SLOC Mag 2026 Issue 1

CHRISTMAS OUTING OLD GITS UPDATE DAC115Y

SUNBEAM LOTUS OWNERS’ CLUB

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Honorary President: Paul White (Former Talbot Team Manager and winning co-driver on the 1980 Lombard RAC Rally)

Chairman: Perry C. Antoniou 07802 600 616 chairman@sunbeamlotus.com

Historian / Archivist / PR Liaison: Graeme Lawton 0771 949 0657 historian@sunbeamlotus.com

Membership Secretary membership@sunbeamlotus.com

Secretary: Doug Field 0208 295 1815 secretary@sunbeamlotus.com

Regalia: regalia@sunbeamlotus.com

Events Secretary: Mark Higman events@sunbeamlotus.com

Parts: Richard Blackburn parts@sunbeamlotus.com

Technical Secretary: Mike Trim technical@sunbeamlotus.com

ARCC Representative: Richard Blackburn parts@sunbeamlotus.com

Valuations Officier/Web: Kieron Buckingham webmaster@sunbeamlotus.com

Magazine: Angela Pittas editor@sunbeamlotus.com

Competitions Secretary: Jez Moxon competitions@sunbeamlotus.com

Social Media Secretary Chris Edwards social@sunbeamlotus.com

JUST BEFORE WRITING THIS PIECE, I have spent a couple of hours dealing with the ‘red tape’ required for the March NEC Show. We will be displaying three great cars, so why don’t you come along and get the enthusiasm going once you see what efforts other members have made. I have also just finished packing up 11 sets of stripes,

all with a name to them and more or less paid for, so by the time this magazine lands on the doormat, there will be 11 of you fitting them up to their cars. I have no idea when we will be making the next batch. The material is very hard to get hold of now from 3M and the chap I use to make them refuses to allow his staff to do the job. It’s over £4000 a roll of material now, done on a 30 metre flatbed ‘spaceship’ which is about £500k to buy. So, he fits me in when he can.

The past few days at my workshop were spent permanently wiring up the Electric Power Steering. The motor/servo itself was fitted ages ago and replaces the steering knuckle, fitting directly steering column shaft and steering rack joint and is mounted to a bracket bolted to the lower inner flinch panel. Finding a place for the ECO proved difficult, but after lying upside down for an hour with my head in the drivers footwell, it ended up being bolted just behind the air vent. I struggled to find anywhere neat for the adjuster, so opted for putting it where the ashtray comes out. Carefully drilling three holes to make sure the

PCB board of the controller would fit behind it neatly.

I am going to let the NEC show pass and I will then contact everyone to suggest a Social Cars & Coffee Day at Fully Loaded Cars. Some insight and inspiration are ALWAYS a good thing.

ANOTHER REMINDER… NATIONAL DAY FOR 2026 IS ALREADY BOOKED

– SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2026

Crossmember Membership Software has worked really well so far. Minimal effort and all but a dozen not yet on board. Normally by March, Dave would be chasing 50 plus members.

PERRY C. ANTONIOU CHAIRMAN – MEMBER NO. 750

GITS OLD

CHRISTMAS OUTING N

OT BEING A GREAT FAN OF COLD TURKEY or even a Christmas that drags on too long I made my excuses and left the wife and the mother-in-law on Boxing Day to head home and load everything up for the Rixy Stages. The rally itself was on Sunday

28th December and offered 56 miles of flat, straight and exceedingly fast tarmac stages at STANTA, a huge military training area near Thetford. I set off on the morning of Saturday 27th for what turned out to be a nightmare 7 hour journey, not helped by the M25 being closed between junctions 27/28. I eventually arrived at scrutineering mere minutes before co-driver Rob Thompson and service crew Barry Towner.

Once the formalities of scrutineering and signing on were completed we fuelled everything up ready for the morning and retired to our Travelodge for the night.

Next morning saw us up and away by 6:00 am to arrive and set out our service pitch in the Afgan village whilst it was still dark, before partaking of bacon sandwiches as the dawn broke. Drivers briefing was at 8:30 and first car was due at the first arrival control at 8:57. Due to our class win in 2024 we were seeded at 14 and so were under way by 9:10. The tarmac was dry, making it very fast and with such fast sections of road there were inevitably numerous chicanes to keep the average speeds down. Stage 2 included a short blast around a village section, complete with piles of rubble to give it an authentic wartorn look. With 2 stages complete we had a

30 minute service before repeating the same 2 stages. Having already tackled the stages we were confident enough to attack a bit more, resulting in a huge lock up into the first chicane (cold tyres) flat spotting the front tyres and causing a huge vibration.

