Parts matches?

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

I've been going through the forum library and really appreciate the people who have contributed to it.

 

Colin Chapman grabbed a lot parts off the shelf when he put together the Lotus Seven. They are identical to Triumph and MG and so forth parts. But the parts houses today don't list Lotus Sevens, and you're dependent on recognizing the part in an exploded view in guessing that this is the one you need. Sometimes there is not a picture.

 

Has anyone annotated a Lotus Seven parts list for where Mr. Chapman borrowed the parts? I'd love to see "(MGA 1961)" beside a Lotus Seven part listing.

[toldfield]

The Golden Gate Lotus Club has a good list

 

https://gglotus.org/ggpart/sevenxref.htm

[IamScotticus]

You give Chapman more credit for 7 creation than he deserves.  Most people do.  The Lotus team put the 7 together.  Chapman's ambitions were far past the crude 7 when he drew the basic outline on a napkin and handed it to his engineers.

And it was his wife's idea to begin with. 

Edited August 29, 2025 by IamScotticus

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

Having had to explain to countless visitors at car shows that my wife, not I, restored her 1924 Ford Model T, and that my role was limited to handing her tools, and that she loves no birthday present more than a pile of rusty antique wrenches or a gift certificate to Harbor Freight, I get your point. Let's hear it for Hazel Chapman's inspired creation of the Lotus Seven.

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

Thank you, Toldfield. I've printed out a copy.

[EdWills]

On 8/29/2025 at 2:57 PM, IamScotticus said:

You give Chapman more credit for 7 creation than he deserves.  Most people do.  The Lotus team put the 7 together.  Chapman's ambitions were far past the crude 7 when he drew the basic outline on a napkin and handed it to his engineers.

And it was his wife's idea to begin with. 

Right on Scott.   In an interview posted on YouTube (as well as interviews for magazines), Colin Chapman notes that the Seven was a 'bread and butter line', which allowed Lotus (and of course Chapman) to venture into Formula 1 and other racing categories.  Lotus lost money on the Elite Type 14, cut down build expenses on the Seven Series 2 by removing metal, but gained a profit when they went to DIY kit construction for the Seven.  It became a reliable source of income for lotus. Chapman had started out with trials cars for his first builds based on Austin 7 parts, so it shows that he was always interested in motor sports from the get go.  With his aeronautical background plus those of his original associates, his fondness for lightness was apparent from the very beginning.  Fitting a Lotus twin cam engine, the Seven chassis frame had to be beefed up to take the power, but the Standard Triumph rear axle was still the weak spot for the car. Unfortunately for the Series 3, a stronger axle was incorporated, but the chassis frame remained the same as the Series 2 with which it was almost identical, and suffered the same frame failures.  On SimpleSevens.org, John D. has an article from Mac McIntosh (Lotus 11 designer) who breaks down the problems with the Seven chassis weaknesses.  The Seven Series 4 was no stronger than the Series 2 and 3, and the fibreglass body took the brunt of the failures and hid rust prone areas that were not accessible or noticeable.  Caterham of course corrected all this on their Series 3, but it is a whole different car from the original Lotus model (and dare I say it, a whole lot better?) W.

[IamScotticus]

The majority of 7 improvements from late S2 on can be attributed to Grahm Nearn and Co. The Improvements were implemented from Caterham suggestions.  Most notably the fitting of the Twin Cam.  

 

Chapman knew he had to go upmarket and the 7 wasn't that direction.  7 sales could not sustain Lotus.  When the 7 cut into Elan and Europa sales, Chapman was keen to unload the 7.

 

I'm not claiming Chapman didn't have an affection for the 7, he did.  I think it represents the affordable sport motoring market Lotus aimed to serve.  But 7 sales couldn't sustain Lotus.  Not with Jimmy Clark winning races.  Lotus and Ford could sell more Cortinas.

Did Lotus fail to adequately market the 7?  Possibly.  

 

The 7 was a short term program that has lasted almost 70 years.

The wife was right. 

Edited August 31, 2025 by IamScotticus