Long before 2012 (1966 actually, when I saw a picture of an Europa at Brands Hatch), I've been working on a project that satiated both my need to design stuff, and thinking up a possible reason why Lotus never developed a Type 66 car. There are a lot of good theories attempting to answer this (as well as other missing type numbers), but since mine is one of the 800 something type 65s made in 1970, I thought I'd develop my own type 66 theory.
By the 70s, factory Europas were losing their competitive edge. Consumer interest in the car was gradually transitioning from its ability to race to its use for street driving. The removal of the sails being evidence of that. Lotus made no other major changes to the body's shape however, so the Europa continued on, still lacking curb appeal. Colin Chapman would've resisted adding weight, but as the Lotus Europa's eventual replacement, the Esprit proves Lotus wasn't opposed to designing a good looking vehicle.
Production ceased with the worst looking Europa of all, the Federalized Europa. Then, for whatever reason, type 66 was never assigned.
Now, I admit my theory is unlikely, but I think a Type 66 Europa could have marked the beginning of the ultimate Europa. The same thrill, the same responsiveness and the same mechanicals, but with more curb appeal.
Knowing that the type 62 had a tremendous following, Mike Kimberly, given the opportunity, might have considered a design blending the best of all the Europa models, from the iconic type 47 through a street legal interpretation of the type 62.
Under that scenario, 659R is my vision of how the Type 65 Lotus may have evolved into type 66 (get the subtle connection here? 65.9, just shy of 66.0).
Other than the curved rear fender line, my type 66 looks little changed from any other Europa. But in fact, with the exception of the doors, every single body section has been redesigned and altered.
Starting with the roof. As anyone who's removed a Europa windshield knows, the roof is flimsy at best. The addition of an overhead console, running the length of the roof's centerline effectively eliminates the embarrassment of someone setting something heavy, such as a can of beer, on the center of the roof. It also provides a convenient location for interior lights. That was my very first modification.
Radius-ing the wheel openings and adding molded rear fenders does a lot to dress up the bland sides of the car. The Lola GT6 has much the same silhouette, but the Lola's seriously curved fenders, front and rear, balance the car's exceptionally heavy rear end (looks-wise). By adding a sensuous "S" curve to the Europa's fender line, the eye is drawn to gaze along the length of the division. Without the S curve, the flat front fenders would point straight into space, giving the car the appearance of a dart. Speedy, but not exceptionally balanced, or appealing. It's nearly unnoticeable to the eye, but subconsciously, the modified front fender shape looks "right". Or so I'm told... To me, I only see a ton of money and work. Much more than the rear fenders, but I can see a difference and I trust what my sources tell me.
The doors are perfectly situated and shaped to begin the large curve to the rear and a gentle curve stretching out and over the front wheels. Nothing needed to be changed there.
Headlights were an issue. The issue is evident with the disruptive angle made between the fender and aftermarket headlight covers. In order to make a smooth transition from the top of the fender to the body without seriously compromising the car's iconic nose, the angle between needed to be decreased without being noticed. This was accomplished by slightly raising and curving the front fenders, as well as increasing the distance between the bottom of the light cutouts and the car's leading edge. Interestingly, a 9" headlight still fits, but since I own the car, the lights are one of the things I 21st Centuryized. The result is a Porsche-like transition from fender to headlight cover to the front of the car. The stainless steel covers I made, another obvious copy of Porsche's design are likely a no-no for a manufacturer... But again... My car.
Vents plastered all over the fronts of cars were very much becoming a "thing" in the 70s. Fake on most GT wannabes, but the Europa isn't a wannabe and the 66's vents aren't either.
The 62's front fender "wings" are also something not seen on production cars of the times (and rarely today). But it says "race car" and visually significantly lowers the height of the nose, which is their true purpose of my design. The shape is not a wing as such, but a highlight and shadow line that's not likely to be removed by a fire hydrant or slice an admirer's leg in half.
The radiator is another Kimberly puzzle. Probably not the best spot for such a delicate bit of machinery, but possibly something to make you more likable in your boss's eyes. Anything for weight reduction be damned. That odd mounting had to go.
Lotus and other period GT cars already had the simple answer for radiator placement, as well as ventilation for the engine. Air is actually drawn out of the holes in the back lid of an Europa. It's gathered and compressed into the engine compartment from underneath, where the air is cooler. Early one-piece versions of the Europa's body had a heat issue back there, so an exterior intake was a quick and easy fix to correct it. But the look of that intake had the same aesthetic value as the type 62's extreme solution, only a bit less so. My side intakes are a slightly different shape than the 47's, but hopefully still looks good. They both have purpose. The driver's side vent dumps directly in front of the side mount carburetors. Passenger side vent air flows through a cavity formed by the modified rear fenders, to an oil cooler mounted in the airflow's path at the rear of the engine compartment.
I know the LAMM ("look at my motor") window wasn't a thing 60 years ago. And I know Lotus would never have considered adding anything but a flimsy trunk in the rear (in my case, for car shows, there may be a fake sizzling pizza, being kept warm by the motor under that window's glass, making it a LAMP).
But other than that window on the rear deck, possibly the relocated radiator, and the light covers, the car looks like a 1970s factory production sports car, just as other manufacturers were beginning to make. Nothing wild or exotic, but good looking with a nod to the masculine sport of Steve McQueen.
Much to my wife's chagrin, the car will more likely than not, never be completed. I'm having too much fun making modifications, re-modifications and re-re-modifications. The car's nearing the point where it can come out of its cave and be shown publicly, which is it's primary purpose. And driving it will be a trip back to my younger self and my Triumph Spitfires... But as everyone knows, working on British cars is a necessity anyway, so in actuality, I'm not any different than any other Lotus Europa owner.
The second to last image illustrates what I mean about "modifications". It shows the way I originally designed the rear diffusers. Not exactly 70s, but very much in Chapman's "ground effect" way of thinking.
The last image is the re-modification of that design. After over-thinking ground clearances and driveway entrances, I chickened out and shortened things a bit.
The next step will be doing the re-re-modification of changing it back to its original configuration. The entire project has been going this way since day one.
Have I mentioned how much I love doing this stuff?
