What would Colin Chapman (founder of Group Lotus and Team Lotus) have made of today, with the presentation of two Formula 1 teams both of which want to be called Lotus? Not that it matters much. People tend to glorify the departed and all too often gloss over some pretty glaring faults. If you read the Wikipedia entry for Chapman you will find all the good things about him – of which there were many in motor racing terms – but you will not find any mention of the word “DeLorean”.
This is strange given that in 1992 – 10 years after Chapman’s death – Lord Justice Murray at the Belfast Crown Court ruled that Chapman has perpetrated a “barefaced, outrageous and massive fraud” and would have been jailed for 10 years if he had still been alive. As it was, his sidekick Fred Bushell did go to jail. The Lotus car company had by then been sold off to General Motors and Team Lotus had been offloaded to employees Peters Collins and Wright for $6 million, which rather undermines the current argument that there was never any desire for the Team Lotus name to go on…
Anyway, I would not have thought of DeLorean today had it not been for the Lotus Renault GP press release which trumpeted the headline “Black to the Future”.
This reminded me of the Michael J Fox movie “Back to the Future”, on which the title was clearly based. The problem is that someone somewhere has forgotten that there was rather more to the movie than just a catchy name. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Back to the Future was a big hit when it came out in 1985. It had a clever plot about a teenager accidently going back in time and having to work out how to return to modern times. The movie made Fox really famous, but also resulted in the DeLorean DMC-12 shooting to global stardom as the car that Doctor Emmett Brown transformed into a time machine, powered by “a flux capacitor”. By then it was far too late to save the DeLorean Motor Company, which had gone bankrupt and was under investigation by the British Government.
It is a sorry tale for American entrepreneur John DeLorean had managed to get millions of taxpayers’ money to fund a factory in Northern Ireland to create jobs. He asked Lotus to help with design and the car was a flashy aluminium gull-wing device, which was little more than a revamped Lotus Esprit with a tweaked Renault V6 engine.
Another Lotus-Renault…
The DMC12 went into production at the end of 1980 and went bust in January 1982. The investigations which followed revealed that $17.5 million had disappeared into a Panama-based firm, ostensibly to pay Lotus. In fact this had been divided up between DeLorean, Chapman and Bushell. As the investigation was getting up speed Chapman died of a heart attack at the early age of 54.
It was a very odd idea for Lotus Renault GP to use such a headline, recalling the blackest days of the car company’s history at a moment when it is trying to portray itself as parked on the moral high ground, looking down on the usurpers of Team Lotus.
No doubt Chapman would have laughed his head off at the situation…
Minor correction: I believe the DeLorean was stainless steel.
2 Lotus teams, Chapman would love it. His twin chassis concept finally racing
But as Robert Kubica said when asked whether it was a dream to drive for ‘Lotus’, he replied:
“Well, they’re a sponsor, a partner.
I could say that it was my dream to drive for Total.
If Lotus owned the team then it would be a bit different.”
The sound of Dani Bahar banging his head on the desk could be heard for miles
Or…… it could be a very appropriate choice of headlines.
Showing just how good a grasp of the “history” of Lotus Dany Boy really has.
Another fabulous article!
A classic case of not doing one’s homework, I would call that.
Even more laughable bearing in mind that the “iconic” black and gold lotus colours were on a car built and entered by ‘Team Lotus’ and were advertising the John Player Special cigarette (packet colours black and gold).
I believe the latter brand is still sold in some parts of the world so how does that work in an age where TV advertising of tobacco is banned for a sport which is almost entirely dependent on TV revenues?
Fascinating bit of research, thanks Jo, I had no idea the DeLorean had such strong links to Lotus! DeLorean was a gambler and a blagger, sharp suites and dodgy practices… (to say the least, I recall he did a cocaine deal to raise funds at one point)…
Another cracking article, Joe.
Just sums up the lack of knowledge and insight the people behind Lotus Group have. No respect for anything, just want to use the Lotus/Chapman “Legacy” as vehicle to show how great they are, whilst plumping up the considerable ego’s they seem to possess.
Kubica’s right, they are just sponsors. The judge should take note of that and rule accordingly, one hopes.
Chris Rehm,
Stainless steel?
I’d be surprised if would move clad in stainless steel, bloody heavy stuff tha’noost.
Well, it is just one press release, but the words “black” and “future” in one sentence never sound very cheerful to me.
