Shortly after I purchased my car - I managed to contact the 'first' (or second) owner who gave me some rather odd information - relating to 1974:
... a friend knew I wanted a Europa. JPS. but I could not find one,then he told me that there was a car at the factory covered over, not moved for years.with flat tyres. when I phoned Lotus said don't know anything about a such car. so my friend gave me a map to where it was and what building it was in. so I went there, with another friend plus trailer !!!!I was going to buy it. they still said 'don't know anything about it' so I gave them the map... and there it was, covered over , very dirty, 4 flat tyres (side walls split.), and not moved for years. very little mileage on the clock. so I bought it. and we got it on the trailer. took it home. changed the oils, fit 5 new tyres. bleed the brakes. flush the fuel tank out - had goo at the bottom. then a new battery, turned the engine over minus the plugs, good oil pressure, put the plugs in and away it went. as to its use at Lotus I don't know. but it had VERY low mileage on it. the cast alloy grill maybe a prototype ?? and a much deeper front spoiler. and the gold lining was painted on beautifully...by a sign writer I expect. not stick on. tyre tread was perfect saying low mileage. but side walls split where standing. We sold it to a Sports Car garage in Welling Kent late 1981.
(I think his recollection about the low mileage is not quite right - I have a recorded mileage of around 19,000 in 1974)
The person I purchased the car from had contacted the factory in 2007 (Bob Nice) who gave the information that the car left the production line in December 1971 supplied to Tollgate Engineering - colour white.
The large spoiler and hand painted JPS style have long since gone. The cast allow grill still remains. (from another car maybe??)
Here are some photos in JPS style around 1974 and the car now - also the front grill.
Can anyone make any sense of this??
Steve
