Lotus name ready for return to F1

Atthelimit wrote:Sorry Mike could not find the links you were talking about.

Still not convinced, now I will have to dig deep into the archives but where is it?
I read it in a Lotus book but which one?

Kim

What this one.
LOTUS 7 REGISTER

the website for the

Seven made by Lotus between 1957 and 1973

The South American Lotus Seven.


In 1969 Jorge Mutio, an Uruguayan businessman, fell in love with the Lotus Seven whilst on a business trip to England. At the time the Renault factory he was running on the outskirts of Montevideo had ceased production and he was looking for something to occupy his mind. As a former racing driver who had competed in Maseratis, Simcas and Panhards with some success, the Seven caught his imagination.

When he returned home he told his English speaking friend, Richard Vignoles about the wonderful little sports car he had seen and the pair of them returned to the U.K. and bought one. So great was their enthusiasm for the little car that they also got permission from Colin Chapman to build replicas of it for the Argentinean market. The main reason that Argentina was chosen rather than Uruguay was that the latter only has a population of some 3 million whilst Argentina has eight times that. Whilst there was nothing in writing and there no royalties were demanded, it was agreed that, before they went into production, a Lotus manager by the name of Mike Warner would approve the prototype.

The Seven was duly shipped to Buenos Aires and used as a pattern to make the prototype. This work was carried out in the home garage of an Argentinean named Edgardo Boschi. The engines, drive trains, and brake systems etc. were all sourced from Fiat for ease of supply and servicing. Eventually Mike Warner came to Argentina and inspected their work and returned with a photograph of the English and Argentinean Sevens side by side which is shown on page 66 of Jeremy Coulter's book "Lotus Seven - A Collectors Guide". Later on when over for the Argentinean F1 Grand Prix, Colin and Hazel Chapman saw their work and encouraged furtherance of the project. Finally 'production' commenced in a little factory found by Edgardo Boschi. Richard Vignoles advised on the car's construction having built the prototype and Jorge Mutio supplied his expertise as a long time car constructor.

Between 1969 and 1972 around 30 of these Argentinean Sevens were sold with the Lotus emblem on the nose. The cars were only offered completely assembled with the engines and drivetrain coming from the Fiat 1600 in two states of tune: 87bhp. and 100bhp. Optional equipment included: tinted windscreen, two tone paintwork, close ratio 5-speed gearbox, luxury upholstery and alloy wheels. In 1971 the price of a standard Seven was two million Argentinean pesos. The name of the enterprise was "Lotus Argentina S.A.I.C&F".

In 1970 the Uruguayan Renault factory started working again and Jorge Mutio decided to build a Seven for the Uruguayan market using Renault 12 components instead of Fiat 1600. Richard Vignoles modified one of the chassis frames to take the Renault transaxle gearbox in the back of the car with fully independent suspension hung from it and a prototype was produced. The result was less power [75bhp] but better cornering and braking with a better balanced car.

Later, things got better for Renault in Uruguay and both Seven projects were dropped. Today Jorge Mutio lives in Montevideo and Richard Vignoles is in San Diego, California where he is building another Seven with his two sons. Sadly Edgardo Boschi died and his widow sold the moulds; so now there are lots of other replicas in Argentina using Fiat 125 engines, a different front suspension design and a slightly larger chassis.

As for the cars that survive: I have details of four of in Argentina and also the Renault powered prototype in Montevideo. From the photographs it can be seen that all the cars are well cherished.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: This article was written with information supplied by Pablo Benech, the current owner of the Uruguyan prototype.

j.w.w. - 18th. June 2000
http://lotus7register.co.uk/salot7.htm
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C108179?pt=pf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTbOFME3YeE
Eddie King

Atthelimit wrote:Sorry Mike could not find the links you were talking about.

Kim

Kim, the ones at the top of my own post..

Back on subject.
There's an announcement in Autosport about (Malaysian owned) Lotus being the 13th Team for 2010 F1 season.
BMW could also be Team Nr.14 if ownership can be sorted out.
I wonder how many cars/drivers Ferarri wil be fielding; could be quite a "traffic jam"

Cheers
John

LOTUS will return to Formula One next season for the first time since 1994.

The FIA, motorsport's world governing body, have granted the Norfolk-based team the 13th slot for the championship.

Lotus, who competed in F1 from 1958 through to 1994 and won seven constructors' titles, was awarded its place ahead of BMW Sauber and Epsilon Euskadi.

BMW had revealed they were pulling out of the sport next year and uncertainty over their future means they have lost their place.

The Germans will be on standby in case another team decides to leave the expanded competition.

From next year, 13 teams will compete for the world title with Campos Grand Prix, Manor and US F1 also joining.

The FIA have admitted they are considering allowing to BMW race as a 14th team.

A statement said: "The FIA believes that a good case can be made for expanding the grid to 14 teams.

"It will be consulting urgently with the existing teams regarding the introduction of an appropriate rule change to expand the grid to 28 cars in time for the first Grand Prix in 2010."

