Remember the Lotus Europa? Just might be the worst automobile ever built. It's sole redeeming feature is that for its time it was gorgeous.Note the size of the lad climbing in, and remember that this was not a race car. Your eyeballs did just line up with the bumper of the Caddy in front of you. A pick up could pull over you and never know it.
The late Jimmy Clark used to race for Lotus which got me thinking about this beast. Lotus's hallmark was to make a car as light as they could, then make it lighter, on the supposition it would go faster.
So imagine some of this cars features. It sat two, which was important, because it's always good to have someone to help you push. Only a fool would leave home in one expecting to arrive at his destination and back. The body was fiberglass. Not only light, but offered stunning crash protection. The engine was French.
Making the car lighter removed most of the supports, so the side impact support became the drivers and/or passenger's hip bone. Your chest, head and feet would protect the rear mounted engine in a front end crash. Your back would protect the engines forward momentum in a rear crash.
It was physically impossible to get a girl into one, in spite of what the ads showed.
Occasionally, I'll see one at an old car show, and smile. A buddy of mine received one for his 16th birthday. Sold it 6 months later. This I promise is my last car thing for a while.
Toad
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