Lotus Elite Barn Find! | Classic Obsession | Episode 20 

I loved how Gary was genuinely interested and cared that Tom was feeling the cold. What a lovely and fascinating chap Tom is. This Lotus restoration will be fabulous, absolutely no doubt. All the correct minds and hearts are involved.

I found this channel a few days ago and have binge watched every episode up to and including this one. Much respect for the way you allowed this couple to recount their memories with such empathy.

How I wish to spend afternoon with those people to hear their story ....

What a wonderful gentleman and a wonderful car. Thanks for sharing!

Absolutely brilliant show - what a lovely couple, riveting to watch.

So not only a lotus in the shed, but a 928 GT! Love the comment about only having manuals. A man after my own heart.

What a fantastic story. Amazing to see a classic car episode that is as much about the lovely people as about the car. Hats off. I’ve got a 2 previous owner 1976 Elite in yellow awaiting a full body off restoration that i plan to start this summer (having bought the car at auction 2 years ago!) so will be following your progress with interest.

Superb foundation for restoration. So much is right about this car .

wicked Gary..... an awesome episode, a total gem! Loved the way you listened and talked with Tom and his lovely wife, what a magical piece of history, lovely people. What an extraordinary car, with fascinating history... intriguing to consider that the Esprit may never have happened if the Lotus 75 didn't happen... so many wonderful sources of influence (strangely.... a little like now with so much up in the air with car design, technology, materials...) Then all the intriguing influences of the Reliant Scimitar, lamborghini espada, .... and the questions of where and how lotus should evolve during this time of huge change and uncertainty... all fascinating

I don't know what i love more - Gary treating this older gentleman with respect and dignity or the car itself. It was nice to let the man speak about the times with his car which brought a huge smile on his face. He wants to make sure the car goes to a good home and not someone who will just destroy it. It's in great hands now with Gary.

Really interesting back story to this, what a fascinating couple, great that you spent some time with them both.

I owned one of these around 30 years ago, such an unusual shape and very 70s . There is something a little Espada about them in my humble opinion . What a lovely genuine warm hearted gent Tom is , like he was saying goodbye to an old friend . Can’t wait to see the restoration Gary .

What a wonderful couple with a brace of interesting cars. Good on him wanting the cars to have renewed lives post restoration. Bless them both.

Firstly, what a lovely gentleman to buy a car from. I am so looking forward to this restoration. I remember as a child in the seventies seeing one in bright yellow with that same colour velour interior and thinking how futuristic it looked. and then that 928, one of my favourite Porches. I was at the motor show in Birmingham when they launched it and was wowed again by how futuristic it looked! Listening to them both talk about their lives reminded me that they are the last of that great generation that we will never see the like of again. It will be wonderful to watch the video of you taking him for a drive in it once again. Perhaps on that day you can buy the 928 and start it´s restoration!

thank you so much for this! Excellent!

I only wish I am as active and as interested as he is at his age. What a man/gentleman

You could see on his face Tom was enjoying that trip down memory lane when he was talking about the tanks and minis! Reminds me of when my gran was in her dotage, I'd visit and she'd love talking about her youth, which was WWII, and scandals like when one of her friends ran off with a Yank! P.S. Tom seemed to get in and out of that Lotus easier than you can!

what a character ! A reminder to us all to live a good life .

Wonderful couple. Great video Gary. I'm sure you'll do right by them.

What a lovely couple. I hope they have family and loved ones to support/ protect them from the sort of people who target older couples with " roof repaires" etc

Ive loved the Lotus/Colin Chapman story since i was kid and september last year i joined the club with purchasing an Elan M100 S2. Not quite an Elite but still a Lotus... At long last. Im looking forward to the restoration of this car. What a lovely elderly couple too. He'll love to see it back on the road. Good luck Gary👍🏻

Brilliant, what a lovely couple with a car crazy husband 😁

Tom is a fantastic chap and Gary is so caring. It’s a lovely piece of filming

Oh man, what an episode. Just as I didn’t think it could get any better with prospect of you taking on the fabulous Lotus, he takes you into the other garage, and there is a Porsche 928GT - in red - one of my all time favourite cars!!!

