I nearly bought a 1974 Elite in 1979, its was blue and i loved the test drive, but the next day the owner called (in the days of only land lines) to say the clutch had gone and did i want to still buy the car, i said no to the purchase. Cars in those days were not very reliable and i needed as close to a reliable one, lotus was a great car to drive but i bought an rs2000 mark 1 as i knew it was not as highly strung as a lotus. I still would like to own one but i am getting past my sell by date so i doubt i will get around to it

The Colin McCrae of the circuits ;)

Always loved the Elite (after the Esprit of course). Superb design, beautiful cars. Shame about the quality 😢.

'3 and a half to 5 thousand pounds, between 40 and 55 years of age.' Yes thats me, I'll take a few of them thank you very much.

I have 1974 502.

Great cars, handling is still awesome! We have two Eclats and one Elite that will be futured in our video soon...please check it out!

Unsurprisingly It proved to be an Unwanted POS. Dying on the sales floor and for those dim enough to actually buy one... dying in use. . Due to the Usual (and by then expected.. Abysmal Lotus construction quality.

I produced this video - such memories

All designers agreed a minger with lot of trouble usually serious held together by BL

Does anyone know where i can find any pictures of the 1995 mini riviera run at trevelgue holiday park newquay

Nice Triumph Dolomite Sprint in Brown & Good Classic Music from CI5 Professionals & Bodie & Doyle Lewis Collins & Martin Shaw used to drive a White Triumph Dolomite Sprint in a few Episodes of Ci5 Professionals

AHa!! i see why the rear was so wierd looking now .. winterbottom's original styling was a fastback ! ! .. nice ..like a urracco.. . he managed to return to it more with the eclat/excel.. ..

I went to the factory to pick up a new Eclat in 1978. Got home yesterday!

Brown!

A fantastic driver and an absolute gentleman who gave his all behind the wheel, i always looked up to him as i had aspirations of becoming a racing car driver but unfortunately I didn't have the money or backing.

The Elite is still a great looking car. Did chuckle at the 2:52 reference to the engine being so successful that it was being sold to Jensen Healey . In truth the engine hadn’t been fully sorted and gave JH all manner of problems.

🥶🥶🥶

Ever since I was a kid when I saw Roger Moore being given one in Sardinia in The Spy Who Loved Me, it was always the Esprit

Fab' Mini Run day today 21/05/2023. Shame I sold my J7 ERA Turbo, it's worth a lot more today!

Loved Sherlock sliding it around the corner at 24:40 😂

Personally I think this era was awful for Lotus making oversized and ugly cars. The Esprit was beautiful but still oversized for a two seater with limited luggage capacity. They only returned to their core values with the Elise in the late 1990s.

Rare to see all the important people together at Lotus like Chapmann Winterbottom Rudd and all the others!

Ahead of his time.

Idk why people think this car looks good. It looks like a Lancia Stratos got drunk one night and thought an AMC Gremlin was a Ferrari and later that year popped out the Lotus Elite

I wonder what happened to all these wind tunnel and mock up models. How collectable would they be?

Fab'! We don't' want the loony left council to stop events like this on our beloved Madeira Drive, do we? ..... Long may they continue!

Fab'! We don't' want the loony left council to stop events like this on our beloved Madeira Drive, do we? ..... Long may they continue!

If you ever get the chance to visit Colins grave, do so....just a little church, small graveyard. It made me feel humble. Antony Colin Bruce Chapman.

Great video with this rare statement of Chapman, a piece of history.

Colin Chapman was a legend.... lotus was never the same after he died!!!.😪💕🇬🇧

Gerry Marshall a true character and saloon car racing legend, with a 43 year history in Motorsport.

What a gem from the Colin Chapman/Lotus archive. Shame they couldn't have linked up with Martini Ads, great music, drink and a British car! All classics of their time in the 1970s! These people behind the car and Lotus were all interesting individuals with character. So unlike the robots that are forced upon us these days!

he almost shifts up and down the box as good as i did.

only one way gerry knew how to drive flat out used to go and watch him race loads back in the day. whatever car he got in he would wring every last ounce of performance from it brilliant man r.i.p

Bugger me ,that journalist was hammering it and some poor soul was sitting in the back.

colin chapman killed jim clark

My dad at 4:30 far lane

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

I live in the US, I owned 3 lotus, esprit, elite and the eklat, they are the best cars I EVER owned, I’m looking for one right now, I’m in California amazing video 👍🏼

23:10 Sherlock Holmes & Lotus Eclat

These cars sound so good up in those RPMs... Big power from small engines!

This guy....fuggin AWESOME! I'm not familiar with his career or anything, this is my first impression, and he is right in there with other British greats just because he's got skills and it factor! I hope he was a superstar in UK racing

LOVE IT!

The Elite to me resembles the AMC Gremlins. I prefer the Eclat over the Elite.

Tony Rudd : the man who make the BRM H 16

12:18 can i get this glass windscreen to slice open my neck?

300 miles in 3 hours ;) wow back in the day when you could cruise at 120mph in france! 23:04 John Bolster, wow he loved that hat! so glad he recognised that the steering wheel was in the right place..

RIP Oliver Winterbottom.

I love that almost everyone in the video, including factory floor workers, has both a 70s shag hairdo AND a tie!! Then, in total anachronism, an older car reviewer in full Sherlock Holmes deerstalker & houndstooth coat gives the most British review ever! (23:00)

There's only one Gerry, never see the likes again in today's straight laced sponsor driven races. Nice to see Michael Caine on the pit board at 12.22.