With the second pair of stages completed we had an hour and a half service whilst the stages were reversed for the afternoon. This gave us plenty of time to tighten all the front suspension bolts shaken loose by the flat spotted tyres. It was then 4 more stages of maximum acceleration/flat out speed followed by maximum braking into a chicane one after the other until by 2:30 we found we had finished. And so by shortly after 3:00 we were all loaded up ready to head home, except we had to wait for the awards presentation where we collected a first in class trophy for the second year in a row and proved that seeding us at number 14 was correct as we finished 14th overall.

The journey home was better as traffic was a lot lighter, but it was still 5 hours with just a quick comfort break at fleet services..

OLD GIT,

BILL COOK

PROGRESS HAS BEEN SLOWER THAN I HAD HOPED FOR,, what with Xmas, a cold garage and me being away for most of January. However with slightly higher temperatures I have managed to get quite a few things done and by the time you read this I hope to have made some real progress. At last it is looking like a car.

GETTING READY FOR MOFFAT 2026????

My plan is to have DAC115Y ready for the road by late May/early June and to get it to Moffat for 28th June 2026 (along with VFS572V of course). So here’s what I have done so far -

Wiring loom in and setup with a set of Veglia instruments so that I can test the wiring loom I repurposed. Extra wiring has been added for the fuel pump.

Brake lines in from front to rear, using all the original factory drilled holes so all squint!

Rear axle assembly fitted along with handbrake and cables.

Noise reduction/anti vibration panels fitted to floor pan, quarter panels and roof skin.

Rear light assemblies fitted along with shiny new Talbot Sunbeam badges. Original Arbury plates mounted but I will be getting exact replicas made up. Powdercoated rear bumper and overriders.

Front panel air deflector plate fitted. Nice shiny NOS headlights and indicator assemblies.

Fan mounted. Air intake remounted.

Powder coated front bumper and overriders.

Note that they are in the wrong place but that’s where the holes in the second hand bumper I sourced were and I was not going to try to weld fill the old holes - stainless steel is so unforgiving.

Engine bay - wiring in loosely, refurbed servo. Clutch cable in. Ignition module will be replaced with a MSD mini pack. I have ditched the diagnostic plug and ballast resistor as they are redundant now.

Saab master cylinder (⅞”/22mm). Chassis number restamped.

Heat reflection sheeting in to protect lovely moonstone paint. Lion battery is a tight fit.

Grille fitted with Talbot T roundel and Lotus badge.

Heater, steering column, pedals and wiper motor in

Linwood quality control! The hole for the rear lock was stamped squint so the lock is squint - it came out of the factory that way so it’s staying that way.

Next jobs are to fit the engine & gearbox and prop shaft and front suspension, brakes etc glass and the interior.

Come and see the finished car at Moffat (I hope).

CHEERS CAM

LATEST PARTS COOLING

IGNITION

GASKETS & SEALS

CABLES

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

CORNER HISTORICAL NUMBERS

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS we are most often asked (especially at public shows) is how many Sunbeam Lotus still exist. The plain answer, of course, is that nobody knows, or could ever realistically know. So the best we can ever offer is what we do know, rather than pure conjecture.

First of all, how many were made? Let’s stick to UK cars; the official figure (as seen in the Robson MRP book, for example) is 1184 (of 2308 total), listed as 423 for 1979, 304 for 1980 and 457 for 1981. These figures correspond largely with manufacturing data (we can match this fairly closely with our factory records, although the numbers are not exactly the same). Sales figures are very different (much more weighted towards 1980 and 1981-3 particularly; 1979 was not even half the number quoted).

Lotus recorded figures of 1150 RHD and 1148 LHD cars, totalling 2298.

There were ten rally cars built from scratch with Lotus chassis identities (LHD export); registered in Coventry, of course. We assume that these cars form the difference between Talbot and Lotus figures purely because they never went through the production process at Lotus, so would not be on any Lotus

paperwork.

However, the Lotus breakdown of numbers doesn’t actually match anything Talbot quoted. Unless you exclude pre-production cars; however, our sums from production data strongly suggest that the Talbot figures include these. Confused yet? We can make the numbers tally, however, if we take the 1150 figure from Lotus and compare with the 1146 RHD cars that our records show being built on the production line and then add 4no. pre-production cars that were assigned to Lotus and registered by them. But in doing that, we exclude 28no. pre-production cars that we have said Talbot figures include! Unfortunately, we do not have a full list of LHD export cars, so we are unable to get to the bottom of this definitively.