How exciting is that Gary? I bet your fingers are itching to get underway. Fabulous history with a lovely couple. He reminded me of Stirling a bit....same instant smile and gung-ho attitude. He drives a 928 GT manual....come on, how cool is that?

I love the fact we get to see the memories, that’s what all these cars are really about for us all. A real life story from a couple who enjoyed the time with their cars, so refreshing to see! Thank you Gary!

Great video Gary 👍🏻😀

By sheer coincidence, I watched a 1976 Elite go over the block yesterday at Anglia car auctions, for £5200 provisional ( £5500 to £6500 ) estimate , such a rare and unusual car like the Eclat also ,that doesn't have the james bond tax on it unlike the Esprit, which I've always adored, Looking forward to this Gary . 👍 👏

Boy, THIS is a perfect candidate for a full refurbish to OEM. Speaking for my self, I would love to see you first do a deep mechanical review, get it running driving THEN, start a detailed rebuild plan by sub category, showing and discussing every detail, like us viewers were a friend of yours evolved in every aspect of the build, the trials and tribulations, from start to finish. And my hats off to Dr. Tom Hayle for his love and care of these magnificent autos, and wife Jan for her obvious love and support. Thanks!

What a great guy Tom is Amazing.

Really enjoyed it , No previous owner classic cherished from 2 beautiful old couple . cant wait for the next chapter .

Tom reminds me a bit of Jim on the vicar of Dibley. Great car and history to it.

What a lovely couple! It's a bonus to have the cars involved. Love the lotus! His love of mini coopers is something I can relate to.

I just love history, so interesting to listen to Tom and his wife, could listen to them all day long

I've subscribed, looking forward to seeing this Elite turn a wheel in anger once again.

Beautiful autos ,love the sentimentality & nostalgia , thank you ....cheers.

Hi Gary, what an amazing video as always bud, really enjoy the content you put out, and I must say what a lovely couple they are to. If at all possible you have to save that Porsche for the channel it would be great to see it get restored by yourself as will that lovely Lotus, all the best pal. 👍

What a genuinely lovely couple. So sad to see Tom having to let his beloved Lotus go… I guess all good things come to an end. But what a life he has led…

Really cool video, I have always loved these cars!! Great to see the respect you gave him! 👍👍

What a man lovely couple the stories of their life and cars would be interesting Gary I can see it's not just about the car's but the story what a brilliant video John

😊What a pleasure to watch - and listen to Tom and his wife talk about their life around the cars.

brilliant hope you washed all the salt of that lovely rolls after the tip sir

I loved listening about Tom’s journeys with his wife, the dog and this car! Whilst I enjoy Gary’s Corniche, I eagerly await the restoration of this delightfully well-used and well-maintained Lotus. When I was a boy, I could just stare at these Elites for hours. Lovely cars…

Brilliant episode… thank you

…and I should add, what a delightful couple, who have clearly enjoyed a full life, with some fabulous cars. ❤

What a wonderful couple. I must be the only one here that had a Lotus Eclat and a Porsche 928! Amazing. Both terrific cars but the 928's manual gearbox was difficult to fully master. Nice one Gary, I shall be watching! Roger.

I loved the interview with Tom and Jan, they are wonderful characters and make me feel proud to be British. Gary is so respectful toward them and I'm sure he will be equally respectful toward the car, it's a shame he couldn't take the Porsche as well, or perhaps he has? I'm really looking forward to seeing the recomissioning of this very original car.

What a great car. I used to think these were the ultimate in naff 70’s wedge, but in recent years the wedge look is imho far more pleasing to the eye. If the Elite is an S1 it won’t be a galvanised chassis & very very likely that it will need replacement which will make resto costs probably more than the car is worth. Still it’s worth saving. It’s a classic & a sporting express from almost 50 years ago! How times have changed.

Beautiful video Gary, the cars are almost a side plot, amazing stuff. Very empathetic, wonderful wonderful.

Well handled Gary,what a delightful couple who obviously loved their cars. I hope you keep in touch with them throughout its restoration, I’m sure they will be very interested.

