R190BAH anyone know any info ??

General General Lotus Talk
1

Im trying to piece together a bit of the early history of this elise.
I know it was originally the works 190 sport as i have seen photos of it in a book i have, (the lotus elise and derivatives by Paul Robinshaw)
It was apparently hillclimbed quite a lot by a chap called Tony Shute.

2

Chris

Tony Shute is a long standing senior manager at Lotus, & was deeply involved in the Elise development programme. He still works at the factory (or he did last August when I was chatting with him at a mutual friend’s funeral). I’m sure you will find references to him in Robinshaw’s book.

For a number of years he hillclimbed the “see through” 340R Expose, & ran the development 211 at a couple of hillclimbs in 2006 (when it was known as the “Circuit Car”).

Below is some blurb issued by Lotus a couple of years or so ago:

[color:“blue”]Tony Shute
Head of Product, Lotus Cars

Tony Shute was appointed Head of Product in 2001. He joined Lotus nearly two decades ago, initially as a member of the company’s vehicle ride and handling group.

Shute has strategic responsibility for the company’s long-term product portfolio and spearheads the U.S. market readiness team on the Lotus Elise introduction.

While at Lotus, Shute has also served asProduct Manager of the Lotus-based Aston Martin Vanquish program, as well as project manager for the Elise 1, Elan S2, Esprit Sport 300 and the Lotus Carlton programs.

Prior to Lotus, Shute was as a tire development engineer with Goodyear in Luxembourg.

Shute holds an advanced engineering degree from Sheffield University in the UK and is also a graduate of the General Motors Institute, Detroit, Michigan.

[/color]

3

Thanks Rob,
Im just trying to piece together the previous history of my race car, the registration R190BAH belongs to it.
when i bought it i was told it was originaly the prototype for the elise 190 sport, it does appear in Robinshaws book as a yellow 190 “works” car but i have also been told by a reliable source that it was then re-built by lotus as the first motorsport elise or exige then used as a race car by Gavin Kershaw.

4

Chris

Why not drop an email to Gav or Tony?

PS Which racecar is it now - the well known (ex Kershaw) blue/silver one, or another one?

PPS Is this one of your websites? http://www.anorax.com/

5

PPS Is this one of your websites?

Very funny

Yes its the ex Kershaw car im enquiring about, it seems to have an interesting history before it was raced by Gav Kershaw.
Paul Golding told me it was the first exige or motorsport elise ever built,(according to his contact at lotus) but it was at one time a sport 190 elise.
Then i bought a book at the autosport show which shows two pics of it at various hillclimbs in 1997.
Its also shown racing round the hethel track on the sands museum website





[image]http://[image]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/Evosal/r190.jpg[/image][/image]





Dont suppose you could pm me any e-mail addresses for Tony Shute or Gav Kershaw could you mate

6

Chris, it is the first Exige/Motorsport Elise.

7

I dont have to buy mr Admins now then

Where did you get that info Russ ??

8

Chris,

When I was at the Lotus 40th(?) celebration at Brands in June 1998, I saw a yellow Elise with possibly that reg no being driven by a certain Dave Minter. It was definitly an Elise Sport 190. Try dropping him a line too.

9

Will do, thanks Tim

10

Chris

You have pm.

11

I cannot reveal my sources.

Surely Mr Admins is the first genuine road Exige still though?

12

This is all making me think about checking up on the history of my Exige.

When I rang Lotus a while back they were’nt very helpful. I’d really like to know what build number mine really was as it says 'PROTOTYPE’on the dataplate.

Whats the best way of finding out? Does anyone else’s car say prototype on the dataplate?

13

Whats the chassis number ?? Pesky has a list of every lotus chassis ever made

14

Whats the chassis number ?? Pesky has a list of every lotus chassis ever made

And he takes the pi$$ out of me for collecting all of the Exige brochures, anorak!!!

(Any chance of a copy Pesky???)

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15

Right then, the chassis number is:-

SCCGA1116YHC81146

Pesky, any chance of you having a quick look at the list then?

There was quite a bit of footage of Tif Needel driving my car on Top Gear but it’s been taken off youtube now. Don’t suppose anyone has a copy of this footage?

16

Try this thread .

Clicky

David

17

(Any chance of a copy Pesky???)

No, sorry, mate.

18

Jamie

AKAIK Exige chassis numbers (abbreviated) were from HC8000, the last 3 digits being the build number eg mine is 409.

If you do a search of “Owners Cars” &look at the early (2000/2001) posts, you will see various build numbers being quoted.

19

(Any chance of a copy Pesky???)

No, sorry, mate.

Probably doesn’t have any nice shiny photos in it anyway!!!

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20

Thanks guys