In this case, if you do not know the connection between DeLorean and Lotus, you do not really unterstand its meaning, and if you do, you wonder why they should care to mention it…
Great article.
Hey its a great tagline for their new logo if you just ignore the history though
yes You right, if you connect slogan with DeLorean than you right wired idea, same like black&gold livery( but green take Fernandes
)
To be more specific DeLorean is only part from Colin’s dark side, is the end but not all
Colin was genius, and like most genius he was little insane… He fight for his dreams, no matter what,
not too many people know the truth “black” Colin, about how he fight to change regulations to gain advantage, yes even stealing others projects. Why ? Simple failures was not acceptable, he was the one!
And he was!
When he change green colour to golden leaf, when he bring first sponsors to F1, he do not ask for permission. He just did it, and then changed the rules
Colin was genius, and I love his ideas his dreams his splendour his fight. In his life only few people was really close to him, one of them was Clark, his second half…
Regards
I just said this in the earlier story and discussion, but what happened to Chapman and DeLorean?
Nothing, i’ve read watched, or heard, has ever touched on why these men “went to the dark side”.
John DeLorean was once tipped to be the next Sloan, which is about the highest respect you can get, at the time in the only auto industry which mattered.
The BBC documentary has a lot more, down to the FBI sting on DeLorean, involving a suitcase of cocaine. It was a unsubtle entrapment*.
What enemies did this man DeLorean make? That they may even have taken down Chapman too?
This is the book which would sell now.
One has to be careful with Icons, lest they become your Totem.
*Entrapment is legal in England and Wales, unless some very obscure police conduct law is breached, but illegal in the USA.
– j
Two things Joe,
1. How long did it take you to figure out how to do a screen grab on your macbook? hold cmd, shift and 4 and then select the area you want to grab!
2. As you know, the majority of these press releases are put together by silly little girls who think it is oh so lovely to be working in the glamourous world of formula one. The reality is they don’t know there arse from their elbows and so often get it wrong.
According to some, that should read: Chapman IS laughING his head off…
Well, whatever beef I might have with Google, as someone who likes print more, this sure is useful:
http://goo.gl/aG9bk
(shortened link to) Timeline of DeLorean stories, which opens at 1970.
Scroll to the right for the 1973 resignation, and later the DMC inception. Better to start with realizing how big a job was General Manager in the day. CEO is closest now.
Far from comprehensive, but very handy.
– j
Joe: I knew the story, but hearing from you, it has a better taste…
Karen: Spot on for Kubica and the twin chassis!
Now for the rest… will see what will happen during the season. I think it would be fun.
Nice piece Joe!
Now off topic/private sorry, but of possible interest.
Do you know about Popski’s Private Army?
I first read “Warriors on Wheels” by Park (Bob) Yunnie in Wallington Public Library in my teens. (45-50 years ago) I always thought what a superb war tale it was and what a terrific film it would make. Then about 30 years later discovered Peniakov’s (Popski’s) own book. Of the two, Bob Yunnie’s is far more exciting (Bob was 2IC ) It was out of print for many years but re-appeared as “Fighting with Popski’s Private army.”
They were an independent unit of varying size, operating all over the North African desert at the around time the SAS was being set up by David Sterling. Then later in Italy most of the time behind enemy lines.
If you are interested I have a spare copy of Peniakov’s book as new which I would be happy to send you. email me if interested.
I read every SF book (even managed an L Ron H) and every war book in Wallington library
but PPA has tuck in my mind all my life. (And for SF, A.E. van Vogt The World of Null-A)
cheers rpaco
Yes, I have read a book about Popski, but a million years ago
Chris Rehm
Yes it was fingerprint heaven, needed cleaning every 10 mins.
That.. is a great article. Well done Joe, you’re winning me over again
oh and from wikip.. :
I was a little too young to understand the delorean situation. But it’s quite an interesting read to say the least.
Loved Robert kubicas comment about dreaming to drive for total. He is a racer, he doesn’t have time for the bs….
As a child growing up in Belfast, my father was one of the first employees hired at the DeLorean factory. It’s always struck me as a shame that such a dedicated workforce got shafted by the machinations of the eponymous owner and Colin Chapman – to the personal tune of $60M in today’s money.
But, having subsequently spent almost twenty years in the car industry, I can see that their ‘scam’ was in no way atypical for top-end auto executives and high-flying business people in general (think Flavio and Pat) – powerful men think they can get away with anything.
