Spending some time in Enfield over the weekend, showing my photo's of the LCR Brands Hatch to the landlord of the local pub, and he say's my dad used to have a Lotus Cortina Estate! Well after I asked a few questions, he asked if I would like to talk to him? I did so, and he confirmed that he did indeed own such a car! He invited me around to his house to see his remaining car collection, sadly no Cortina's but a rather nice Austin Healey, and a Tiger 110 motor bike. This chap Ken Butler, worked for his fathers and grandfathers business back in the 60's "Butler & Butler" who we're radiator specialists, and supplied services to the industry, and Lotus of Delamare road were one of their customers. He spotted the Cortina estate in quite a poor condition, and asked if it was for sale, yes we've finished with that, was the reply. The factory had used the car as a utility vehicle, collecting parts etc. and so he kept the car for a while before writing it off in an accident! Bannana'd it was his terminology! He knows his cars very well being in the trade, and an eternal enthusiast, and tells me that this was a pre airflow model, and he also believes that only three were ever built, the other two being airflow models. Quite an interesting chap in all, He gave me an original Butler & Butler business card which I will add to the post later.