However, that’s not all there is to it. Bear with me…

Where do the two prototype road cars fit in (white 2.0 litre and red 2.2 litre)? I would say that they are not included in any figures; they were registered as the base car from which they were converted (Lotus did not exist as a model at the time, of course) and in effect remained as such officially. Both were sold without their Lotus running gear, although the 2.2 version was bought by Des O’Dell and later refitted with a 911 engine and ZF gearbox.

The prototype rally car? Similar to the above

road cars really, so unlikely to be counted. Other early rally cars built before production commenced? Again, unlikely to be counted, as above. Not to mention various Lotus-engined Sunbeams that are not factory Sunbeam Lotus, including many period rally cars (e.g. KKV 394V); these are usually registered as S, LS, GL or GLS models. There are also Sunbeams registered as Lotus but with nonLotus chassis numbers; these tend to be cars that have been written off but re-shelled into another car where a combination of both identities is recorded (yes, this did happen in the days of local DVLA offices).

Then there are LHD cars registered in the UK: the two recce cars used by Comps Dept (LAC 999V and NVC 400W), the Lotus Essex car (DUU 559V, Jean Todt’s road car (RAC 200W), the car modified for Monsieur Peugeot (XAC 400X) and the road car reportedly used by Toivonen (KKV 424V). Are they included in the UK figures?

Shall we just stick with 2308 and 1184 then? It’s close enough…

So what do we know about those 1184 Sunbeam Lotus? Actually, rather a lot. Factory production records provide us with information such as a list of every Vehicle Identification Number, build dates, selling dealer and a few more entries of data. From this we have compiled our own archive of registration numbers over the years (the “Sunbeam Lotus Register” ™, in effect) and lately have been able to add to this data to give a 96% record of all UK registration numbers, plus other details. This allows us to keep up-to-date with pretty much any car’s story by staying abreast of tax and MOT records.

Data is publicly available from the DVLA to see how many cars are taxed or SORN for any quarter of a year. For the last available period (Q3, 2025) the figures are as follows:

TAXED = 202

SORN = 209

TOTAL = 411

To get these numbers, I have combined cars listed as Chrysler Sunbeam Lotus, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus plus a number of preproduction cars that we know are registered as other Sunbeam models. I have not included non-original Sunbeam Lotus cars in this instance.

Over 280 different Sunbeam Lotus have attended our National Days (including our inauguration meeting in 1991), out of over 600 cars that have been owned by club members, with 300 or so currently in the club. Naturally, many cars have not been on the road for a long, long time. By my reckoning, there are about 250 cars that have not been taxed since the 1980s, for example. Since the year of the club forming (1991), there have been at least 550 cars taxed and possibly another 150 or more, judging by the number of cars that are SORN but have had an MOT since 2006. Does this mean that there are 700 Sunbeam Lotus still in the UK? I think that’s probably not too far from being accurate but there is a big unknown in terms of those cars still lurking in the proverbial barn. Records also show that in excess of 450 cars have changed ownership since the millennium. I should be able to give numbers for scrapped and exported cars, but there’s a bit more number-crunching to do (and organising of my spreadsheets) to compile that info.

GRAEME LAWTON HISTORIAN.

Our new subtle design allows the wearer to show their love of all things Sunbeam Lotus without shouting about it. We have a limited selection in stock but can have other sizes and colours made to order, including in men’s sizes. £25 plus postage.

3.50

WOOLLY HAT: take the club with you on your chilly winter drive with this comfy black beany hat with embroidery. With 3M Thinsulate to keep your noggin warm! £15 plus postage. If there

CLUB USED PARTS

SLOC PARTS

STRIPES

Please contact David Moodie at

DEALER

STICKERS for your rear hatch glass

How about some originality?  We can now replicate all your rear window dealer stickers.  We have done four so far and we can do any others depedant on demand.  Let us know if you want one of the existing ones or if you would like us to do one for you that we don’t already have.

FIBERGLASS PARCEL SHELVES

These parcels shelves include the hinge pins but not the support strings. If required, we can supply a drawing for the support strings.

AVAILABLE from SLOC

WORKS RALLY DECALS

These are available from Graeme Lawton. Please contact him directly; his details are inside the front cover.

