Topic: Motoring Memories: Lotus Europa, 1966-1975

[Autos_Editor]

The first mid-engined Lotus production car, the fibreglass, two passenger Europa coupe stood only 1,080 mm (42.5 in.) high, 'which gave it a very sleek profile but made entry and exit awkward,' says auto historian, Bill Vance.

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[Gardiner Westbound]

I got an up close and personal look at a Lotus Europa displayed at a Renault dealer. It was  about waist high on me, hard to realize from the photos. A nearby Renault Dauphine towered over it. At 6'1" sitting in it was unthinkable. It was very fragile looking. I imagine on the 401 it would be like driving a go kart.

[D70]

Quite a few made their way to Vancouver.

Here is a video I made of nice example I ran against in 2001  in a slalom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYd-B9yStA8

for a photo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/d70w7/4441561894/

[tpl]

I had an extended "test drive" in a Ford twin cam engined one in 1974. The particular one I drove had the 130 bhp version of the 1.6 just as my Elan s130 did. At 6' 0 I fitted in it perfectly in the same way as eggs fit inside eggshells.
It was a bit faster than my Elan and, at any sane speed, had more grip and corning capability.  I got the feeling driving it, on dry tarmac surfaced roads, that it would easily swap ends faster than I could control it if I overshot its limits by even a tiny amount.  I have never driven an early 911 but I suspect the Europa was a bit that way... a momentary lack of concentration at speed and you were off the road backwards.

In the Uk in those days the small size and lowness of the car wasn't really a problem but I would not want to drive one here amongst the SUVs... and of course I could not even get in one now.

[Erik]

I'm 6'4, and I remember trying to get into one once. Gave that up pretty fast. Cool little car tho.

[PJAvenger]

My dad almost had one of these back in the early '70's.  If it weren't for my mom's insistent cries of "Are you out of your mind???"
we might have had one.

Damn the need to have family sedans!

[tpl]

I'm 6'4, and I remember trying to get into one once. Gave that up pretty fast. Cool little car tho.

Even without the height, the seat did not adjust back co's it was touching the firewall anyway.  I only just fitted in all directions. One shoulder hit the window the other hit the passenger. Head was just not touching the roof. If the top of the windscreen had had a decal or tint on it I would not have been able to see out. Legs were bent enough to steer with my knees without having to move.

How tall was Colin Chapman I wonder.  5' 8" maybe?

[Erik]

I'm 6'4, and I remember trying to get into one once. Gave that up pretty fast. Cool little car tho.

Even without the height, the seat did not adjust back co's it was touching the firewall anyway.  I only just fitted in all directions. One shoulder hit the window the other hit the passenger. Head was just not touching the roof. If the top of the windscreen had had a decal or tint on it I would not have been able to see out. Legs were bent enough to steer with my knees without having to move.

How tall was Colin Chapman I wonder.  5' 8" maybe?

Likely the perfect size for his cars.

[moontune]

I had one with a Renault engine but my favourite car when I first came to Canada was the Elan +2 just as low and and just could not lose it and being a mechanic helped as it always needed tinkering with but that was part of the fun.

[tpl]

I had one with a Renault engine but my favourite car when I first came to Canada was the Elan +2 just as low and and just could not lose it and being a mechanic helped as it always needed tinkering with but that was part of the fun.

I couldn't bring my Elan +2S.  Too new for the regulations.  Yep it did need to be tinkered with.
Cam cover always leaked...you knew to tighten it when it smoked.
Old fashioned points under the front Carb. Set dwell be feel.
etcetera.

[Matt]

My dad almost had one of these back in the early '70's.  If it weren't for my mom's insistent cries of "Are you out of your mind???"
we might have had one.

Damn the need to have family sedans!

We had one.  When I got too heavy for my mom's lap, I used to sit on the armrest/transmission channel.

I only drove it once.  At 6'3, my knees were so far apart that I had to operate the pedals with the sides of my feet.

[safristi]

..had a few rides in a refurbished Europa,and it didnt warm the cockles of my heart....the slit rear window made the interior claustrophobic........Call MINE RESCUE 911!!!!.. and i woz a bit of a snob aboot the Renault engine Not enuf elan eh!!!! ............The ones in John Players livery (Black with gold striping were awesome looking IMHO) glad at the time to get back  into my Elan with the top down...yes the elan wasnt exactly the Albert Hall inside,but it took six footers with aplomb even with the rag top up(more headroom methinks......).

 Know wot ya mean tpl about driving on the HiWay in one..............the previous owner of my Elan commuted from Brantford to TO 5 days a week for several years.....and he was a 6 footer................hell to pay for shoes eh!!!!!.heels and toes everywhere.... ..


 P.S just had a good giggle @ Matts comment.........we wedged out sons baby seat between the seats and roll bar............scarred him for life.....

[Schmengie]

A guy once gave me a ride to school in a Europa, in '68 or '69 IIRC. He told me he bought it in Europe and had it shipped to Canada the year before, so it would likely have been a '66 - '68 MY. I remember it was very red and very low, and getting into it wasn't easy even for my limber teen-aged body. The seating position was more like lying on a thinly padded bed with my feet stretched out in front of me, and it felt like my ass was maybe 4 inches above the pavement. It was rough, noisy and scary to ride in. That little door-stop felt like it wouldn't stand a chance in a collision with anything bigger than a baby buggy.

[robsaw]

Yeh, the lowness almost resulted in me running a Europa off the road around 1979, on the freeway no less.  I was changing back into the slow lane and I guess the Europa had snuck up beside me on the right side right in my blind spot.  He sure didn't show up in anything but a sliver of any mirror until I started moving over.  I was in a 72 Chev Impala, a classic land yacht.

[No H2O]

I loved it and tried my best when I was a teenager to get my mom to buy one as a daily driver...could you imagine. With our winters and Lotus reliability, I would have given my mom the right to shoot me, now that I know better.

[ACBC]

  ACBC. The man was a genius- the 11, the 7, the Elite, the Elan, the 26, the F1 cars, etc., etc.

Now, "Lotus" is touting how their new cars are going to be big. Whatever happened to Chapman's "simplicate, then add lightness"?