Lotus Exhibit

[MV8]

I've been to Barber a few times including a LOG event. Yes, unrelated to Skip and a lot of great examples of Lotus and unusual motorcycles...

Edited Sunday at 08:36 PM by MV8

[slowdude]

4 minutes ago, Christopher smith said:

Lots of interest and input since I started this about a Lotus exhibit-thanks. Has anyone been to the Barber Museum, I think near Birmigham AL? It apparently has lots of Lotus cars along with motorcycles.

I don't think it has anything to do with Skip Barber. I visited his garage in Philadelphia with a mutual friend after he acquired a new, really fast 23 around 1964. That would have been a start of a great Lotus collection of course but I think Skip went another route forming a race training school.

 Another great museum is the Revs Institute in Florida that I can recommend. Loads of famous and rare road race examples.

Barber museum is a must have for anyone who rides bikes. I was able to do some corporate event work there over the past few years and the team is nothing but superlative + were very gracious with their VIP treatment.

 

They do have a few lotuses, and some cosworth engines on display.

 

A really fantastic museum in FL is the Tampa auto museum. Their big talbot race cars sparked a BIG want in me when I win the lottery.

[slowdude]

39 minutes ago, theDreamer said:

I keep my eye open as I've always thought I'd like to have one. Very pricey these days and so everyone thinks they should get top dollar even if their car isn't up to snuff.

https://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/cto/d/miami-lotus-ford-cortina-race-car-1966/7823101841.html

These cars are upwards of 60-120k.

 

Meanwhile you can buy a mark 2 Lotus cortina for 25k.

 

Tbh I should just do that.

[theDreamer]

Yes, the wife and I have been and it is a must see for anyone into motorcycles, cars, racing and art. The collection is so large that over a third of the vehicles are in storage. The staff changes up the displays on a regular basis so each time you go you’ll probably see something you hadn’t seen before. The real treat is that over 95% are fulling functioning and are taken out at least once a year and run around the track. The exceptions are those cars without engines, carbon chassis’ that have failed testing and the few mock ups or concept vehicles.

The grounds are the best kept park like setting you'll ever see. Plus, he has art work everywhere!

George Barber was a successful businessman who had raced in the 60’s. Check out the website. https://www.barbermuseum.org/

[wdb]

I attended the Porsche track school at Barber and it included a far too brief tour of the museum. It does indeed have quite a collection of Lotus vehicles of all kinds, from early cars to 7s to F1 and Indy cars. It claims to be the largest Lotus race car collection in the world.

 

 

[Black Hole]

Here are a few of the displays at the Barber. Great collection and some fun ways to display the cars. And the motorcycle collection is much larger than the Lotus collection..

[IamScotticus]

Which Loti?

[panamericano]

39?

Edited 14 hours ago by panamericano
punctuation

[11Budlite]

It looks like a Lotus 38 Indy car.

[theDreamer]

5 hours ago, 11Budlite said:

It looks like a Lotus 38 Indy car.

Indy car, check the offset on the suspension. Longer arms on the right side than the left to place more weight to the inside of an all left hand corners track.

[CarlB]

If anyone is thinking of going before the exhibit closes, please let us all know. I am looking for an excuse. In 1963 I had started racing Go-Karts and my mother took me to a 6-hour race at Marlboro MD. The race had a big effect on me. Holman & Moody had a bunch of Falcons with English drivers as well as a NASCAR driver. They worked on the cars all afternoon because they were breaking. Jim Clark and Dan Gurney were in Lotus Cortinas putting on a driving exhibition of smooth. Gurney was chasing Clark around and it was like a dance. They never lost momentum. The transitions were fluid.     

[Christopher smith]

For sure we had some great times at the old Marlboro track. I attended various SCCA races, some drivers schools and pit crewed a couple of times. I also ran autocross there in my outrageous full sized Ford wagon with a 406 engine I installed plus suspension tweaks. I think the guys in the Corvettes were very shocked when they compared times with me. I did not beat them all however.