Mk1 Special Equipment

[twiggs396]

Does anyone know roughly how many of these models are still about in the world?

[Steve 155C]

Did you just buy the one the sold at auction in Sussex?

[Graham139]

My car is an SE and I have owned it since 1981. I could be wrong, but I believe that there are around 12 genuine factory-modified cars of the original 65 modified by Lotus that are known to the LCR

[Pete G]

My car is an SE and I have owned it since 1981. I could be wrong, but I believe that there are around 12 genuine factory-modified cars of the original 65 modified by Lotus that are known to the LCR

Rick, is 12 about right?

[David Baldock]

Isn't yours an SE Pete?

Dave B

[Keith Halstead]

Isn't yours an SE Pete?

Dave B

Pete & Don both have one - 25/27 VUR cars.

[Graham139]

For sure, I’ve counted both the VUR cars you mentioned and Hiro’s VUR car in Japan - that’s three. Then there is DP’s, ex-AT’s (NAR 364D), ex-DT’s, SS’s, three others that i’ve seen in the past and mine and another that once belonged to a guy (Magivelry)? I met who ran an exhaust company in Caterham back in the early 1980s when I first bought my car (it may have been one of the VUR cars), there could be a few others of course, Rick my have more of an idea I guess.

[Pete G]

Pete & Don both have one - 25/27 VUR cars.[/quote]

Also 26 VUR, Scott's AJT 151B, AEG 156B........

[srrc]

Mine's an SE, AYA 794B.

Lotus Components Ltd.2.pdf

[Graham139]

Fantastic piece of paperwork. Not seen one like it before. Thanks for posting it up

[srrc]

And this is what you got!

Lotus Cortina accessories list early 64 001.jpg

[Pete G]

Mine's an SE, AYA 794B.
]

I know it is unlikely to be the original but could you check the diameter of your exhaust and how many silencer boxes it has,- nobody seems to know exactly what the spec of the SE exhaust was!

[Rick]

Peter, according to that spec list for the SE there is no mention of a "special exhaust" fitted to SE models

[Graham139]

As far as I am aware, SE models were fitted with the same Lotus Cortina exhaust system of cars built in the same year.

With regard to the "Cold Air Duct Fitted with Special Lotus Air Filter" mentioned on the spec sheet, I chatted with Lotus Sales Director Graham Arnold at a Club Lotus meeting way back in 1994 and asked him what that was all about. He told me that it was a design idea that someone at Lotus had for the SE model that was never followed up!

He went on to say that the SE model was conceived by Peter Warr and introduced in order for Lotus Components to boost their income and at the same time have a second bite of PR cherry with road tests.

[srrc]

Graham
I'd say you are spot on!
My father paid for the car with two cheques dated the same day, one to Lotus Cars (£386 which was the balance after the Zodiac was traded in) and the other to Lotus Components for £95. I still have the cheque book stubs.
I don't know what the relationship was between our main Ford dealer, White's of Taunton, and Lotus, as I understood that the car was ordered through Whites but my father collected from Cheshunt and delivered the Zodiac there.
The next cheque was to Somerset County Council for £15 road tax.