Lotus Omega/Carlton in NZ

[026 Nik]

Hi Ash,
Yes a couple of well respected people i know have seen it in person. It was originally sold through a dealer in Wellington to the current owner. I am still working on getting the details, like build number etc... Maybe even some pic's of it just to show people that it does really live here in NZ. The plates will have to be removed thou as people here can track it. I have been told that he does take it out every now and then and keeps it in very nice nick. I don't know how many miles it has done or much else, other than it is a Vauxhall badged one. Even the couple of people that i know who know the owner have been instructed to say nothing. I will find it and all the details some day soon as i'm already in touch with someone else who can help me track it down. (Beware VOS is here!)
Cheers, Mark...

[Moderated]
Whats the point of hiding the car and its details? Facts are its more than likely only worth $30,000NZ and Joe public would look at it and think it was some try hard HSV want a be. Kinda like my RS2, I think most people would feel sorry for me driving along in my old Audi 80 wagon with a Porsche logo on the rear

[127 Gordo]

Have you considered he may be wanting to avoid contact about the car as he wants to avoid personal contact - some people are very private individuals, for whatever reason!
Smarten up your ideas and you may actually get somewhere.

[005 Mark]

Hi Nik,

I would intend to agree with you, however in all fairness to the owner, i have never met him and at this stage feel that i shouldn't judge someone i don't know. (You are more than likely right thou!)
It is easy for us cos we are all fans of these cars and we are more than happy to share all the details of our vehicles even thou some of us have them hidden away from the badies out there so they can't be traced.
I once apon a time spent many years with a mate from boarding school who's parents were very, very well off. I'm talking private helicopter, buying companies for $400, million, the latest Porsche and Merc's and a muti million dollar NZ award winning designer home in Parnell etc... I got to exprience and learn a lot about how these kind of people live in the same world we do. It is a lot differant to what you may think. They see things and live a life like your in a totally differant world completely. Maybe this is what the owner is like? Some of them don't even care if people like us are here. I guess we should just wait until i can find out more about him and then we can have a say. I try to accept people for who they are, not what they have or how they live etc... Cheers, Mark...

[152 Ashley F]

Whats the point of hiding the car and its details? Facts are its more than likely only worth $30,000NZ and Joe public would look at it and think it was some try hard HSV want a be. Kinda like my RS2, I think most people would feel sorry for me driving along in my old Audi 80 wagon with a Porsche logo on the rear

Lets not speculate on the cars value and what it may or may not look like to "Joe Public". You and I may not agree with keeping the car private and yes to us it doesn't make sense keeping the car away from people who are passionate about it and just long for a look but its his choice like it or not.

Food for thought
Ash

[026 Nik]

Whats the point of hiding the car and its details? Facts are its more than likely only worth $30,000NZ and Joe public would look at it and think it was some try hard HSV want a be. Kinda like my RS2, I think most people would feel sorry for me driving along in my old Audi 80 wagon with a Porsche logo on the rear

Lets not speculate on the cars value and what it may or may not look like to "Joe Public". You and I may not agree with keeping the car private and yes to us it doesn't make sense keeping the car away from people who are passionate about it and just long for a look but its his choice like it or not.

Food for thought
Ash

I see your point, dont get me wrong. From what I have read on this forum it doesnt sound like the owner of the LC would be much interested in this forum or anyother.
My guesstimate on value is done on values of tidy LC's in the UK with the current exchange rate, 15,000 pounds = around $30,000NZ.

[127 Gordo]

Hi Nik,

I would intend to agree with you, however in all fairness to the owner, i have never met him and at this stage feel that i shouldn't judge someone i don't know. (You are more than likely right thou!)
It is easy for us cos we are all fans of these cars and we are more than happy to share all the details of our vehicles even thou some of us have them hidden away from the badies out there so they can't be traced.
I once apon a time spent many years with a mate from boarding school who's parents were very, very well off. I'm talking private helicopter, buying companies for $400, million, the latest Porsche and Merc's and a muti million dollar NZ award winning designer home in Parnell etc... I got to exprience and learn a lot about how these kind of people live in the same world we do. It is a lot differant to what you may think. They see things and live a life like your in a totally differant world completely. Maybe this is what the owner is like? Some of them don't even care if people like us are here. I guess we should just wait until i can find out more about him and then we can have a say. I try to accept people for who they are, not what they have or how they live etc... Cheers, Mark...