You can’t help but feel that Colin would have prospered through F1 in the 80s and 90s (if he’d wriggled out of the Belfast court case, which I suspect he would have). And while I respect the drive and entrepreneurial spirit of Chapman in tackling F1 with such gusto, I find it a little surprising that two companies are fighting so hard over a history that, with very little investigation, can be found to be more than a little grubby under the gleaming surface.
Great piece of journalism, Joe. Also a great start in 2011 with lots coming thru and the most complete introduction of new cars which certainly took you quite a bit of time. In this respect you are beating JA which being different is also good but it surprised me you being up front re: new launches.
Great stuff!!!
I’m not entirely sure Chapman knew about the scam . . . but he wasn’t stoopid.
The scam, essentially, was that the cars were sold to a middle company, a sales arm, in-between Ireland and (mostly) North American distributors and concessionaires.
Certain people took their profits at this time, even though the cars had not been finally sold. Many wound up in parking lots in the US as property of Bank of America.
This is how DeLorean could produce 10,000 cars a year even though there was no such market. They would be sold to the middle company whatever.
The Bank of America provided the finance and I believe it ended up as out of pocket as the Northern Ireland Development Board. Hence there was something of a contract out on John D. (Which the FBI carried out.) Maybe on Chapman too.
54 ain’t old.
At close on to a 1 billion investment for unbuilt and unsold Lotus supercars, the Bahar scheme looks decidedly dodgy too.
copydude,
So why would a judge say that he would have gone to jail for 10 years?
lutbar,
it is a million miles between playing the F1 regs game, and getting mixed up in a transatlantic, transnational fraud, involving law enforcement setting people up like a bunch of teenagers on heat. Too early yet, but wonder how Maggie thought about that going on, considering the NI situation? I still can find nothing, save DeLorean played bigwig suitor to many industries in his hiatus, and the genuine likelihood it was just a sad tale of accident, that tells me Chapman was not collateral for something less obvious. Nah, you stretch it too far, in your analogy, and i’ve no rose tint pince-nez attached.
Terence, I’ve got family both sides of the Pale. Also Belfast. Makes me sick, the piss which gets taken. A least, for their sins, these guys went down hard. Maybe too hard. Peace, man.
– john
Just imagine someone convincing a government to give him loads of money to build an unmarketable sports car. Could never happen today…
My already-high opinion of Kubica just went up another notch!
LotusRenault GP = Perfection.
Colin Chapman and John DeLorean would very proud that part of their legacies have been ressurected in such a beautiful concept such as LRGP.
As LotusRenault GP employ hundreds of marketing personnel,it was inevitable that B(L)ACK TO THE FUTURE would be very appropriate advertising for the rebrand and launch of the R31 and much more besides.
As always,there is NO SUCH thing as ‘bad’ publicity.
Chrisk5
Tell that thing about publicity to Max Mosley…
Hare,
Wiki can be wrong on occasion.
However I shall be humbled on this point.
Want a slice Joe? Hehe
The DeLorean Connection
http://www.lotusespritworld.com/EHistory/DeLorean.html
What a strange day (and year?) indeed.
Today we have Lotus-Renault coming out with a slogan which completely ignores its negative past, or chooses to make light of it.
A couple of weeks ago we had the head of Team Lotus saying that what he did, going racing with somebody else’s famous name and reputation, was exactly the same as what Ron Dennis did a few decades ago, also ignoring the reality of the past.
Is it just dumb ignorance or knowingly distorting reality? I don’t know.
But it’s interesting that two groups of individuals who have chosen to usurp (is the word too strong?) the name and reputation of a completely unrelated third group have so little respect for that history.
When I think about these people, Lopes and Fernandes, I’m reminded of the word “nouveau riche.”
I think Chapman not only knew about the scam, he was the one that suggested it to DeLorean, since the ‘HQ’ used for part of the operation was a post office box in Switzerland… Also used by Chapman as a delivery point for his F1 operation (I believe prize money was routed through it to avoid UK tax – a common practice in those days when rates were 70+%).
An interesting point is that the reason DeLorean had to go to Chapman for engineering services was because the hyped plastic body (that DeLorean pioneered as a safety element) proved too complex and costly to be used for the car. DeLorean, under huge pressure from the UK government to deliver the project on time, approached Lotus for help. Chapman basically threw out the original design and replaced it with a bastardized Esprit, meaning the car could be brought to market quicker (and Chapman was able to amortize his Esprit costs). DeLorean ended up with a sports car that was underpowered, too heavy and too expensive to build… and then he launched it in the worst winter for a generation in the USA… In a recession. Just a nightmare.
