First trip in a Lotus Elan

[jimj]

Betty, collected from nursery, had her first trip in a Lotus Elan and with the roof down too. She lurrrved it....and received admiration from a young bystander.
Jim

[Mazzini]

Fabulous!

[richardcox_lotus]

Looks great. How did you get the child seat to fit ??

[Bombay Racing Green]

Hi Jim,

Fantastic! My eldest daughter (5) loves being dropped off at playschool in the Elan. When I first did it all the boys had their noses pressed up against the window. The teacher said my daughter didn't need that level of attention from boys so early on! One of the other dads came along and said he remembers being dropped off at school in his father's +2. With the twins (3) going to school as well there isn't, legally, enough space for them all. I'd better get that +2 sorted out. I love the photo in John Bolster's book of Lotus' first attempt at a child friendly Elan. Just a smaller version of the normal seat attached in between the seats and no lap belt! A child seat fits in nicely and is high enough for them to see out of the front.

[jimj]

To fit the seat I threaded the car belt through the slot provided to accommodate 4+ years olds, wearing the car belt to secure them. She also wore the seat harness, being 3. Then I drove carefully. The law is very vague, allowing for school trips with, say, 3 in the back and only 2 child seats "the tallest must sit in the middle". I seem to recall the law was amended to cater, specifically, for trips to school where there might be more children than belts and a pragmatic clause inserted that all passengers must wear a belt if there is one. Some cars don`t have any, of course.
We drove to the `71 Monaco G.P. in an Elan with a pal in the back plus camping gear. He kept complaining so I insisted on refunding his non-existent fare. I`m thinking that, theoretically, a third person could sit in the back of the Elan, legally, as long as both front seats were occupied.
Jim

[jimj]

On this pic. from 2013 you can just about make out our pal Judy perched in the back of the Elan. Her husband being in a hire car having Healey troubles. We`d driven 7 miles through Lisbon, far from slowly, and I doubt it was legal but as the police stopped other traffic and waved us through red lights, no-one cared.
Incidentally, our pals in the red XK came third this year against serious opposition, predominantly tricked up 911s and such with bought in navigators, and their car is ex-factory spec.
Jim

[661]

My first trip in an Elan was in Vaughan Stibbard's in about 1983. He has a lot to answer for.

[Mazzini]

Hi Jim,

Fantastic! My eldest daughter (5) loves being dropped off at playschool in the Elan. When I first did it all the boys had their noses pressed up against the window. The teacher said my daughter didn't need that level of attention from boys so early on! One of the other dads came along and said he remembers being dropped off at school in his father's +2. With the twins (3) going to school as well there isn't, legally, enough space for them all. I'd better get that +2 sorted out. I love the photo in John Bolster's book of Lotus' first attempt at a child friendly Elan. Just a smaller version of the normal seat attached in between the seats and no lap belt! A child seat fits in nicely and is high enough for them to see out of the front.

DSC01140.JPG

Another great picture. Lovely children Peter.