That tends to be the attitude of "new money".
As a kid back in Scotland, we had many family friends who were VERY wealthy and/or members of the peerage and they were just like anyone else - some would drink in the local public bar with the workers and fishermen, whereas others were moving in different circles.
In '72, or thereabouts, we had a chap called Duncan, from Hamilton, staying (dad owned the local hotel and as my mother is a Kiwi, any kiwi travellers got sent round to our place as a matter of course) and he was taken out on the booze with the folks. A bunch of people came home with them after stopping at the local chippie. He was most surprised to learn he was washing up with Lord Thurso and Lady Painter and two of the others with the party were the Right Honourables' Victor and Caroline Grosvener - Victor being, IIRC, the grand nephew of the Duke of Bedford who was, at that time, the richest man in Britain. I should, perhaps, mention that Victor and Caroline were also upper class hippies and great fun.

Thing about 'old money' is they usually don't give a damn about appearances and putting on airs - they're at least as down to earth as anyone else.

Back to the chap in question - as I said earlier, his car - his call!

Then again, it could just be the old NZ snobbishness - my mother stayed down to earth but, when she returned to Gisborne - her old stomping ground, may of her old friends had turned into real snobs!

[028 Sean]

Would love to own one myself, however it would have to be in mint condition and only 20,000mls on the clock. Very rare to find that now days, but anything is possible

Got just the car for you Mark.....

http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/12134/stock.htm

but at $108,061.88 NZD, I think its a bit expensive mate!

[026 Nik]

Would love to own one myself, however it would have to be in mint condition and only 20,000mls on the clock. Very rare to find that now days, but anything is possible

Got just the car for you Mark.....

http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/12134/stock.htm

but at $108,061.88 NZD, I think its a bit expensive mate!

I think Id save myself a lot of money and buy this one and feel comfortable driving it since its done more miles.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1557581.htm

And at a quarter of the price of the 20,000 mile one.

[028 Sean]

But at just £11,950 Nik, you should be asking yourself whats wrong with it and what is the seller hiding at that price mate....

[026 Nik]

But at just £11,950 Nik, you should be asking yourself whats wrong with it and what is the seller hiding at that price mate....

Being at a dealer you would think that it would be in good nic.
All 3 LC's on Piston Heads are under £18,000.

[001 Neville]

Not pandering to the LC owner as I don't expect him to join, but I want to keep the forum respectable and readable by anyone who decides they would like to be a member. This Chat area is open to anyone to read, so please bear that in mind! The guy might also have friends who are Opel enthusiasts, and who read this forum/thread. I'm not interested in anyone causing offence through the OpelForum.

[005 Mark]

Got just the car for you Mark.....

http://dealerservices.autotrader.co.uk/12134/stock.htm

but at $108,061.88 NZD, I think its a bit expensive mate! [/quote]


Hi Sean,

Now thats more like it!! I would happily pay that for it as well as long as it was a real one. To find one like that now days is so rare?
Might contact the sellers and see if i can get some more pic's of it inside and out and details of it. Can't bring it into the country just yet, might have to wait for a bit. Thankyou for showing me the link. Cheers, Mark...

[001 Neville]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I quite like the more subtle tail spoiler on this Lotus Omega prototype than what appeared on the final cars and the race cars too - I presume the big fins do serve a practical purpose? ....

[021 Chad]

Dunno,
All I know is that i want one.
If I was filthy rich I would drive one daily and it would be perfect in every way

[020 Brad]

There is a difference between the Lotus Omega/Carlton and the Opel Omega EVO 500. The first has a body kit and spoiler that is designed to look pretty, while the EVO 500 is a Homologation special that is designed for function over form. It may not be pretty, but hopefully it worked. It is also adjustable in that it rised up from the boot, so you can lower it down to make its appearance a little more "tame".

I like them.