And the reality is, the ‘plastic’ he was trying to build the car around was an early precursor to carbon fibre. He basically envisioned a carbon fibre tub (light and robust) with the rest of the car attached – what the new McLaren road car will be.
DeLorean was a great engineer in many ways, and ahead of his time in some technologies, but the deeper issues in his personality eventually brought him down.
Joe . . .
My memory is a little hazy but . . ‘why would a Judge say’ . . . etc.
There was a hunt for scapegoats at the time. The Northern Ireland Development Board did no ‘due diligence’ worth the name. And all proved themselves to be totally inept at business or marketing.
OK, the Lotus money was being laundered, or paid ‘tax effectively’ . . but I don’t recall CC was central to the scam. In fact, the first DeLoreans didn’t have the Lotus suspension. (I drove one.) It was a later refinement.
The Gov was supporting British Industry and NI Development at the time. If it wasn’t for the scam, CC would have got a DTI, Queen or Prince Philip award . . even if he had stashed all the loot in the Caymans or somewhere. That would have been swept under the carpet.
copydude,
Oh I see. So stealing taxpayers’ money is OK then…
You have to like the delicious irony of the situation. There is no denying the genius of DeLorean for inventing the muscle car (among other things) and Chapman for pushing the boundaries in F1 and car design, but perhaps genius is a double edged sword.
Also ironic that the DeLorean was born out of a safety car concept (hence the stainless steel gimmick) but became an unreliable car paid for by banks and tax payers money.
Final DeLorean fact is that the Back To The Future cars had Porsche engines fitted as they didn’t have enough power for the stunt scenes. Tell that to Bahar….
There should be a betting game on which Lotus will have the most screwups in their efforts to lay claim to only the good parts of the Lotus legacy.
For example, I score one point to FernandesF1 for choosing the colors of a cigarette company as the car’s colors, two points to TotallyNotRenault for seeing this and going ahead with black/gold anyway, and one point to TNR for this.
The Kitchen Cynic,
you so should have another life over at ZeroHedge.
Just don’t blame me for any hypotension you suffer
“LOL”, by the way, nice one!
– j
I think you give them to much credit…it was not deliberate and it’s quite an obscure link that not many would know. I didn’t.
You know as you are interested and interesting journalist who is very into the business side of F1 and motorsport in general…this was an amusing title for a press release I think.
Why do people insist on calling Renault by the full corprate name. no one does it for ‘AT&T Williams F1 Team’
Go Team Lotus !!!!
Brilliant article, Joe! And remember DeLorean was taped selling powder to the Feds, LOL. No wonder the Chapman family survives on a golden parachute.
Good post, Joe, Id forgotten about DeLorean & Chapman-having spent 46 yrs in the car business,nothing surprises me any more. And having motoring journalists as close friends Im also very cynical, some things turn out to be never what they seem at first!
Am I wrong or did this all happen on Monday … Black Monday?
I am sure that I have read that DeLorean bodies were made of ‘brushed aluminium’.
I must have been mistaken.
Joe,
this is indeed a very strange day.
I just found someone who was doing what i should have:
http://paultan.org/2011/01/26/what-really-happened-at-the-lotus-vs-lotus-hearing/
Whatever the source, that looks like a good transcript, down to the toadying fence sitting of the instructed counsel on both sides.
(I’d be nervous, at either plea, you can only trust your source and they are not allowed, like we are, to take a straw poll)
I’m not being funny at all, but for any trial judge to be expert on a specific case is unlikely, so you get these merry go rounds. If the pleading is rhetorical, positional, not factual. I mean, the law is wide, and if you have no meat to chew on . .
Morpuss is Team, Silverleaf is Group:
“MR. SILVERLEAF: My Lord, this application today before the court is for summary judgment on a single isolated issue arising under the trade mark licence granted by Group Lotus to 1Malaysia Racing (whom I will call “1MRT” for short, if I may) in 2009 to race in Formula One under the name LOTUS RACING. Your Lordship has had a rather voluminous set of papers —-
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: But no reading list.”
– me – yeah, right,
“MR. MORPUSS: The final point, I would say, my Lord, is we have not been able to take any instructions from the clients and the points I have been putting to your Lordship are simply the considerations that the legal team has come up with. Our clients are out in the Far East, obviously”
– me – Oops, that is exactly where i find every bloody opposing counsel: claiming they have no instructions so they are not about to get struck off. Personal opinion only, mind you.
