Black Lotus badge

General General Lotus Talk
1

I was at a track day recently and saw a 340R in Silver. It also had a black and silver Lotus badge. The owner said it came with the car when it was new. He said these badges had been produced to mark the passing of Colin Chapman and were on the cars for a short time then disapeared. He said since this time Lotus but these on every now and again on the odd car.

Does anybody else have a black badge and is the story true ?

Thanks
E77

2

Rest assured the story is complete bollox

The black badges are indeed available though, & should only be the same price as the green & yellow version.

I dont think any car leaves the factory with a black badge unless it’s a ‘feature’ of a special edition, or a dealer fit pre-delivery (or previous owner if second hand).

Tim.

3

Rest assured the story is complete bollox

I dunno, I like to think that there�s some truth in it…

As far as I know, the story is that the black badge was originally a one off for an MD during the 60�s, but that they then came into use as commemorative badges for when one of their F1 drivers died, so, during that month all cars were produced with a black badge.

These days you can most certainly buy black badges and stick them on as you like, but I do believe there is some truth in the Black Badge myth…

David

4

No idea about the story, but I’ve got 2 of the black badges on my car (front clam & engine cover).

Club Lotus & Hanger 111 sell them - IIRC for about �45 each badge.

5

FORTY FIVE QUID!!!

6

FORTY FIVE QUID!!!

Nope, sorry - price is actually �49.99 from Hanger 111:


[image]http://www.hangar111.com/products/lotusoem/nosebadgesall.jpg[/image]

7

Have a black badge on my 1969 +2 Elan - factory fitted when new to mark Jim Clark’s tragic death in 1968…

8

Will you be putting one on the “new white car”?

9

I’ve got 2 of the black badges on my car (front clam & engine cover).

I assume it was not an attempt to tone down the brightness

10

Will you be putting one on the “new white car”?

Not mine but might be in the ‘family’

11

The badges were used, as a previous correspondent said, as a mark of respect following the death of Jim Clark at Hockenheim in an F2 race on April 7, 1968.
I have no idea, though, how long they were used for.

12

Not mine but might be in the ‘family’

Wife no1 or no2 ???

13

I have them on mine plus wheels.
[image][image]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Andkexige/Picture017.jpg[/image][/image] [image][image]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Andkexige/Picture013.jpg[/image][/image]

14

Andy

I like those Where did you buy them, please, cos I’m wondering if they do them for S1 wheels too?

15

Pesky I’ve sent you a PM with his mail address. He gets them made in batches so waits till his has a big order before getting them made. He also sells them through Piston Heads. He made me an extra one for the steering wheel.



[image][image]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/Andkexige/Picture016.jpg[/image][/image]

16

Ta Andy - I’ve sent him an email.

PS Like the steering wheel badge too

17

The badges were used, as a previous correspondent said, as a mark of respect following the death of Jim Clark at Hockenheim in an F2 race on April 7, 1968.
I have no idea, though, how long they were used for.

Yep I think thats right. My Elan Sprint has a yellow one on now but did have a black one (it’s in a box with loads of other spares) not sure if it came on the car as its a 1972 built version.

Simon

18

Oi Mr P you trying to cause a domestic

Not too far from truth tho’ - Hercule strikes again

19

The badges were used, as a previous correspondent said, as a mark of respect following the death of Jim Clark at Hockenheim in an F2 race on April 7, 1968.
I have no idea, though, how long they were used for.

Yep I think thats right. My Elan Sprint has a yellow one on now but did have a black one (it’s in a box with loads of other spares) not sure if it came on the car as its a 1972 built version.

Simon

Nah, that was never what Graham Arnold said (to me anyway). 'Course, we’ll never get his view verified now …
But it is just a myth IMHO of course

Tim.

20

Lots of cars have come out of the factory with black badges but any suggestion that they were, or are, in any way special cars, is total nonsense. Heres’ my version…

The first black nose badge was made in 1967 for the Elan of the Sales Director at the time Graham Arnold (now dead of course). When Jim Clark was killed in 1968 a batch was procured and the black badges were placed on (some) cars until the batch ran out, probably some time in 1970.

Black badges were also fitted as original equipment to the four seater cars (Elite, Eclat, types 75, 76, 83 and 84) between 1974 and 1983. This didn’t commemorate anything. Graham Arnold (I think, or maybe someone else 'in the know) once told me that this was simply because during crash testing a green and yellow badge had been failed because it broke up leaving dangerous shards. So the test was repeated with a black badge that happened to be in stock which broke up more sensibly on impact and passed the test. More (black badges) were purchased and ‘black badge’ became the norm for these cars.

Black badges also appeared on some cars after Chapman’s own death but this seemed to be fairly random and there have been ‘cosmetic’ releases of ‘black badge’ cars from the factory ever since.


No ‘black badge’ car was ever special in any way apart from the JPS Esprit S2 limited edition and these had badges in black with gold trim and surrounded by victory laurels celebrating world championship victory. The cars were all black and gold (even the seats) and serially numbered but weren’t ‘hot’ versions - the scheme was purely cosmetic and mechanically the cars were the same as all the other S2s. One of these without a black badge is simply ‘wrong’.

In truth, apart from a few cars produced immediately after Jim Clark’s death I suspect there is no more science to the matter than what the guy who fitted the badge took out of the bin…

For what it is worth, Graham Arnold always claimed that there was ‘no such thing as a black badge Lotus’. What he meant was that there was nothing special about any Lotus wearing a black badge for it is evident that many cars did, indeed, leave the factory with black badges fitted.

If you have a car with a black badge it probably looks very nice… but that’s it!!!

This bloke HERE agrees with me!