S1 TALBOT BADGE

New bonnet badges are available and a FREE Club Tax Disc Holder Contact chairman@sunbeamlotus.com or give Perry a call one evening

Period Tax Disc

with whatever vehicle details you want. You can even choose your own postmark!

£10 will get you 6 discs (all the same) and a FREE Club Tax Disc Holder CONTACT chairman@sunbeamlotus.com

SEAT

FABRIC

The club has a supply of the correct fabric for Series 1 and Series 2 cars. This fabric is available to club members

The fabric is durable, colourfast and fire resistant and have all the necessary approvals, and will not fade, slip or tear.

UNDER BONNET DECALS

The club now has the following under-bonnet decals in stock

ENGINE OIL LEVEL

The engine oil level decal for the standard Airbox (both S1 & S2)

. SERIES 2:

SERIES 1:

VARIOUS WINDOW CLING DECALS

MUD FLAP DECALS

In stock, replacement decals in a hard-wearing vinyl (slightly different finish to originals but the same size, shape and design). Also suitable for a tool box!

LIGHTS

REFURBISHED S2 HEADLIGHT AVAILABLE

They look like new and will transform the tired and probable MOT failure headlights that all S2 cars have by now. They are sold on an exchange basis, we can tell you how to separate the glass from the shell and you can exchange your tired and rusty shells yourself. We supply clear and concise instructions on how to dismantle the lights along with guidance as to the correct glass sealer you would need to put them together. Let’s face it, we own a lotus Sunbeam, so most of us have the capability to do the upgrade ourselves. We would need to do them in batches of at least a dozen to keep the price we have. Get in touch with Richard Blackburn and grab yourself a pair.

GENERAL INFORMATION

THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS are pleased to hear from any members who need help or advice or simply want a chat, but please bear in mind that we have jobs and busy lives away from the club, are sometimes away from home

and some have young families; all calls should be made before 9pm.

If the person that you want is not in when you call, please ring again where possible rather than asking for a call back. If you do leave a message

on an answer ‘phone remember to include your name, membership number and time/date of the call, and say what you were calling about. It will save time on the second call if the committee member knows what to expect and can be prepared for the next contact. If you are unable to contact the person by telephone, try sending an e-mail (or letter!) or try another committee member. Please ALWAYS include your name and membership number in the subject line of any e-mail you send to the committee; failure to do so may result in the message being deleted without being read, due to problems with spam and virus e-mails. Unfortunately, genuine messages are still caught by spam filters so if you do not receive a reply within a week, please send your message again. Thank you for your co-operation.

The SLOC does not necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in this magazine. The club committee members, officials of the SLOC and contributors can not be held responsible for any loss, injury or damage alleged to have been caused by following/responding to advice or advertisements in this publication (including accompanying leaflets). All advertisements are published in good faith and the club, committee members and officials of the SLOC can not be held responsible for any financial loss arising out of any subsequent transactions.

The editor reserves the right to edit any letters and/or articles submitted.

Copyright ownership of all text submitted shall pass to SLOC unless by alternative arrangement.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN

23 MAY

SLOC AGM at the CLUB LOTUS TRACK DAY

SLOC AGM at the CLUB LOTUS TRACK DAY held at Castle Combe race circuit. If you also want to take your Sunbeam Lotus on Track, you need to be a member of Club Lotus (there is a charge) and apply with them. There is no charge for SLOC members just attending the event and AGM.

27 JUN 28 JUN

MOFFAT RALLY

is being held in the Dumfries & Galloway region of South Scotland. Let’s see if we can gather a few more members this year, rather than just the usual scallywags who attend year in, year out. For an entry, send an email to: moffatmotorclub@ gmail.com

We all hope to see you with or without a Sunbeam Lotus at any or all of these events in 2026.

ROOTES HERITAGE DAY

at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon. Again, 19 JUL

this is a no cost event to club members, but we need to book numbers in advance, so let us know by the AGM in May.

12 SEP

NATIONAL DAY

is on SATURDAY at Curborough Sprint Course which will include Track Access (for a small fee to cover insurance).

13 NOV 14 JUN 15 JUN

NEC Classic Car Show

A discount code for reduced price tickets will be printed in the advert in the club magazine later in the year.

If your planning on going to an event in 2026 then send details to editor@ sunbeamlotus.com before 1st June and we will add it to the list for the next edition of our mag.