history of car eliteS2 (former keepers)...DVLA cant help.
Discussion
hi,
i purchased a Elite S2 recently.
due to the former owner the first keeper was lotus cars itself, but i have no info to prove it. the car also "participated" in an british TV-series, the former owner told me it could be "the profesionals" (i always thought they only used ford?)
asked lotus, here the reply:
"I have not been able to locate a build book for this car but have found a chassis number entry in an invoice book. The invoice book entry does not give any details at all, i.e it just gives the chassis number although there is a red tick alongside the entry, which I believe may indicate this car was used on site or possibly a company car but this is as much as I can tell.
If it was a company car or press then it may have been used for television promotional work although normally press cars are normally clearly indicated in our records but either way we do not have any information on your car."
asked DVLA:
they replied that only the actual keeper can apply for this info using a special document, downloadable on the DVLA homepage, the enquirey cost 5,-pound.
i´m the actual owner of the car but as i live in germany the dvla cannot give me any info. the former keeper sold the car to me, so he isnt anymore the actual keeper. even when he could apply for the info, he isnt willing to help as he sold the car and the book is closed now for him.
any idea how i could get to the info i need?
i purchased a Elite S2 recently.
due to the former owner the first keeper was lotus cars itself, but i have no info to prove it. the car also "participated" in an british TV-series, the former owner told me it could be "the profesionals" (i always thought they only used ford?)
asked lotus, here the reply:
"I have not been able to locate a build book for this car but have found a chassis number entry in an invoice book. The invoice book entry does not give any details at all, i.e it just gives the chassis number although there is a red tick alongside the entry, which I believe may indicate this car was used on site or possibly a company car but this is as much as I can tell.
If it was a company car or press then it may have been used for television promotional work although normally press cars are normally clearly indicated in our records but either way we do not have any information on your car."
asked DVLA:
they replied that only the actual keeper can apply for this info using a special document, downloadable on the DVLA homepage, the enquirey cost 5,-pound.
i´m the actual owner of the car but as i live in germany the dvla cannot give me any info. the former keeper sold the car to me, so he isnt anymore the actual keeper. even when he could apply for the info, he isnt willing to help as he sold the car and the book is closed now for him.
any idea how i could get to the info i need?
Your best bet is to persuade the DVLA that you are the owner, but I know this might be easier said than done!
The previous owner should have filled in a section on the V5 (UK ownership document) to say that the car has been 'permanently exported'. If he hasn't you need to persuade him to do so. Apart from it being a legal requirement, remind him that if he is still on the documents as Registered Keeper, he could open himself up to all sorts of legal liabilities for speeding offences etc.
I assume you also have a written receipt for purchase of the car?
If you can demonstrate to the DVLA that the car has been permanently exported as a result of being purchased by you, you may be able to persuade them to release the records of previous keepers, though it will probably take a letter explaning the details, rather then the standard downloadable form, in order to get a response from a human being rather than a computer system!
IIRC, they require 'reasonable justification' for you wanting the records, but for my Elan they werequite happy to accept my explanation that the car was old/rare enough to be of limited historic interest and that I simply wanted the records to complete the car's individual history. I'm sure you could present a similar case for the Elite!
Sorry I can't offer a more reliable suggestion, but my experience of the DVLA is that if you can penetrate the bureaurocracy, individual employees will eventually be quite helpful!
Best of luck!
The previous owner should have filled in a section on the V5 (UK ownership document) to say that the car has been 'permanently exported'. If he hasn't you need to persuade him to do so. Apart from it being a legal requirement, remind him that if he is still on the documents as Registered Keeper, he could open himself up to all sorts of legal liabilities for speeding offences etc.
I assume you also have a written receipt for purchase of the car?
If you can demonstrate to the DVLA that the car has been permanently exported as a result of being purchased by you, you may be able to persuade them to release the records of previous keepers, though it will probably take a letter explaning the details, rather then the standard downloadable form, in order to get a response from a human being rather than a computer system!
IIRC, they require 'reasonable justification' for you wanting the records, but for my Elan they werequite happy to accept my explanation that the car was old/rare enough to be of limited historic interest and that I simply wanted the records to complete the car's individual history. I'm sure you could present a similar case for the Elite!
Sorry I can't offer a more reliable suggestion, but my experience of the DVLA is that if you can penetrate the bureaurocracy, individual employees will eventually be quite helpful!
Best of luck!
An Elite did feature in the Professionals at one point. But it is my understanding that if s car was used for Press, PR or Promotional work (like TV) then it would have been marked down in the Lotus Records. It could, however, have been a company vehicle. Lotus register about 100 vehicles a year for this kind of useage (According to the Car registry information).
It's my understanding that the DVLA will have all previous owners records. As such You need to send them a copy of your ownership docs with a letter requesting the details.
It's my understanding that the DVLA will have all previous owners records. As such You need to send them a copy of your ownership docs with a letter requesting the details.
hi, can you remeber which color this elite has had? was it an copper-metallic one?`than it was mine (maybe, perhaps).
here the email i got from lotus:
"First of all I must apologise for not responding sooner to your email as I have been trying to locate some information on your car but sadly have not been able to come up with anything significant. I have not been able to locate a build book for this car but have found a chassis number entry in an invoice book. The invoice book entry does not give any details at all, i.e it just gives the chassis number although there is a red tick alongside the entry, which I believe may indicate this car was used on site or possibly a company car but this is as much as I can tell.
If it was a company car or press then it may have been used for television promotional work although normally press cars are normally clearly indicated in our records but either way we do not have any information on your car.
I do hope you are enjoying your Lotus ownership even with the lack of historical information."
here the email i got from lotus:
"First of all I must apologise for not responding sooner to your email as I have been trying to locate some information on your car but sadly have not been able to come up with anything significant. I have not been able to locate a build book for this car but have found a chassis number entry in an invoice book. The invoice book entry does not give any details at all, i.e it just gives the chassis number although there is a red tick alongside the entry, which I believe may indicate this car was used on site or possibly a company car but this is as much as I can tell.
If it was a company car or press then it may have been used for television promotional work although normally press cars are normally clearly indicated in our records but either way we do not have any information on your car.
I do hope you are enjoying your Lotus ownership even with the lack of historical information."
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