[dechien]

Dear All:

I just spoke with Doug at Newport European this week, and apparently some of our fellow colleagues BEHIND me on The List have already received their Vin Numbers, and I was skipped over somehow. About a month ago, I was informed that I was next to receive a Vin Number, and now it appears that Lotus has skpped around further down the list.

I was given the explanation that Lotus somehow produce the Elises by colour batches. I envision the process where they'll make Ardent Reds one day, and Chrome Orange the next. However, shouldn't Arctic Silvers be made at least once a month?

Can anyone confirm or deny this colour batching process at Lotus?

- dechien

 

[MattG]

There's no evidence or confirmation of color batching, though it IS normal for the cars to not arrive in the order they appear on the dealers' lists.

 

[Stan]

>>>There's no evidence or confirmation of color batching, though it IS normal for the cars to not arrive in the order they appear on the dealers' lists.<<<

There does seem to be some tantalizing anecdotal clues indicating batching. But we don't know for sure. Some sequential VINs have cars the same color. Some delayed VINs show up later on with a batch of VINs of the same color.

 

[Ridgemanron]

I remember, sometime back, we received
an 'in person' report from someone who
visited the plant and actually saw the
cars being produced. If I'm not mistaken,
he reported a mix of different colored cars lined up and being worked on.

 

[blackburn]

I visited the Lotus factory last June. The tour guide was a (the) production manager. I asked about color batch production and he said that other than possibly arranging the order of cars being built during a day cars were not built in batches according to color. He said that the paint spray guns have to be cleaned often and there is no advantage to batch painting.

BTW- Great tour and I got to drive an Elise around the test track.

 

[Chococar]

On Sunday, Modern Wedgie and I discovered that our cars have consecutive serial numbers and are the same color (SY) and both have LSS. More anecdotal evidence ...

 

[dechien]

Dear All:
Thanks for the input. The data, although inconsistent, does suggest the plausible theory of colour batching. However, I suspect other factors may be at play given that quite a few customers behind me on the list have already received their vin numbers, and that their colour choices cannot all be one in the same.
Is there any information as to a low production output for Arctic Silver models?
- dechien

 

[Gromit]

There's been enough talk about colour batches from various sources that I think it's true.

But it's also possible that dealers could make use of this knowledge to their benefit ... (conspiracy theory only ).

 

[Surferjer]

Just speculation here, but when these first arrived it seemed that ardent red and BRP were the first colors dispersed, and it was a little while before others started popping up. Not very strong evidence, but still..

One way to gather evidence is for us to post are last three digits of the VIN and color so we can compare.

I'll start: 033 BRP

 

[Ancient Wedgie]

On Sunday, Modern Wedgie and I discovered that our cars have consecutive serial numbers and are the same color (SY) and both have LSS. More anecdotal evidence ...

OTOH, you got your car a full month before she did. Now that could be QA issues for her car as some have conjectured; or just as likely, Lotus scheme of sequencing may be akin to that in the design of an Hawaiian wristwatch -- any two numbers found in normal sequence is purely coincidental.

 

[Gromit]

OTOH, you got your car a full month before she did. Now that could be QA issues for her car as some have conjectured; or just as likely, Lotus scheme of sequencing may be akin to that in the design of an Hawaiian wristwatch -- any two numbers found in normal sequence is purely coincidental.

Were both cars delivered to the same coast ?

EDIT - I guess so .. I never claimed to be smart