Can anyone enlighten me about the correct nose badge for Europa, please?

[Nuk]

I noted that there are more than one fonts for the letter LOTUS on the nose badge.

one is like this 
and another font version is as attached

which is the correct one? I think I used to read an article about it long time ago that is when it was changed to which font and color, but I cannot find it now.
Thank you very much. 

[Arizona]

The lower image matches the original badge on mine ('72 TC).

[Grumblebuns]

Same here with my Europas and Elans, both have the second type of nose badge. My Elise however, has the first style nose badge. If you have any Elites/Eclats/Esprits from the late 70s and 80s in your area see what they are wearing. The changeover may have occurred with them.

[Chuck Nukem]

Don't forget about this gem. Between 1988-89 this was the badge on the esprit. From what I understand there was an outcry and that is probably when it was changed back to the original badge with updated font.

[EuropaTC]

The second one is like mine as well. A few years ago Mike Causer (I think ?) did a web page showing some history of the badges. If you're as geeky as me on these things then you'll find it interesting, if only to have a selection in one place.

http://classic-web.archive.org/web/20070814140853/www.mikecauser.com/lotus/parts/badges.html

Having said that, I would fit whatever you like. My elan had a pale yellow badge originally then replaced in the 80s with one that just happened to be on sale at the time. At the last respray I decided a black badge would look good and as the car is around that era (68) it's currently wearing a black one.  It's your car, there's lots to choose from and only a true enthusiast would ever know the difference !

Brian

[BDA]

I always thought the yellow/green one that you show in your picture is the 'correct' badge, but Brian's link says that there were Europas with the black badge. I don't know that I've ever seen one on a Europa, though. As Brian said, when wholesale changes were made in '88, there was a bit of a kerfuffle so it was short lived.

I don't see anything wrong with using any of them (though I am really NOT a fan of the '88 - '89 badge). Memorializing Clark or Chunky would be a nice touch IMHO. I have the '78 championship badge on my '74 Europa so I don't worry too much about authenticity.

[jbcollier]

My early '68 S1 came with the black and silver nose badge.  I have read an article from the chap who ordered the first black badges that it had nothing to do with memorializing Jim Clark.  But, I also have a Lotus press release from the day stating that the black badges are to memorialize JC's passing.

[TheKid#9]

The first black and silver lotus badge was for Jim Clark. The black esprit badge that Chuck Nuken is showing is to remember Colin Chapman. They stopped using the enamel badges in the early 90's when the new style Esprit and M100 came out I believe. Not 100% sure about all of this but that's what my dad and I thought happened.

[blasterdad]

This is the badge on the front of our '71 S2...

[EuropaTC]

My early '68 S1 came with the black and silver nose badge.  I have read an article from the chap who ordered the first black badges that it had nothing to do with memorializing Jim Clark.  But, I also have a Lotus press release from the day stating that the black badges are to memorialize JC's passing.

I've also seen the same article, or at least one similar. The guy who wrote it was Graham Arnold and he was the PR/Sales guy at Lotus in the 60s.  In the 70s/80s he also ran Club Lotus, wrote the quarterly newsletter and would fill pages with recollections of "the lighter side of Lotus". 

My memory is hazy and I have 2 versions of his tale. The first was that he (GA) had a black S3 FHC put together as his personal / magazine demonstrator car and commissioned some black badges for that.   The other is that he'd gone out for quotes and plain black came in cheaper so he bought a batch but Chapman said no until he saw they were cheaper, so they went on the cars.

Having met GA several times in the 70s & 80s at Club Lotus days, my money is on the former because he was that type of guy. In true geek mode I pulled out one of the road tests of that black S3 and I think that clinches it.....      Jim Clark died 7th April, 1968. Autosport publication date - 5th April 1968.

Brian

[Nuk]

 
Thank you guys for your great answer. I am going to buy for spare as the enamel crack quite easy (usually crack in the garage, no wonder how careful they are  ). 2 of mine damaged one yellow one black, which I already replaced with the one in my photo few years ago. But now it is not easy to find the "correct font" of older type badge on ebay anymore. Then I recall about the article that Brian provide the like  , but I forgot where I read, so I asked and you guys never make me disappointed! 

P.S. I never seen any Europa with original black badge too, all 4 I have seen in Thailand have them in yellow and BRG. Thanks again 

[jbcollier]

Yes, I think they decided to call it a memorial badge after the fact.  I have the press release in the queue at lotus-europa.com and I'll post the link when it's up.