Joe, the transcript looks legit, down to the nonsense.
Totally personal opinion: Morpuss is being a puss, hasn’t found the case yet. He’s being pushed on procedure. If this goes on, then 7:3, on points, to Group.
More bloody personal opinion: when I hired Queen’s they had a whole smart team to back them up, Silk was just there to present, and present good. Where’s the research? Why no reading, no facts in application?
– - -
Burning the candle here, because i do not think this is going to be trial ready on the 21st March, and wondering what remedies may then be applied.
Absolutely – if you take that link as verbatim – they have had no preparation, no budget.
Effing farce.
But procedure will win against limp argument.
***the whole thing must be read***
I will say this, though, anything i can do to watch this, is stymied by the lack of heads looking at it at the same time. I’ll try to send out some word in hope.
– john
Allright, have to say this:
who allocated Smith L.J. to this case?
Born in Malaysia.
Yorkshire parents.
I’ll stick with the Yorkshire sensibilities.
But you gotta laugh.
(being oh, all too slow)
– j
“Nice piece Joe!
Now off topic/private sorry, but of possible interest.
Do you know about Popski’s Private Army?
I first read “Warriors on Wheels” by Park (Bob) Yunnie in Wallington Public Library in my teens. (45-50 years ago) I always thought what a superb war tale it was and what a terrific film it would make. Then about 30 years later discovered Peniakov’s (Popski’s) own book.”
Seek out and read “Killing Romell” by Stephen Pressfield. Popski may only crop up as a minor character, but the book isa a wonderful account of the LRDG patrols behind enemy lines during the African campain.
I really recomend the book – It’s one of those books that everyone should read.
Ron dennis merged his company into Mcclaren and then took over . All we were doing isnbringing lotus from the dead as many has asked us. There are many of our employees who worked in original lotus. The link with Norfolk is there. We have built everything from scratch with our own money.I grew up watching williams and lotus , cam pinging at brands.
We have invested 80 million pounds into lotus.and as the years unfold you will see ourvstartegy. You sell something and hence you own it. You spend 80 million pounds to build it. You build something of value now everyone wants it. I’m sorry this is something we built with lots of money , great people, great spirit and hard work and most importantly honestly.
I am damm proud of what we have achieved in one year . We didn’t borrow money to buy a team , we built team from scartch. There is a separation between group lotus and team lotus. I didn’t create it. We own it and we are proud if it,
How is that nouveau riche please explain, to me its passion from watching lotus in another era.
Tony,
Nice to hear from you directly. I agree that the poster in question was getting a little carried away. Maybe we can get Dany B to post on the blog and get this business sorted out here – without lawyers needing to be involved!
I’ve found a solution to all this mess. The Renault boys should reclaim their rightful heritage and rename the team Toleman. A Lada-sponsored Lotus-funded Toleman-Renault versus Team Lotus: that clears it all up!
I’m sure there’s an army of Brian Henton fans keeping their fingers crossed as I write. Probably in Malaysia.
I’m almost scared to wade in here given the ferocity of the posts so far! When I saw the “Black to the future” copy I laughed out loud. Then just now, coming on here, I see that many have picked this up.
Colin was a genius whether he was an angel or not. And having never gone to trial we can never be 100% sure what would have happened (yeah, 99.99% maybe… but not 100).
But the point to all of this is “Wouldn’t you vet a press release with a view to potentially ambiguous copy given past history that you seem to be so big on trumpeting on about”?
… but I do think that Colin would be laughing as hard as some of the rest of us are just now.
John,
It did go to trial.
^ Haha if that is really is TONY FERNANDES, I would say the written English language is not your strong point.
Interesting how once the Chapman family gets into bed with Group Lotus that all this dirt about the Chapmans re emerges. Hmmmmmm…….
chris,
The fact that you don’t know about it, does not mean it did not exist and that people did not kno about it.
Joe,
Yes, but Colin didn’t get to defend and complete that trial in person. It’s a moot point anyway as we are both arguing with the same conclusion in mind.
John,
The average judge is not going to come outand say such a thing unless there was very clear evidence. True. Chapman was never able to defend himself, but I guess that the judge said what he said based on documentary evidence that was enough to send Bushell down for three years.
