WHY THE LOTUS NEEDS A TRAILER

WHY THE LOTUS NEEDS A TRAILER

Sir,

With reference to ” Rumblings ” in the December issue, in which you describe your experiences at the Guild of Motoring Writers Motor Show Test Day at Goodwood, I note an inaccuracy in your remarks concerning the two Lotus cars made available for testing by the Press.

You state that both the Lotus Elite and Super Seven were conveyed to the circuit on a trailer and small transporter, respectively, and suggest that this ” is hardly a convincing way of presenting roadworthy cars to the visiting journalists.” The Lotus Elite which was present on that occasion was the property of the Hobbs Transmission Company, and is a Stage 3 racing version of the car not intended for use on the road in any case. This particular machine which is raced by Mr. David Hobbs, is normally conveyed to and from circuits on a trailer, since the car is purely used for competition.

Use by the factory of a transporter for taking cars to Goodwood for this event arises from the time a few years ago when a Lotus Eleven was seriously damaged (by a motoring journalist who shall be nameless!), and is the result of the lesson learned on that occasion when the remains of the car concerned had to be transferred by independent means back to the factory. We now insure against such occurrences by the simple method of using a transporter, and perhaps Jaguars could on this occasion have benefited from similar forethought, to remove the remains of their heavier and less easily handled E-Type.

I should be grateful if .vou would print this letter„, in case any of your readership were not aware of the true facts. fin. Lows COMPONENTS LTD., Cheshunt. R. E. READ, Sales Manager. [The point we made was that the foreign journalists should have been presented with roadworthy cars, not racing freaks. The explanation of why the Lotus Super Seven went to and from Goodwood on a transporter is ingenious, but hardly convincing. We feel sure that in the unlikely event of a journalist losing control of a Lotus the remains either wouldn’t be worth taking away or, if they were, Mr. Morgan would let them remain overnight until a transporter could be sent to collect them. If Mr. Read is so pessimistic he will soon be asking all his customers to buy transporters so that they can drive their Lotuses about in complete safety and immunity from prangs. Come to think of it, that would solve high insurance charges on Elites and E-Types. —En.) • •