• This "Local Events" forum is expressly for posting local events that would be of interest to British car enthusiasts. You post an event in the same way that you would post a regular thread. Be sure your event post includes:
    • Title of the Event
    • Location of Event
    • Date(s) of the Event
    • Point of contact for Event
    • Website, Facebook Link, etc., if available
    IMPORTANT: Be sure to add the event to our Events Calendar. It's easy - WATCH VIDEO to learn how.
  • The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Informal Cars and Coffee...help me celebrate my car's 40th birthday!

Share this page

X

X180R

Freshman Member
Offline
According to the certificate of provenance from Lotus, my Europa Special left the factory on March 27, 1974. 40 years young in a couple of weeks!

For Brit car owners in the Maryland/NOVA/DC area, I'm trying to pull together an informal/one-time cars and coffee to celebrate its birthday. It will be at the Waugh Chapel Shopping Center in Gambrills, Maryland, in the parking area near the Caribou Coffee (which is directly adjacent to the Safeway). Date is sunday, March 30, time is typical C & C: 7 am to mid morning or so.

Pushing hard for a strong Lotus showing of modern and vintage, but all british cars welcome!

The shopping center is at the corner of Rt. 3 and Waugh Chapel Road in Gambrills. Gambrills is relatively centrally located between Annapolis, NOVA/DC, Baltimore, and Gaithersburg/Rockville.

It might wind up just me and my car, but in case a number of folks plan on coming, best to email me to let me know. If it looks like a good turnout, I'll give the shopping center management a heads up. I will also give better directions as that shopping center has expanded and it can be a bit confusing finding your way around.

All assuming weather cooperates. The way things are going might be the first good driving weekend of the season!

Todd

tlbrace2008@yahoo.com
 

Attachments

  • europa clubhouse.jpg
    europa clubhouse.jpg
    198.9 KB · Views: 37
Mickey Richaud

Mickey Richaud

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Lovely Europa, Todd! I'm not familiar with the colors - is that the original? I LIKE it!

:cheers:
Mickey
 
OP
X

X180R

Freshman Member
Offline
Hi Mickey, and thanks.

No, that is Indigo Blue, a GM color. The car was originally Regency Red. I acquired the car late last summer from a gentleman who had owned it for 20 years, and over the last five fully restored it. He obviously chose not to stay original in color, but that's ok. His work on the rest of the car...his attention to detail, is amazing and humbling. Let's put it this way: when I went to look at the car, in his garage was another car under a cover. I naturally asked what it was, and he said: "Something you likely will only see in a museum." He pulled off the cover and there was a 1957 BMW 507 in the very final stages of restoration. He was restoring it for a friend. Those cars are trading easily for nearly a million dollars and over...so if that car's owner was fine with him restoring his priceless car, I knew I'd be getting a gem in the Lotus.

Unfortunately, when I sent him an email letting him know that I'd taken care of the few remaining tweaks it required over the winter, his family told me he had passed away from cancer in January.
 
Mickey Richaud

Mickey Richaud

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Too bad about the previous owner, but looks like you're taking good care of it.

When I saw the small picture in your post, it looked black - almost like the John Player edition. Hmmm... wonder what it would look like with gold highlights...
 
OP
X

X180R

Freshman Member
Offline
Actually, with the silver rockers and currently silver wheels (although the originals are being refinished) if I were to stripe it the way all Europa Specials, including the JPS, came from the factory, I'd probably go with the silver.
 
Mickey Richaud

Mickey Richaud

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
Thought they had gold highlights, but just saw they apparently had both - this is the one I had in mind - guess it was the Twin-Cam. Was that the same as the JPS?

1973 73 Lotus Europa TC Special 2 door coupe Twin Cam 1558cc big valve lotus-ford weber carburet.jpg
 
OP
X

X180R

Freshman Member
Offline
When Lotus went to the 'Special,' which included larger rear brakes and the five speed, the first 200 were numbered John Player Specials. After that run, they started building them in different colors, but the only difference was the livery, mechanically and ergonimically the Specials built after the JPS cars were identical to those JPS cars.

Prior to the Specials Lotus was building Twin Cams.

The JPS livery is popular, and there are a number of 'counterfeit' cars out there. Get a Special, paint it black, the gold pinstripes are just tape, the JPS decals are easily sourced. The one thing you can't get is the numbered badge that was installed in the car at the dealership before being sold new. Apparently the numbered dash badges were not installed at the factory. Supposedly Lotus shipped over a number of 'loose' non numbered JPS badges and legend has it that some dealers installed the badges and decals on non-JPS cars, creating the idea that some actual JPS cars came in colors other than black. Lotus legend, generally dismissed, but with these cars, you never know.
 
OP
X

X180R

Freshman Member
Offline
Bump...
Informal Cars and Coffee...help me celebrate my car's 40th birthday!
According to the certificate of provenance from Lotus, my Europa Special left the factory on March 27, 1974. 40 years young in a couple of weeks!

For Brit car owners in the Maryland/NOVA/DC area, I'm trying to pull together an informal/one-time cars and coffee to celebrate its birthday. It will be at the Waugh Chapel Shopping Center in Gambrills, Maryland, in the parking area near the Caribou Coffee (which is directly adjacent to the Safeway). Date is sunday, March 30, time is typical C & C: 7 am to mid morning or so.

Pushing hard for a strong Lotus showing of modern and vintage, but all british cars welcome!

The shopping center is at the corner of Rt. 3 and Waugh Chapel Road in Gambrills. Gambrills is relatively centrally located between Annapolis, NOVA/DC, Baltimore, and Gaithersburg/Rockville.

It might wind up just me and my car, but in case a number of folks plan on coming, best to email me to let me know. If it looks like a good turnout, I'll give the shopping center management a heads up. I will also give better directions as that shopping center has expanded and it can be a bit confusing finding your way around.

All assuming weather cooperates. The way things are going might be the first good driving weekend of the season!

Todd

tlbrace2008@yahoo.com​
 
OP
X

X180R

Freshman Member
Offline
Cancelled: Informal Cars and Coffee...help me celebrate my car's 40th birthday!

X180R said:
Bumping. 7 day forecast says sunny next Sunday.

Get your brit car out in Mid Maryland!
Click to expand...

Well, when I posted this the forecast was Sunny for Sunday.

Now it's 100% chance of rain, so the event is cancelled.
 
Top