And that's about it for 1999, it's time to fast forward to the 21st Century if you want to see how it all turned out.
It was only when I was going through the old website files when I realised those few pages covered over 10 years of "living with a Lotus."
And there's so much missed out - the leaking radiators, petrol tanks shedding 4 star all over the boot, and of course there was shopping in there at the time. Headlamps drooping at night just when you put your foot hard down, these are "features".
Petrol pumps blocking with silt, acceleration jets not squirting when they should, the speedo angle drive falling off the gearbox and thrashing itself to bits under the car on the end of the cable while I wondered why the speedo had suddenly stopped working and "what's that funny noise ?"
Using the car for work, tripping between Huddersfield and Runcorn with never a thought that Lotty would throw hissy fits or leave us stranded.
And actually, she never did.
Oh yes, we did have a few memorable spanner sessions at the roadside, we both baled out very quickly the time smoke started pouring from under the bonnet and I'll never forget unloading a frame tent from the boot in the darkening night to re-fix the exhaust.
We call such things "character".
And Lotty usually sorted herself out and got us home.
Eventually.