Excellent video. I really enjoyed that, thanks!

Tom’s voice sounds just like Stirling Moss!

Gary-am subscribed! I love how respectful you were with Tom. And what a sweetheart Tom is. Must be so difficult to give up your favorite cars as Tom did.

There is a gent who shows one of these at the Severn Valley Classic car show which features cars up and down the various steam rail stations in the Severn Valley (Shropshire/Worcestershire) . It’s the same colour as this example , and states it’s on the original chassis- they were not treated against rust earlier on , but galvanised later in production, I believe. Never forget reading about them in road test magazines in the 1970s ( showing my age !) and the incredible road holding , particularly when on 205/70 series Dunlop tyres. Great video , as always , Gary. P.s I think the tyres from new might have been Dunlop SP sport as fitted, and originally engineered for the Jaguar XJ series, or possibly Dunlop Formula 70 which was a high grip tyre in 70s series profile , all the best for the restoration

Brilliant video, loved the stories, race e type!

What a lovely chap and good lady wife. Love the Lotus and the Porsche

Tom is an absolute legend. Can’t wait to see the video when you take him out for a drive after the restoration.👍🏻

What an absolutely lovely couple with great stories about their motoring. This looks like a great car and really looking forward to seeing it finished. Beautiful video made all the better by Tom and his lovely wife.

Great video. Amazing car. Hope you can fix it again. 😊😊😊

Excellent. Looking forward to this series. Thank you. ps very best wishes to Tom and his dear wife (Pls pass these wishes on to them)

I owned and restored an Eclat 520 back in the 90's as I preferred the shape to an Elite ,I replaced the gearbox to a 5 speed which improved the drive and economy .Sold the old granada 4 speed to a guy in Holland for £45 it was so heavy itcost £45 to send it to him !! On the first test drive after new gearbox fitment I had my mate and his 5 year old son in the back with my 5 year old daughter and we were doing about 70 mph and I was slowing down and the gearstick came away in my hand as I forgot to push the crimped metal back over the gearsticik to keep it in place. I bought this after always hankering after one and writing to Lotus asking for a brochure whilst still at school. Lots of fun but lots of work always something to do or replace .

Simply lovely film. A great event and person to record. A glorious couple relating their travels together. I had to stop when Tom had spoken a little and really listen. I was thinking where have I heard a delivery so similar before. It took and few moments - not bad with my brain in its current state. Did anyone else think Tom's delivery was very like the late great Sir Stirling Moss?!!

Oh goodness I feel for Tom there. He clearly loved that car. Must have been a real wrench for him seeing it go but hopefully you can get him out in the Lotus once shes on the road. A fabulous video and wonderful account of Tom's life with the car. Great story and really well presented.

I used to look at Elites and think, how boring, now I look at them and think beautiful and practical. Edit- Year of Spy who loved me. Must have been a lovely day at Lotus for the purchase... Great days. Uncle Eddie had an Eclat which bankrupted him in '78 (or bankrupted himself). The more I look at this the more I want one. What a treat to take on a long road trip, decent mpg, performance, luggage space and wow factor. It's like a 70's sci-fi on the road.

Absolutely Brilliant I could listen to that couple for hours

All 4 seater Lotus have gone up in value in recent years , like all classics though .Still good value , buy it if have the inclination to restore it .Excel the best of the 4 seater. This channel is fast becoming one of the best classic car channels on youtube real classics real people

What a beautiful video! A genuine car enthusiast and genuine chap. Great video 👏🏻

Just superb. Not only is the car a great and rarely seen candiate for restoration, the story and people behind it make it priceless. Well used and well loved by a wonderful couple who clearly have made happy memories with it over the years. The phrase 'barnfind' is overused these days, but this video has it all. Warmth, a good knowledge of the cars and the exciting possibilty of a full restoration. I will be be keeping a very keen eye on this! Excellent stuff.

All set Garry for another restoration loved listening to the memories of a lovely man really enjoyed this video great introduction to another series .

Wonderful.

Love the story, this century will never bring the same magic 🎉

Fabulous old Lotus, really looking forward to this restoration!

