2019-06-01 Classic Cars

(Jacob Rumans) #1

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‘The firstpublic unveiling was scheduledfor theFrankfurt show in

September1995.This involved my announcing thebrilliant new

Lotus to the world’s pressduringmy first three weeksin the job’

I


lovetheLotusElisefortworeasons,’saysRodMansfield,
whosetupFord’sSpecialVehicleEngineeringdepartment
beforetaking chargeat Lotus. ‘It wasthefirst cartouse
extruded aluminium for the manufacture of the chassis
frame. Second, I had thehonour of launching it at the
Frankfurt Motor Show. Extruded aluminium is ideal for
low-volumeproduction because it is largely self jigging,
requiringnoexpensivetooling.It isextremelystrongand
perfect for withstandingthe considerable torsionalloads
imposedinsportscardriving.It isverylight andtheextrusion
manufacturingtoolsarerelativelysimpleandcheap, whileit’s
usuallypossibletoamortizethecostsofwearandtearontool
replacement aspartofthecomponent price.Carefuldesignand
industrial-qualityadhesivestake careoftheassemblyprocess.
‘By the mid-Nineties, following my time with AstonMartin
andFordSVEintheStatesI wasover 60 yearsold,andseriously
thinkingofretirement.However,outoftheblueI wascontacted
bymy friendsat LotusandaskedifI might beinterestedin
undertakingsomeconsultancywork.Theywereunable
topay meany fees,sothoughtswereturnedto payment
inkind– specificallya LotusElanMkII.Eight hundredof

n e x t
month
norman
dewI s

these delightful little cars had been assembled from parts still in
the factory and we were in the process of calculating how many
days I would need to work to earn one of the roughly 13 cars
that were still remaining from this programme. Suddenly, in a
shake-up being planned by Italian Lotus owner Romano Artioli, I
was asked to take on the role of managing director of the company.
In a microsecond I made up my mind – of course!
‘This meant a complete change in my working life and I become
a full-time employee once more. The Elise programme was already
established and the first public unveiling was scheduled for the
Frankfurt show in September 1995. This involved my announcing
the brilliant new Lotus to the world’s press during my first three
weeks in the job.
‘I made a big point of stressing the possibility of other
manufacturers using the extruded aluminium chassis process as
pivotal to a small volume sports car project. Richard Parry–Jones,
Ford’s technical supremo at this time, could see the cost and
timing advantages, while Andy Jacobson from Ford’s US
design headquarters was positively salivating about the
thought of shaping a body style.
‘What’s more, I got an Elan as my company car.’

RodMansfieldwasonthevergeof retiring
when he was offered the job of Lotus MD,
and the Elise proved too alluring to decline

...theLotusEliseMkI– by themanchargedwith launching it
totheworld,formerLotusmanagingdirector Rod Mansfield

Why I LovE...
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