I think it’s fair to say that the person who put the press report together probably does not know much F1 history let alone Colin Chapmans backstory. They probably just thought it sounded like a cool play on words!
Joe, fab post. And the Comments: wonderful, wonderful; the whole spectrum of sarcasm, cynicism and humour. Time for me to send you some money, I think!
Fernandes has blown it now he has misrepresented what the Judge actually said on trial day. He does NOT read your blog.
Rogerthedodger,
Who Fernandes or the judge?
Joe,
Absolutely! Hence my 99.99% comment
Rogerthedoger,
You even lost me there. Which trial? The one in the 80s or the one last month where the judge effectively said “You are all a bunch of big boys. Gien that, I think I’m going to direct you to sort everthing out at once… and really really soon (from a legal timeframe)
You said something about him reading the blog. The question was to which him you were referring…
John,
sick jokes about Habeus Corpus aside, the trial proceeded with Chapman alive. These things eat life.
Hi John!
I shall, as promised earlier, remain “(other John)”, so you know, as will hopefully everyone else – did you catch that mess?
– jk
Missed opportunity for Red Bull. Had they really re-badged the engine to Nissan’s luxury brand, we would would doubtless have heard “To Infiniti and Beyond!”
Just so long as i do not end up in another imaginary indentity crisis, caused by someone else trying to sound like me, the moment speak up, i’ll be fine. all best to all – j
If that was the real Tony Fernandes, I don’t get the reference to Ron Dennis, and it is spelt McLaren.
Someone is going to be laughing about all of this, I hope it’s not the lawyers at the expense of an interesting F1 season.
paul,
i think we were being sold a line, spammed, that sort of thing.
No lawyers here any to do with F1.
Second time around, that was rather upsetting. My namesake doesn’t distinguish himself, and there was some understandable, but unbelieveable confusion earlier. Think i was insufficiently affronted.
Maybe these other people can explain themselves?
I mean why? Why butt in like that, why try to sound cursorily like me, not that that’s worth a penny? I’m still disturbed. I was moreso because I read Godel Escher Bach, and know what you do to mimic. Badly. Why should i have to unravel myself first!!!???
– j
genuinely sorry Joe, but i’m in a bit of a tizzy over this, and there’s no in my face obvious way to contact you to make the difference clear. – john
@Joe – You are leading the witness (as you know the answer already… and also know that it is also probably irrelevant).
@John (other John)- No problem. Can you go by “Jack” from now on though maybe?
@Paul – Other than the truly abysmal spelling (I should talk!) the post by “Tony fernandes” does seem to ring pretty true to his ideals. And Ron did engineer a reverse takeover of McLaren with his Project 4 team. MP4 = McLaren Project 4 as we all know.
John,
Can you and John (other John) please sort yourselves out so that everyone is happy. I am checking to see if the Tony Fernandes is the real Tony Fernandes, but I think it probably was and that it was done on a Blackberry, hence the spelling etc. I’ll let you know.
Joe,
lawyers?
We’re the People’s Front of Judicia,
oh,
i got that wrong,
Judicial front of peepers . . .
something like that
good night from me,
– j
Haha! This is my favourite bit of the trial transcript, comes right at the end of the whole thing “Two lotus ones?”:
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: The other thing that occurred to me is this. You are going to maintain the status quo in the sense that the defendants are going to be able to enter the existing Grand Prix that will take place before the trial as they have registered, presumably, and with all rights reserved in respect of that?
MR. SILVERLEAF: Yes, my Lord, subject, obviously, to an agreement to the contrary between the parties, whether temporary or permanent. Also, we are both subject to the rule of Formula One management. If Formula One management say we can or cannot do something, either of us, then we are not able to gainsay that because they are in control.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: They are not going to stop the defendants because the defendants are already registered to participate, are they not?
MR. SILVERLEAF: I think that is right, my Lord.
MR. MORPUSS: Yes, that is right, my Lord. We are already registered. It is too late —-
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: And not calling yourself “Lotus Renault” are you, or anything like that?
MR. MORPUSS: We are not, my Lord, no.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: The claimant is not calling itself Lotus Renault?
MR. MORPUSS: It is, yes.
MR. SILVERLEAF: We are.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: You are?
MR. SILVERLEAF: Yes.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: There are going to be two Lotus ones there.
MR. SILVERLEAF: That is why we are here, my Lord.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: Both wearing the same logo?
