
.
  Currently, there are REPRODUCTIONS of this medallion being made out of Pewter. 
They normally sell in the $35.00 to $40.00 price range. 
Do not be fooled into believing that it is a REAL one by a crooked Seller. 
  While they are not bad copies, there ARE differences from an original, which can readily be seen when compared side by side. 
.
  The first most notably, (as was stated before), is the fact that the Original is made of BRONZE and the Repros are PEWTER. 
Secondly, the Circular Rim is THICKER on the Repro. 
Third, the GODIVA lettering is HEAVIER on the Repro. 
Fourth, on the Repro her Mount looks more like a heavy PLOW-HORSE instead of the sleek Racing Throughbred of an English Nobleman ! 
And fifth, the angle that Lady Godiva holds her Right Leg at looks slightly different.
It points to the lifted right front leg of the horse on the Original, and it points more towards the planted left front leg on the Reproduction. 
The Repros may have been cast from an old original medallion, which was pretty worn by now, so they lack definition of detail. 
.
  There is a SECOND reproduction that is being made which is Die- STAMPED in Pewter, and is much closer looking to the original medallion, except that it is SILVER in color. 
The detail on it is MUCH better. 
.
 Original  Reproduction 2

.
  A GENUINE Bronze Coventry Climax 'Godiva' Medallion will sell in the $75.00 to $125.00 price range, depending on its condition. 
In fact, many times the Coventry Climax Aluminum valve cover will still be attached to it, so you will know that it is real !!! 

.

.
Coventry Climax FWA Engine Cam Cover
.
JMM (2007)----
.
.
  This article is actually a version of the one that originally appeared on my Editorial Page.
I pared down some of the rant about corporate, (and other), morality on the advise of my wife, who felt that the information about the Lotus Nose Badge was good enough to stand on its own.
  It should be said that my 1967 Lotus Europa S1A has a Green & Yellow nose badge, and both my 1974 Lotus Elite M503 V8 and 1976 Lotus Elite M504 Automatic have a Black one.
That is the way they will stay, because that is the way that Colin Chapman wanted it.
.

.
  It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
If that is the case , then I should feel honored that two other websites have plagiarized parts of the above article.
  However, neither has given me any authors credit, (using at least the initials would have been fine), nor did they include the Taracomm copyright mark.
Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to edit out so much of the indictment about present day morality.
  You can find the above article at:
.
Lotus ESPRITWorld.com
URL: 
http://espritworld.co.uk/EHistory/lotusbadge.html
.
and: 
.
Vince's Lotus Page
URL: 
http://www.users.qwest.net/~vvenicasa/lotus_nose_badge.html
.
  I would appreciate an e-mail if anyone finds it on any other website.
Thanks.
JMM (2006)-----
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Copyright © Taracomm 1995 - 2008
All Rights Reserved
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Music: "Lothlorien"
by Enya
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