Elans are all about driving and enjoying, maintaining and preserving, maybe sharing with people or supporting local charities and events.
Sometimes just getting up early to drive and enjoy, sometimes just popping down the shops for the hell of it.
Last week I drove my +2 for over 100miles to support a Hospice based in the next county (Essex), tomorrow I’m driving just 20 miles to a local event in support of “Guide dogs for the blind”.
This year I’m committing to driving and supporting at least 10 local events, it’s certainly no hardship to do this, I will enjoy every event.
I think this is a great idea, would be good to name (and shame haha) the other owners that show up at these events. Bet there must be hundreds of such every week around the world
In my area, on the weekend nearest to New Years Day as weather allows, the Triumph Club does a thing called the Polar Bear Run, basically just a morning drive through the countryside that finishes at some charming small town centre or other with several places to grab some lunch. participants are asked to donate some cash to the ALS Foundation, something I’m more than happy to do as I lost a friend to ALS several years ago.
All vehicles are welcome. I’ve done the run in my former Esprit, in my daily-driver Mazda, on a motorcycle, and in the Plus 2. This year’s event had great turnout and vehicles included two Evoras (one came all the way from Tennessee!), a Mini Moke, several Triumphs, a Jaguar or two, a couple of BMW 2002s, an Alfa Spyder, etc. Great fun!
Quite a good Lotus turnout, 3 Sprints an S4 3 +2’s including the ex Ronnie Petersen car a couple of Elises, a type 14 Elite. I enjoyed looking at some non Lotus cars like the Daimler XJC above, can’t be many of those around any more.
The Woolpack Inn, Benover Road, Yalding Kent Sunday 2nd July. In aid of Guide dogs for the blind.
A really nice venue in the Kent countryside with a fun selection of classics and interesting moderns turning up. Three Lotus including my Blue +2. An early +2 and a Pistachio over white S4. The owners were filling their faces in the pub and I didn’t get the stories behind the cars. The +2 had a stromberg head engine and I had to do a double take of the S4 as I thought perhaps my own SuperSprint special had driven itself to the pub
A 20 mile run up to Compton Abbas Airfield this morning where there is often an informal get-together of like-minded classic car enthusiasts on a Sunday morning, as well as a gathering of motorcyclists and others who come along to watch the air movements at the airfield. No other Lotus there this morning, but a couple of Caterhams, a beautiful Jaguar (XK150?), a Morgan and a very nice Dolomite Sprint; always an eclectic mix, but always someone interesting to chat to. Now under the ownership of Guy Ritchie, there have been a number of improvements at the airfield this year and the recently-opened new restaurant overlooking the Dorset landscape is a great option for breakfast, lunch or dinner - worth checking out the website.
My local ‘Cars & Coffee’…Supercar Sunday in Woodland Hills, CA. Today was NSX/GT-R day but always a good selection of 60s sportscars, hot rods, muscle cars, and modern exotics.
It’s around the corner from my house so I had to start with a nice drive in the hills on Old Topanga canyon.
A monthly gathering of all types of cars, just a few miles from my house. Unfortunately, it’s only
a few miles from my house so I always take the looooong way there and back.,
I drove to work in my Sprint. Only the next door village a couple of miles away.
It was overcast on the way there this morning. I parked up and left the car in the outside car park.
I have just returned home and sit here writing this with a rather damp bum. Whilst I was away it rained - and rained.
Somewhat inevitably a degree of H2O made its way onto the drivers seat. Fortunately I had a large micro cloth in the boot, so was able to soak most of it up. I then rested the cloth on my right knee (UK) to absorb the drips coming in from the top of the window frame where it apparently no longer meets the rubber lip of the hood!
And if you expected me to stop, fish out my 'phone and take a photo, hard luck - I was getting wet enough as it was!
How could I forget to mention this event? It’s about twenty miles as the crow flies from where I live. I haven’t been in a few months, but here are some highlights from February:
I parked next to a FANTASTIC Buick!
That’s Greg’s FHC in the background:
A rather fun-looking Merlyn:
1978 Pontiac Firebird Esprit, one owner!
Famous Frank’s S2 hangin’ out with the Trumpets:
Can anybody who’s not a Yank identify this?
This Triumph Toledo has been hot-rodded a bit:
The only Matra-Simca Bagheera I have EVER seen in the USA:
