craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

Lotus is a 'driver's car', and legendary. Always great styling. I was just a teenager when Jim Clark drive Formula 1 Lotus to world champion.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

I was also a Clark fan and teenager then, and a Dan Gurney fan too. I have 4 1:43 scale model cars on my computer desk: The Lotus 19 that Gurney drove in 1961-1962, The Clark 1962 F1 champion car, the Lotus 49 that Clark drove to victory in the 1967 Dutch GP and the Ferrari 275 LM that won LeMans in 1965, the last time that Ferrari won LeMans until 4 days after I purchased the model in San Marino in June of this year. I also have the 1:12 scale Gurney Eagle that he won in at Spa in 1967 on order as soon as it's released. You're right about Lotus being a "driver's car". I was a fan of the Elan and spent some time in the passenger's seat of one that was owned by a high school friend's dad. I really wanted (and still do) an Miata, a modern day Elan, but I don't fit. I drive the "4 door version," a Mazda 3 with a manual and Koni shocks. BTW, the first sports car race I attended was at Laguna Seca and that is the Lotus 19 that Gurney drove there. I wasn't old enough to drive then and went with a good friend and his dad.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

Agreed; however, I think that the second one might not have been built in a foreign land. Aren't they built in S. Carolina?

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

I Googled it - there's a dealership there - but as to where they're built, main factory is still Oxford, UK - but some now built in the Netherlands and Austria.

This that I just found on my Google journey is a little disappointing for UK business .........

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/oct/15/bmw-axe-uk-production-electric-mini-relocate-china

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

Saw my first XKE back in 1961 in the winter in Fairbanks, Alaska. Saw most of my " foreign " cars there, Porsche, Abarth ,Triumph, Jag sedans , Mini Coopers, MG s, Austin Healeys, Sprites, Midgets, and most others not made in the US. Kind of all dressed up and no place to go. Back then the black top went 4 miles north to the university and ended. Then you could go 11 miles north east out to the end of the black top or you could drive down to Anchorage. Not many roads back in those days for exotic cars. Gas was 50 cents a gallon then, lots of money at the time. Just after my 16th birthday I drove a Borgward ( German ) pulling a trailer down the Alcan Hiway. All gravel back then, sure was fun.

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

I presume by 'black top' (new expression to me) you mean the asphalt road surface. It does indeed seem somewhat strange that all those cars you mention should be found in Alaska - who'd 'a dreamt it ?!

I found a Jag XK150 (see pic) .....

(Download)

Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

Love 'em all. 120's, 140's and 150's. As a kid all of my models were American "plastic" except for my prized XKs. British cars are pretty high on my list of "would love to have's".

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

You are correct, black top = asphalt-macadam.
Love the 120-150 series and D Jags especially. Folks back then in Fairbanks with diesel Mercedes would let them run all winter. To hard to start at -40 and lower degrees. Lots of old VW bugs and Chevy Corvairs, air cooled. No heat but they ran ok. Got so cold one winter we were breaking the nobs off the snow tires and cracking the hell out of the nagahyde interiors. Something to be said for cloth interiors, warmer also.