"Sports Tune" UK Lotus dealer in 60s?

[elansprint71]

Just received some info back from Andy Graham at Lotus archive about my “new” Elan, he says that it was supplied to “Sports Tune”, anyone ever heard of a Lotus dealer in the UK by that name? I’m sure it should be Sports Motors.

On the registration document the “unit” number, engine number and the engine capacity are all wrong! Similar errors had to be corrected on my other Elan’ registration document!

[john.p.clegg]

There was a sports motors on Liverpool Rd (Manchester)in the early days but I remember them as mainly motorcycles…

John

[ken_ob]

I visited Sports Motors in Manchester in the mid 1970s to look at a second hand Elan they had for sale. It was tatty to put it mildly.
If i remember correctly they sold all makes of used sports cars.

         Ken.

[elansprint71]

Sports Motors I know about, as a customer; Oxford Road and Seymour Grove, then later in Hale. Could it be that Lotus records do not “record” the names of their dealers correctly?

Thanks for the replies.

[ianthomson72]

Hi. Just saw your post.
Sports Tune was a Lotus dealer in the 60,s They were based near Longniddry outside Edinburgh. The Lotus franchise then passed to Lothian Sports Cars in the late 60,s and Sports Tune carried on as a tuning and motor sports parts business trading from a shop in Brandon Terrace in Edinburgh until some time in the 90,s
The old premises outside Longniddry still exist but trade as something completely different.

Regards

Ian

[trw99]

SM registration letters were issued by Dumfries so that would tie in with the Scottish connection Pete

Tim

[elansprint71]

Thanks chaps. Lotus have just confirmed that is where the car was delivered in kit form.

[alleggerita]

I have the original green service voucher book for my +2S 130 stamped by Sports Tune Longniddry. Stamps start with the “free service” at mileage 2816 and end at 47194 on Jan 1976. Original registration was S35. First owner was W. Roy (Esq.)

[draenog]

They’re now a property company, but the website has some pictures of their previous life:

http://www.sportstune.co.uk/about.html

http://www.sportstune.co.uk/Resources/Images/sports%20tune%20late%2060s.jpg

[draenog]

Have you got a picture of the stamps? My 1970 +2S came with its original key fob and tax disc holder (still on the windscreen) and a couple of old tax discs!

[alleggerita]

The windscreen was missing and there are no tax discs.

[draenog]

Thanks. Nice to have the original service book!

[alleggerita]

I am trying to retrieve a bit of the earliest history of the car. In the workshop manual the name Alex Black has been handwritten. Could he have been one of the previous owners? There is an Alex Black here on the forum.

[Sadbrewer]

From The British Newspaper Archive…The Scotsman, 31st May, 1969…the earliest Lotus reference I can find is from 1967.

[elansprint71]

Thanks for all the informative replies, chaps.