The Secret Life of Colin Chapman

[BDA]

I just stumbled on this video about Chunky. It's a pretty unvarnished view of him and not a terribly pretty picture, but I found it pretty interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IJd_tMPCmU&list=PL3Cgj4wX8fdU-buKBowpdH31LdAVH6y5R

[EuropatcSPECIAL]

Good find BDA, thanks for shareing

[Gmg31]

That is a superb video, but this book is truly amazing. I read it with my iPad at hand so I can look up each car as they are discussed and all the innovations.

[EuropatcSPECIAL]

The book is an excellent read gmg, it has been many moons since I read it, It may be time to have another read

[Roger]

Sorry, but I don't think Jabby Crombac's book is truly objective. He was a great friend of Chapman, and over-glorifies him a good deal.
Karl Ludvigsen's Inside the Innovator is much better. So is Colin Chapman, wayward genius, by Mike Lawrence.

[BDA]

Well, it is an AUTHORIZED biography. I don't know if the video was overly negative, but I would guess Crombrac's book is a good counter point.

[EuropaTC]

I didn't think the video was overly negative, I seem to remember back in the day there was a lot of fuss about the DeLorean deal and after all Fred Bushell did go to jail over it so something must have been odd about it.  For me it lined up pretty much what I think about the guy - brilliant but a bit dodgy, someone I'd happily share a beer with but not ask round to my house for dinner.

In the 70s & 80s I was in Club Lotus which back then was basically Graham Arnold's enterprise and he'd usually attend several events through the year. A very talkative guy and certainly a salesman for himself, he'd tell some interesting tales about his days at Lotus and the on-off relationship he had.  Were they true or was it the late night beer ? who knows, but Chapman certainly came across as "colourful".

Brian

[BDA]

I guess i was hoping it was more negative than it needed to be. Chunky was never a hero of mine but being involved with Lotus even in my own peripheral way, it's a little sadder to see how he flew so high and then crash and burn - though I suppose his death may have "saved" him from the worst of it (I'm pretty sure I didn't say that very well but I think you know what I mean). Of course, it's  not unusual for someone who is brilliant in one area to be seriously lacking in another and it seems Chunky was a poster boy for that phenomenon.

[Rosco5000]

This was an interesting movie on Colin's career.  Some of the interviewees spilled the beans on his personal life.  I think that's what made it feel harsh on him as it showed the other side of his character.  He really seemed like a master of motivating/manipulating people depending on the situation. But a lot got done by the great little car company.