Maybe this is some wicked plan to prevent Ferarri putting more than 2 Cars on the grid?
No couldn't be could it? FIA = Ferarri Is All

Looks like the litespeed team, which is about as close you will get to the origional as team memebrs are made up from the remains of the old team lotus outfit.

Good to see the name back, now they need to sign Bruno Senna and Leo Mansell !!!!! (Joking there)

GrumpyBodger wrote:Maybe this is some wicked plan to prevent Ferarri putting more than 2 Cars on the grid?
No couldn't be could it? FIA = Ferarri Is All

haha ... I can tell you I may have been a Ferrari F1 fan since I was a small boy but as soon as Lotus enter next year I won't need any pursuasion in joining the fan club. Sounds like they have a deal with Cosworth for the engines and most of the engineering and testing will be done in Malaysia, and at Sepang. I hope it will be good for the Lotus name, especially since Lotus themselves won't be supplying the funding. I just hope they can perform under the hostorical name in F1.

Trigger wrote:

GrumpyBodger wrote:Maybe this is some wicked plan to prevent Ferarri putting more than 2 Cars on the grid?
No couldn't be could it? FIA = Ferarri Is All

haha ... I can tell you I may have been a Ferrari F1 fan since I was a small boy but as soon as Lotus enter next year I won't need any pursuasion in joining the fan club. Sounds like they have a deal with Cosworth for the engines and most of the engineering and testing will be done in Malaysia, and at Sepang. I hope it will be good for the Lotus name, especially since Lotus themselves won't be supplying the funding. I just hope they can perform under the hostorical name in F1.

reports emerged of plans for the Malaysian Government to back a Team Lotus entry for the 2010 championship to promote the Malaysian car manufacturer Proton, which owns Lotus Cars.

tashuka wrote:

Trigger wrote:

GrumpyBodger wrote:Maybe this is some wicked plan to prevent Ferarri putting more than 2 Cars on the grid?
No couldn't be could it? FIA = Ferarri Is All

haha ... I can tell you I may have been a Ferrari F1 fan since I was a small boy but as soon as Lotus enter next year I won't need any pursuasion in joining the fan club. Sounds like they have a deal with Cosworth for the engines and most of the engineering and testing will be done in Malaysia, and at Sepang. I hope it will be good for the Lotus name, especially since Lotus themselves won't be supplying the funding. I just hope they can perform under the hostorical name in F1.

reports emerged of plans for the Malaysian Government to back a Team Lotus entry for the 2010 championship to promote the Malaysian car manufacturer Proton, which owns Lotus Cars.

We can expect to see the Proton emblem on there too then I can imagine. They currently have one of the Malaysian A1 GP Team cars.

Attention all LDC members

Given the great news that Lotus will again compete in F1 2010, I think we should make a pilgrimage to the British GP albeit at Donnington or Silverstone. I know it is expensive but it's a way of show our support even if we carn't afford a new Evora (excepting the83man).
Would all those interested please register on this forum and maybe we can get a discount if there is enough of us.
RSVP
CAM Events Organiser

Hi Chris

Count us is in for Donington GP, we were going anyway but we will wave a flag in support.
Not quite sure who or what we will be supporting, it apopears as if the TEAM F1 Lotus will have nothing to do with Lotus as we know it but at least the names back.

Kim & Jules

Perhaps the drivers for the team should be invited to join the club !! Possibly interested in the GP depends on cost, perhaps we could get a group discount if numbers are high and we stick together ?

Proton wants to increase Lotus reputation back to heights and success same as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati.Read the full news from Bernama by Mahanum Abdul Aziz below.

NORWICH (United Kingdom), Oct 4 (Bernama) — National carmaker, Proton Holdings Bhd, wants to build upon the Lotus brand and return its lost glory by introducing new car models.

Its Group Managing Director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the recent launch of Evora, Lotus’ first car since 1995, is a turning point for the brand to scale greater heights.

” We believe Lotus’s potential is in the branding. If you go acrosss the globe, the brand recognition is very strong but we have not lived up it,” he said in an interview with members of the Malaysian media in conjunction with the visit by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and his consort Tuanku Nur Zahirah to the Lotus plant here recenty.

Lotus Group Chief Executive Officer Dany Taner Bahar said the Lotus brand’s potential was huge and its inherent strengths were the iconic brand, its long history in car racing and its reputation as a manufacturer of exciting, innovative and light sports cars.

” Lotus was mentioned in the same sentence as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati in the 1970s-1990s. Then, it got closed into a corner. We believe it’s the right time to bring Lotus back to where it was,” he said.

Besides uplifting the Lotus brand to greater heights and success, Syed Zainal said Proton would continue to explore further and utilise Lotus’ engineering advancements and technologies to enhance Proton’s products and manpower skills.

Although Proton has owned Lotus for more than 10 years, he admitted that the carmaker had not fully utilised the British subsidiary.

” Today, we have reassessed the interaction between the two companies. No doubt there are gaps and weaknesses that need to be improved upon, but we are quite determined to make the collaboration stronger,” he said.

wow things look good for them both!