$24,500
Ellijay, Georgia
Year
1958
Make
Lotus
Model
-
Category
-
Mileage
2500
Posted Over 1 Month
1958 LOTUS 11 TUBE FRAME CHASSIS RESTORE IT FOR VINTAGE RACING OR THE MILLE MIGLIA! BUY IT NOW PRICE OF $24,500 INCLUDES FREE SHIPPING TO ANY LOCATION IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES! ( THE LOTUS ELEVEN SHOWN IN THE PHOTOS REPRESENTS A COMPLETED EXAMPLE, IT IS NOT THIS VEHICLE ) STORED FOR OVER 30 YEARS, THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE ONE OF THE EARLY CARS WHICH CAME TO THIS COUNTRY EARLY IN 1958, TO BE RACED AT A VARIETY OF VENUES. I CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THIS CHASSIS OVER 30 YEARS AGO, FROM THE ESTATE OF A RETIRED BRITISH SEA CAPTAIN, WHO HAD RACED EXTENSIVELY IN GREAT BRITAIN AND EUROPE. HE WAS PERSONALLY ACQUAINTED WITH COLIN CHAPMAN, AND HAD FLOWN WITH HIM FROM ENGLAND TO SOME OF THE EUROPEAN RACES. HE OWNED AND RACED A NUMBER OF LOTUS AND OTHER CARS OVER THE YEARS, AND HAD QUITE A BIT OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOTUS 11. THE INFORMATION POSTED HERE IS BASED UPON WHAT HE TOLD ME OVER THE YEARS. BY THE TIME HE HAD THE CHANCE TO ACQUIRE THE CAR IN THE LATE 70s IT WAS IN QUITE DETERIORATED CONDITION, AND QUITE BATTERED. IT HAD GONE THROUGH A NUMBER OF OWNERS OVER THE YEAR, BEING RACED AND TOSSED ABOUT QUITE A BIT. IT HAD BEEN THROUGH THE HANDS OF A NUMBER OF MECHANICS AND RESTORATION SHOPS, LOSING BITS AND PIECES ALONG THE WAY. IT FINALLY ENDED UP ON THE WEST COAST, WHERE THE ALUMINUM PANELS HAD BEEN REMOVED TO BE REMADE, BUT WHICH EVIDENTLY WERE STOLEN. THE FINAL STRAW WAS WHEN THE LARGE RESTORATION SHOP WENT BANKRUPT, AND THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND SUSPENSION WERE SOLD OFF. HE RECOVERED THE CHASSIS, AND HAD IT SHIPPED BACK TO THE EAST COAST, WHERE IT WAS THEN STORED. IN 1984, CAPTAIN MARSH HAD QUITE AN INTEREST IN OLDER JAGUARS, AND I TRADED HIM A PROJECT CAR ( A JAGUAR XK 120 ) AND RECEIVED THIS CHASSIS AND SEVERAL OTHER LOTUS CARS IN VARIOUS STATES OF RESTORATION IN RETURN. I ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO RESTORE THE CAR AND GO VINTAGE RACING WITH IT, BUT OTHER PROJECTS ALWAYS SEEMED TO COME FIRST. IT LIVED IN THE RAFTERS OF MY BASEMENT YEAR AFTER YEAR, GOING FROM ONE GARAGE OR BARN AFTER ANOTHER. I HAVE NOW RETIRED, I HAVE DONE MY LAST RESTORATION, AND AFTER A SERIES OF BACK SURGERIES AND KNEE REPLACEMENTS, MY RACING DAYS ARE BUT A DISTANT MEMORY. OVER THE YEARS, A NUMBER OF KNOWLEDGEABLE LOTUS ENTHUSIASTS AND COLLECTORS HAVE INSPECTED THIS CHASSIS, AND HAVE OFFERED OPINIONS AS TO WHAT THEY BELIEVE IT TO BE. FROM THE DRILL PATTERNS IN THE SUPPORTS, TUBE BAR LENGTH AND PLACEMENT, WELDING STYLE AND OTHER MEASUREMENTS THEY HAVE OFFERED THE OPINION THAT IT IS ONE OF THE “CLUBMAN” SERIES FROM ABOUT 1958. AS WITH MANY RACING CHASSIS FROM THAT ERA, THERE IS NO BODY OR CHASSIS IDENTIFICATION PLATE OR SERIAL NUMBER, SO YOU MUST DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS. IT IS SOLD WITH A GEORGIA BILL OF SALE, AS NO TITLES WERE ISSUED FOR CARS OF THIS AGE. THE TUBE CHASSIS IS IN VERY POOR OVERALL CONDITION, WITH DENTS, DINGS, BROKEN WELDS AND OTHER DAMAGE. IT IS PROBABLY BEST USED AS A DESIGN PATTERN OR BLUEPRINT FOR SOMEONE ENTERPRISING ENOUGH TO CREATE A CAR FROM SCRATCH. AS A BARE CHASSIS, IT CAN BE PICKED UP AND MOVED BY ONE MAN, AND WEIGHS LESS THAN 200 LBS, JUST AS COLIN CHAPMAN INTENDED! MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER! AFTER 30 YEARS, IT IS TIME FOR SOMEONE ELSETO ENJOY THIS LOTUS! CALL ME AT ( 706 ) 889 6477 TODAY! HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH ?? I HAVE NO IDEA! MANY YEARS AGO, OPINIONS WERE OFFERED THAT IT WAS WORTH IN EXCESS OF $25,000 – BUT I WAS TOO DAMN STUBBORN TO SELL IT AT THAT TIME. IT HAS PROBABLY COST ME AT LEAST THAT MUCH IN STORAGE AND MOVING FEES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, BUT TIME MOVES ON. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO MAKE WHATEVER OFFER YOU FEEL IS APPROPRIATE. IT IS NOW LOCATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH GEORGIA, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ASSIST THE NEW OWNER IN ARRANGING TRANSPORTATION TO ITS NEW HOME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT ( 706 ) 889 6477 WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. THANK YOU.
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