MR. MORPUSS: Slightly different colours, my Lord.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: There will be some very valuable memorabilia available, will there not, if some of these come out in the first part of the season? I had a case like that concerning football cards. I had stopped a rival football cards case and they left an original one because I granted an injunction stopping them selling any more. Unreasonably, they asked for the original back.
MR. SILVERLEAF: Suddenly acquired added value.
MR. JUSTICE PETER SMITH: My former clerk’s son looked interested. Very well. Thank you very much.
Chris D,
I have alread proved myself a silly nincompoop enough for one night (was working mate, but there i was the there was this tap on the doror, now Joe is doing me by proxy for Harassment ’97!)
That’s why i thought it rather normal transcript!
No, mate, i am not taking the mickey. That’s how these loonies talk.
Bloody quitters!
I was doing a thought experiment, before my Citizens’ Arrest last night. (Not, for that, you dirty so and so. Stop it!)
It was this: how long can you avoid addressing your Lord Justice by the name “My Lord” before you get done for contempt?
Then it all came through the door, reverie over.
Anyhow, I reckon, with some good spiel, 30 minutes.
I was working out the Peter Falk deflections.
Oh, well, now you know why i do not practise, and get a sore ankle if i have to go there.
Oi!
My mum’s family are Yorkshire (via Ireland, Liverpool)
You telling me they don’t know a spade from a spade?
In my day . .
. . .
BIG tip, if you have to go to court, get your references ready. What was it he asked about his reading list?
Same for ‘em all, mate.
cheers, & especial thanks to Joe today,
– john
No, Joe wasn’t, but just realized that was a bit of a fine joke, sorry Joe.
Brilliant, Joe. Just brilliant!
I’m wondering, if there’s anybody at Lotus Renault GP that’s old or informed enough to know and understand all the facets of this black story.
Oh, Lord would have known, if he was still around, right?
copydude,
“This is how DeLorean could produce 10,000 cars a year even though there was no such market. They would be sold to the middle company whatever.”
That’s called channel stuffing. Cisco were caught doing that once. They had C-suite execs apparently, it has been alleged, mucking in to shift stock from their warehouse to the distribution warehouse next door, to make the quarter.
It’s a kind of “but everyone else does it”, until you go a bit too far. Cisco would have been able to get away with an apology too, except they were fond of boasting about their real time book close, meaning their accounts would be fully accurate end of each day.
– j
Super article Joe, interesting that an out of court settlement has been offered….
Joe wrote:
Oh I see. So stealing taxpayers’ money is OK then…
Of course not. I was trying to differentiate between JD’s scam . . . which was a bit like the plot of the film, ‘The Producers’ . . . a project designed to fail . . . and Chapman’s web of companies.
Well, you have just written about the problems of discerning the obscure offshore ownership of ‘Lotus Renault GP’. Should Lopez go down for 10 years?
I see from your excellent books that you are a keen historian and I think it is always a problem judging things in retrospect. History gets rewritten.
The trial of Fred Bushell happened years after the event and by all accounts, the Judge was understandably miffed. Much evidence had changed (from the US case where JD was acquitted) and it looks as if there was a plea bargain in place before the Judge sat down. The key miscreants were missing.
Now, as a cynic, I could suspect that it was a very easy option for politicians to shift all the blame on to a dead person. I can’t believe that there was no-one in the Northern Ireland Development Board at the time who didn’t know what was really going down. Someone, somewhere, signed off some huge cheques.
Now I revisit this story, I don’t think the real account has been written.
Uh, the DeLorean was stainless steel with a fiberglass underbody. The frame was the same as the Esprit, with few modifications. The car was produced from January 1981 to December 1982, and did I mention it is STAINLESS STEEL!?
Copydude
In retrospect the truth either come out or gets buried. You need to read Joe’s the “Grand Prix Saboteurs”. History is therein corrected in several instances, people are not always what they seemed at the time and are not always worthy of the honours they get afterwards. However the scale of the incentives are somewhat different, from being tortured and shot to, making money.
Michael Wilson
Fingerprint city! Impossible to keep looking good. (like our stainless steel cooker hood)
Which reminds me of a story about stainless steel, an American company I used to work for 43 years ago and the consequences of using 316Lgrade sheet with welding rods of 316(no “L”) A major motor manufacturer was not pleased at the necessary repairs to the large hole in their roof made when a certain machine fell through it. Though many of it’s trademarks have expired, the company still appears to exist in the US and Canada so I will shut up.