Managing Director – Bridge Classic Cars
Hidden in the back roads of Norfolk lies one of the greatest automotive manufacturers and most successful racing teams of all time. Lotus Cars.
Recently, Bridge Classic Cars Competitions joined forces with both Norwich City Football Club and Lotus Cars to help raise money and awareness for the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation. Thanks to a massive group of very generous people, the total raised for the Foundation was £100,000! and each of the entrants wanted a very special car.
Lotus had given Bridge Classic Cars Competitions and Norwich City the first VIN of the 2021 Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition. The first car from the last production run of the iconic, enthusiast led sportscar as it comes to an end after 26 years. Alex got hold of the car by being issued ticket number 4970 after buying an entry that went straight to benefiting young people in Norfolk that have different abilities or backgrounds to get into sport.
On Tuesday, November 15th, the teams from Norwich City, The Community Sports Foundation and Bridge Classic Cars convened in the recently finished and redesigned Customer Experience Centre at Lotus Cars for Alex to meet his new sportscar for the first time.
However, Lotus had a very special day planned for Alex and his son Louis.
Lotus put together a full experience day for our very lucky competition winner. A guided tour around not only the factory and experience centre at Hethel but a tour of the collection at the fabled Classic Team Lotus stable located just down the road.
Gratefully, Lotus also included us here at Bridge along with representatives from Norwich City Football Club and the Community Sports Foundation to come along on the whole day. First up, the original Lotus building.
Lotus had begun work on the first building shortly after their move to Hethel in the mid-1960s. This now housed the engine preparation rooms, subframe assembly area and the body shop. Lotus takes great pride in their cars being for true enthusiasts, they create harmonious packages that work with the dynamics and personality of each of the cars that form their sportscar lineup.
Lotus were proud to show the winner Alex around the facility to demonstrate the level of engineering and care that goes into each individual car, including his very own 2021 Lotus Elise Sport 240 Final Edition.
The tour took Alex and Louis through the entire build process much like their Elise would have gone through earlier this year. Showing Alex every step of the process from the crate engines arriving all the way to the finished cars taking their all important laps on the track for sign off. Then it was over to the fabled Classic Team Lotus. Where a collection of some of the most important Lotus racing cars is stored and lovingly cared for by some of their original mechanics.
After that, Lotus and Norwich City had organised a very special afternoon for Alex. A lunch with Delia Smith. A key owner of Norwich City Football Club, of which Alex is lifelong fan. Then, it was downstairs to begin the handover process. Norwich had also brought in the chairman of Norwich City Community Sports Foundation Jake Humphrey to present Alex and Louis with a signed shirt and to say his appreciation for being involved in this amazing charity.
Then, to give Alex his certificate of authenticity to prove the provenance of the 2021 Final Edition Elise he had one was Lotus Cars MD, Matt Windle. Followed by Delia Smith handing over the keys to Alex’s new Hethel yellow sportscar. During all of this, two surprise guests appeared in the atrium. Formula One legend Jenson Button followed by mechanic and engineer extraordinaire Ant Anstead. They stopped to chat with Alex about the car and congratulate him on his win.
The day wasn’t over yet. To coach Alex on how to get the most out of his new Lotus was former Lotus Formula One Driver and long time Lotus driving coach Martin Donnelly, who took Alex out onto the Hethel test track in an identical Elise to put him through his paces.
We wish Alex all the best in the future with his very special Elise and a huge thank you to everyone who entered and helped raise a staggering amount of donations and awareness of the great work of the Community Sports Foundation.
