Verifying history - Lotus/Caterham/Westfield

[np1]

Hi
I'm looking at a car in Denmark that's listed as a Lotus S2 1965 - I read a comment from a Lotus guy in Denmark that suggested it's either a Caterham or Westfield that's had the papers doctored. It's previously been UK registered - NNO 413C - just wondered if anyone could shed any light on its history?

Thanks

Nick

http://www.cc-cars.dk/UK/car.aspx?number=846301407

(Also stuck this in the Caterham section to cover all the bases)

[56Lotus]

Very difficult area with lots of fakes.

Try giving John a call, he may know of the car

http://www.historiclotusregister.co.uk/thecars/per...

Hope that helps

Jon Adams

[np1]

Thanks for the tip - have got a couple of answers in the Caterham forum that suggest it's not 100% genuine - I'll maybe contact him to double check.

Cheers

Nick

[tempus]

NNO 413C was or is a 1965 Ford Cortina 1500,a green one.tempus

[LLantrisant]

very strange car:

dash looks like lotus or caterham

square tunnel with handbrake on the side looks more like westfield

enginebay...difficult to say ...the diagonal rail from brake-area forward , should be round tube.
westfield used sqaure tubes there. the old caterhams round tube.

instruments are not original

front suspension not visible in detail on the pictures

i think this car is "something"...not lotus, not caterham...at least it could have been one of them but meanwhile modified too much

any chance to get any info or pic from rear suspension / axle?

[RichEuropaS]

tempus said:

NNO 413C was or is a 1965 Ford Cortina 1500,a green one.tempus

The reg NNO 413C is on that Ford, road tax ran out in May 2003. Car registered 11 November 1965.

[LLantrisant]

i dont think that a genuine lotus would have run on the donor registration?

dvla database:

Vehicle make
FORD
Date of first registration
11 November 1965
Year of manufacture
1965
Cylinder capacity (cc)
1498cc
CO₂Emissions
Not available
Fuel type
PETROL
Vehicle status
Not taxed
Vehicle colour
GREEN
Vehicle type approval
Not available
Wheelplan
2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight
Not available

Edited by LLantrisant on Saturday 11th April 16:21

[Pat H]

I am reasonably confident that you are looking at an early Westfield Seven. I would date it from about 1986.

The Midget handbrake is a bit of a give away. It also has a pale powder coated chassis, tall roll hoop which doubles as part of the hood frame and spring clips holding the bonnet.

The box section transmission tunnel is definitely not Lotus and it has the wrong master cylinder arrangement for a real Lotus.

To be completely sure, you need to look at the rear suspension. Double trailing arms and panhard rod will confirm that it came from Dudley and not Cheshunt.

Those early aluminium bodied Westfields are very nice things, but they are certainly not worth a fraction of what a Lotus Seven would command.

I built a Westfield Seven in 1986 with my Dad.