I have a real soft spot for the Elite having worked at a Lotus dealer from 74 - 87 and spent many hours working on these, especially the very weak gearboxes. That looks a good possible restoration project, hope the chassis is okay?

Tom reminds me of my Dad, he has a long wheelbase Jaguar that he no longer drives either

I'm really looking forward to seeing this restoration. The engine is a very clever design for power/weight. Pure '70s futurism.

Gary did you notice on the film as the car was being trailered out of the garden on the transporter and as it turned the corner the sun reflects off something and it looks like fairy dust being sprinkled - the car knows it’s off to a whole new set of adventures. A visit back for a drive but with both of them would be fun. 92 and still sharp and both of them making the right plans as they get older. What would be good is a visit to a lift to make sure the chassis has survived and doesn’t need welding. Well done on the eclectic choice. You just love a headlining so here you have two to do! Those headlights and the vacuum will be another source of utter misery followed by elation! Can’t wait.

This will be a really interesting story to see. I bet Tom will love to see the finished car.

What al lovely couple Tom and his wife are, real old school. Tom seems to have been a car nut for years…..but with exceptional taste. Looking forward to the Elite videos and maybe the 928? Always superb vids and excellent production. Best regards Jonathan

Fantastic videos and fantastic channel! I really love your content as I'm also obsessed with classic cars. I have a few classics in my garage. My dream car is Porsche 924 and I hope to add one to my small collection soon. :)

Excellent project Gary, lots of people steer clear of these cars, but I definitely think you will do a terrific job of the restoration. The Lotus looks very sound, hopefully the chassis will be fine too. Will continue watching your great videos with interest.

@GeorgeKarellas, this is restoring one. like your content thanks.

Another great video with a couple of top petrol heads.My story with the same model was as a 17 year old motor trade driver just over forty years ago picking one of these up in Liverpool from Cars of distinction @ Covent Garden and running up to a garage at the back of the Aintree Motor racing Circuit…great days ..thanks again Gary(and Tom)

Really interesting video Garry, the owners life story really added great content. It looks like you've got a solid example to start with here, looking forward to your resto journey with it!

It was good to meet the couple and hear their stories. The last time I saw and filmed an Elite was at the 2021 London Concours. It had a unique Champagne coloured interior.

Greetings from Lake Tahoe - Bravo Gary - wonderfully filmed and presented!

Looks like an interesting project Gary,keep you busy for awhile 👍

What an interesting man ...I look forward to seeing you take him out in it for a ride! And what about that Porche??

What a wonderful elderly gentleman

Hey Gary - I see a theme forming through the last few episodes of having a cuppa and a chat 🙂 Great stuff !! What a wonderful fella Tom is. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and cant believe how many miles he's done in the Lotus over the years 🙂A very handy guy back in the day by all accounts given all the tuning work he's done on the car over the years. Obviously the car is fibreglass but cant believe the overall good condition the car is in. can't wait to see how the restoration progresses and looking forward to seeing future episodes and progress on it ! The next instalment on the Rolls looks interesting too and again looking forward to seeing this !! Keep up the great work Cheers Stew

Watching Gary do a walk around with this beauty, you get the feeling that you are watching a man fall ever so slowly in love with this car. Who can blame him?

Had one in the workshop in the early 80’s decide best observed from the outside. 😂

A great video Gary 👏 I am really looking forward to the restoration .

Excellent video Gary and can’t wait for the follow up. Keep up the great work 👋

19:10 I can't wait to see the one on the right when it's a pristine as the one on the left.

Super piece of video. Can't wait to see progress on its restoration.

Hi Gary what a loverly couple you have bought a diamond there wish I had it 928 looks a must buy at the right price also Regards from Liverpool

Our boy likes a cup of tea!

I remember one of the bosses where I used to work had one, she drove into the car park, I just stared and went weak at the knees I couldn't take my eyes from such a gorgeous sight, the body work, the proportions were perfect, I was rooted to the spot in admiration, oh, and the car wasn't bad either.

Thanks Gary, I hope I get to that age with similarly well used sports cars in the garage! Looks tiny next to the Corniche

Great video 👍 very interesting!