Lotus Esprit?
07-29-2006, 12:57 PM
#16
Drifting
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Another Ex pat Brit in SoCal
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As an aside - I had the opportunity to visit the Lotus factory in Norfolk, East Anglia, UK. in the 90's
First thing you noticed was the traditional front entrance with a low hedge to one side of the parking lot, behind which could be heard the screaming of engines and tires.
A quick peak over the hedge revealed a small test track, with a test driver giving a car a severe work out
Factory was pretty amazing, but the image that sticks with me to this day were the dumpsters sitting out back with whole cars stuffed in them, wheels and all!
It was like someone had thrown all their Hotwheels cars back in the toy box in a hurry, only these were real full size cars!!!
I had to ask what was going on - and was told that it was 'cheaper to just trash a whole car if there were QA issues during production'.
Stripping parts back off the cars was 'too expensive', although they did have someone that went back to the dumpsters to take the alloys off and re-use them!
Never seen anything like it before or since - 'supercars' in dumpsters
Chris.
First thing you noticed was the traditional front entrance with a low hedge to one side of the parking lot, behind which could be heard the screaming of engines and tires.
A quick peak over the hedge revealed a small test track, with a test driver giving a car a severe work out
Factory was pretty amazing, but the image that sticks with me to this day were the dumpsters sitting out back with whole cars stuffed in them, wheels and all!
It was like someone had thrown all their Hotwheels cars back in the toy box in a hurry, only these were real full size cars!!!
I had to ask what was going on - and was told that it was 'cheaper to just trash a whole car if there were QA issues during production'.
Stripping parts back off the cars was 'too expensive', although they did have someone that went back to the dumpsters to take the alloys off and re-use them!
Never seen anything like it before or since - 'supercars' in dumpsters
Chris.
Last edited by cdodkin; 07-29-2006 at 01:22 PM.
07-30-2006, 01:00 PM
#17
Drifting
<<<<"Never seen anything like it before or since - 'supercars' in dumpsters ">>>>
That is an insane story. I doubt that is the case today but maybe we should check into it. Perhaps we could form a group to go dumpster raiding and pick up some Elises or Exiges on the cheap.
That is an insane story. I doubt that is the case today but maybe we should check into it. Perhaps we could form a group to go dumpster raiding and pick up some Elises or Exiges on the cheap.
