Westfield Elevens

Last week I saw this Lotus XI in the paddock at the historic GP Zandvoort.
Does anyone of you know this car? Is it a real Lotus or a replica, it is certainly not a Westfield.

You know, the odd thing about this XI is, that the rear bodywork is series 1, but the frontsection of the bodywork is Series 2.
(No it was not GRP, this one was in alluminium)

Hi Pluscat, what makes you think the rear is Series one ? Looks like series 2 to me, series one wings are much narrower. also the interior shot shows the series two rounded shape on the elbow panel, series one have a sharp fold with a cut recessed for elbow on the drivers side. it may be a replica, who really knows these days? its not the prettiest body by a long way. but its being used as intended! raced.

Pretty sure that this lotus is run by a guy called Philip walker. I had a good look at this car when it was racing at donington back in 2008/9 ish. I took loads of reference shots, especially under-bonnet which helped out when building mine, i did notice a lot of areas that had been done differently on this to other elevens that i had pictures of.... Body wise it actually looks quite nice in the flesh, there are far worse out there, and from what i remember it was a pretty quick car. It did have lotus chassis plate on it, so i guess its a real one- because as we all know that means its original.....

But what is that silencer arrangement! I can only think it is like that for noise limitation?

Ben

Probably a late version of the Series 2.

There are two straight through silencers in tandem tucked under there, which is why the exhaust outlet is mounted forward.

beng4 wrote:
> It did have lotus
> chassis plate on it, so i guess its a real one- because as we all know that
> means its original.....

I guess that makes mine original too

I think the front looks a little too bolbous, but the rear panel does look correct for a Series 2. From whats posted on the 'net, this car is listed as being a Le Mans version and is fitted with an FWB (i wonder if it started life with an FWB...)

hi Rene,

I was at Zandvoort GP all Saturday, but I unfortunately didn't see the car.

I have strong reasons to believe that this car is not one of the originally Lotus made XI's. But then again, it's a nice car to look at and it looks like an XI so who cares.

The problems usually start when people claim originality, create a history and want to try and make a lot of money out of something not original.

My appolgy for my late rsponse.

It is the Phlip Walker car, and it does have a dubble silencer. The rear looks like a series 1 because it has the low wings. Series 2 car had higher rear wings. Compare the pictures. The second car is a Westfied (which is modeled after the series 2) with the high rear wings.

I thnk the car is not a genuine Lotus XI, this is the chassis plate, and XI numbers don't go in to the 500's, I believe

Hi I think your missing the point a bit ! Elevens were hand made cars they are not all the same! I have seen many different shapes of bodywork over the years some are more elegant looking than others.
This car has had a replacement body made at some time I would guess and it doesn't quite make the grade in a few areas but overall its a fine looking car.
I am a bit picky when looking at original elevens! it rather depends on who has made the new body, some are pretty far out and don't look quite right.
These were Racing cars and suffered damage on many occasions during there life.
when and if you are lucky to see some original bodywork you would realise how flimsy they were! 20SWG 22SWG aluminium when new! after Wheeling the shape into the panels there are areas which would be no more than 25Thou thick! then the body is repaired several times and the dear painters get out the DA and thins the metal even more especially on the edge over the wired edge. There are not many cars with original bodywork left!
Enough ranting
Even the great Westfield although taken from an original! the rear wing is fat for my taste compared to other original eleven bodywork I have seen.
While I'm having a dig! The most annoying thing is the alignment down the side of the body, it should slope down form the rear to the front a gentle slope from back through door and scuttle to the bonnet.
See how picky you can get!
Sorry!
Over retirement age so I'm allowed!!!

The bodywork was originally designed by Mike Costin (brother of Frank of COSworth fame), moonlighting from his day job as an aerodynamicist at de Havillands. (Hey, there's a coincidence; I have a degree in aeronautical engineering and a share in a DH Chipmunk!) The Series 1 cars had "blisters" that sat on top of the wings. By that I mean that there was a notable crease between the lower half of the wing and the upper half. Williams and Pritchard simplified the S2 bodies when it was found that it had little aerodynamic detriment for a big saving in manufacturing time.

I wonder how many 1960s owners of old, outclassed cars, replaced mangled S1 bodywork with carefully (expensively) crafted S1 bodywork, when S2 bodies were (marginally) cheaper? I wonder how many of either series of these cars retain their original bodies?

Indeed, the only way to guarantee that your S2 Lotus Eleven has a body of the correct profile is to have said body made by Shapecraft of Northampton, as they have the original W&P buck (I believe). Anything else is just an artisans approximation. As for the S1 bucks?

Well, my logical but relatively uneducated brain would have said that the body would have changed because the suspension was upgraded to wishbones at the front on the Series two! the wheels move up and down in a different manner to that of the split swing axle and need more space to move. that's only a guess though! Also putting a crease down the side really costs very little probably 1/2 hours work, that's a fact.
Was that an advert at the bottom?