I learned alot about these foreign cars from my A-Z of sports cars book. Most people never even heard of the cars I talk about. One guy I worked with was shocked when he mentioned the car Bizzarinni and I knew exactly what he was talking about. I'd love to see more of these foreign cars in the states.
I remember reading an article, in a short lived magazine in the 90's, about a lime green mk1 with black tape along the b-pillar. It looked great. Really enjoyed the video, thanks :)
??? Lotus Elite was a composite monocoque production car launched in 1957....earlier than the Clan. Davrian also, though it too took the self assembly route due to Vat.
Is the Owners Club still active? It's difficult to tell from the website as some of the photos don't seem to date any more recently than 2008. I fell in love with the Irish Clan after seeing a short article on a rally version (may have been the one campaigned by Peter McCandless, I can't remember the specifics) that was on the BBC2 magazine programme No Limits (remember that) in the mid-80s. I saw your car at Thoresby Park earlier this year, it's a lovely example.
I have a Clan awaiting my attention that was built for me by Paul Haussauer from the 2nd Clan ex-Cypriot buck in 1986 to full competition spec. This is the spec that far exceeded the FIA shell specification for racing/rallying. I am disappointed that MSA UK demand an additional roll cage for competition when all the installations I have seen actually weaken the shell rather than add strength but one size fits all........ It is fitted with my road rallying suspension that in the Imp was unbelievable and with a pair of Koni Sp1 dampers should elevate it further. The engine will be rebuilt to historic early Chrysler Comps spec. The Clan owners club is an excellent source information and spares although basic Imp stuff I have in abundance. One episode that hasn't been commented on is Paul Hassauer's development of the 2nd Clan buck that was produced by his Pheonix Cars operation. Paul was developing a Clan with a Peugeot 105 1.6/1.9ltr GTi engine and gearbox with a Macpherson/Chapman strut rear suspension.
I think Dave Weedon was doing that Peugeot one when I went up to see him in 1987 to buy my clan from his front garden . Did it actually work well or was it top heavy?
@@nickclark6001 I have no idea. What I saw was the development shell that they were working on that looked pretty stagnant between me visiting the works to place an order for my Clan and several weeks later picking up the shell. As I heard nothing more about it and Pheonix Cars disappeared a little while later I thought it had died a death. Around that time Darrian started to develop the mid-engined race/rally car out of the Davrian that proved such a success and principally, the 105GTi Clan would have been a similar vehicle but Pheonix Cars was clearly not a well funded operation. Paul Hassauer seemed to me to be a man with ideas but not the best business man.
I owned 1972 Clan RR002 reg MTG 592 L which turned out to be an ex rally car. Photo exists of car the car on a Welsh Rally stage. There was previously repaired damage at the front. It was fully alloy under-plated with a 4"x2" GRP ROP member incorporated above the rear window. I was able to find evidence of testing by the RAC and this was accepted for racing in the 750MC Roadgoing Sports ( not kit-car) category and local hill-climbs in late 80's early 90's. I fitted fabricated suspension arms from Davrian with disc brakes, a 1040 Chesman engine and CR gearbox. Hopefully it still exists in a shed somewhere?
Yeah, great video, as other people have said. Interesting that the 'mid-engined' revision handled less well. I would have chosen a different colour, though.
Was the original idea at Lotus intended as an alternative to the Europa (down to engine) as recall reading in one book of it actually seen as a possible Elite-inspired Seven replacement? Also do sketches exist of the original Clan idea at Lotus, as interested to know how it compares to the production model or did it look cleaner if not unlike the similarly Imp-based Lotus-inspired Rootes Asp prototype? Intrigued by the idea of a Clan as a Lotus receiving a 1150 engine or even a similar spec engine as the Impwerks Van that used Norton Commando 850 pistons and other mods to reach a 1304cc capacity.
Clan was clever good looking but deeply underdeveloped. The self assembly tax loop hole long predated 1973 and VAT. The first production fibreglass monocoque that was the Lotus Elite. The Johnny Blades car wasn't properly sorted intil Kenny Allen bought it. Imp engine wasn't a Coventry Climax design it was a Rootes design inspired by the Coventry Climax FWM but there are a huge number of fundamental differences.
I think Berkely was close as well and had a motorcycle engine. The Lotus Elite was originally penned in 1956, the Rochdale Olympic was 3rd. **Oct 1956 - Jan 1957 for the Berkely so this was production which then would be first.
