Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: sinjon on June 20, 2008, 08:18:23 pm
-
I have just watched a program on TV about Colin Chapman and his cars.
I'm sorry but much as I admire him and his cars, what about John Cooper and Jack Brabham?
What about the Lotus eleven, Coventry Climax, none of these even mentioned, was it really all about a 750 Austin?
-
Most of these programs depend heavily on what archive footage the producers could get their hands on at a low budget. The tendency seems to be that when a program's worth has been gathered, it is time to sell it. A bit like the scrapbook "project" at the end of primary school, but with fancier gear.
-
Dear Sinjon,
I appreciate what you are saying, but I think the only difference is that the name and product is still going strong after all these years, when even greater (& smaller), names have gone or dwindled. My Father was in school with Colin Chapman, and remembers his keen interest - if not obsession - with designing and building cars. His whole business started with a workbench and his Fathers garage... no mean feat then, and damn near impossible to achieve the same thing these days. Granted the others you mentioned did extremely innovative things, but they haven't quite lasted out the same way - if you get my drift.
Regards, Bernard
-
p.s. I had an Esprit S3 for 1.3 years. Superb fun on the road, but not very practical for farm track and mine roads! - even though people were surprised where I managed to get it to - and keep the spoiler in tact! A good car for parts as well, since, if you looked carefully, many of the basic parts were used on numerous other marks - if you went to price them from a Lotus dealer they cost about 300% + or more. Tyres weren't cheap either... £160 for a rear even in 1986! Heaven knows what the same thing would be now! B.