www.howmanyleft.co.uk

[john.p.clegg]

Just found this site,bits of interesting numbers...

http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?utf8=%E2% ... lotus+elan

John

[trw99]

Hi John

Already been discussed:

lotus-elan-f19/definitive-number-elan-the-road-t23340.html

right-side-pond-f28/how-many-left-website-t22915.html?hilit=%20how%20many%20left

I don't think it at all accurate!

Tim

[AHM]

They are not very accurate in Swansea.

You fill in the form with the correct details - They just copy across the details from another record which was probably created in a hurry when they went to the big computer that didn't work properly! So you also need to include Lotuselan as the make and blank as the model etc.

God help us when they close the local offices!

[john.p.clegg]

Sorry missed it (or is it an age thing),why do people sorn their cars in winter,you can't get a tax refund as they're all tax exempt and the insurance runs for 12 months as does the MOT...?

John

[tcsoar]

They are not very accurate in Swansea.

I second that!!!

Registered my +2S with the DVLA in December, first registered in the UK then exported to Ireland, when I finally got the log book the make and model were 'Lotus' and 'Elan'. Took it down to the local office to get the tax disc and they confirmed that they have codes for all the different models of Elan and that mine had indeed been allocated the wrong code. That was 2 months ago and I am still waiting to get the log book back from Swansea.

Probably explains why the 'Lotus Elan' on the website has the largest amount of entries.

Chris.

[Orsom Weels]

why do people sorn their cars in winter,you can't get a tax refund as they're all tax exempt and the insurance runs for 12 months as does the MOT...?

John

If your car was built after 1st Jan 1973, & quite a few +2's were, several Elans aswell, I imagine, you still have pay for the tax disc & as the cut off for the lower rate is 1550cc, that means (at time of going to press ) ?220 for your Elan or +2 ! I can certainly understand why one would surrender the disc for a refund when the car is just going to sit in the garage over winter, & of course, that means a SORN declaration.
I know there has to be a cut off date, but it's always struck me as a bit unfair when with two identical vehicles separated by only a month or two, one is entitled to a free tax disc & the other has to pay for it. Not sure what the solution is but..........

Regards, Tim

[john.p.clegg]

Thanks Tim
I stand corrected..

John

[Spyder fan]

I know there has to be a cut off date, but it's always struck me as a bit unfair when with two identical vehicles separated by only a month or two, one is entitled to a free tax disc & the other has to pay for it. Not sure what the solution is but..........

Regards, Tim

Drifting the topic a bit, sorry...

It was originally intended as a rolling system for all vehicles over 25 years old, but it stuck at pre 1973 which is where it's been at for the last 14 or 15 years. Sometimes a vehicle that is registered after 1973 was actually built before 1973 and there have been a number of sucessful alterations with Lotus cars to get car tax free status. It's always worth checking with the Lotus archivist Andy Graham as he will be quite happy to write an official letter on your behalf to the DVLA.

Back on topic,
yes discussed elsewhere previously, but I didn't think then and still don't think now that this database is at all accurate. My +2 is registered as a Lotus Elan, no mention of +2S. I have never bothered to get it changed, but my car is a 1969 model and originally had the old style handwritten buff logbook, when everything changed to the V5 computerised type records there were an amazing number of errors and mistakes made, or they just used shortened entries to get everything on the microfiche, they weren't too bothered about the nuances of S2, S3, S4 +2 so long as it said Lotus Elan colour Blue and the chassis and engine number it was enough to identify the car. Also the buff log books were not very descriptive either.

[peterexpart]

The reason most owners Sorn the vehicle is that even though there is no charge for Road Tax you still have to have a current MOT Certificate, and in a lot of cases this is not possible !!!!