Jan Olesen
<jan@janolesen.com>
1968 S3 SB2345
Denmark

I used to build and fly small experimental airplanes but the financial-, time- and personal cost could simply not justify the 25-35 hours of thrill per year. So I needed a small aircraft that I could build and fly from my small single garage and small backyard in Copenhagen, Denmark. The obvious choice: A Lotus Seven!

I wasn't a purist so I would have settled for an old cheap Caterham, however due to huge (200%) import tax a Caterham was not an option, it however turned out that there is a tax loophole for cars more than 35 years old.

So the hunt was on for a real Seven, after 6 months I was in luck I found a really nice S3 in England and imported it to Denmark spring of 2006. Later it has become more and more clear to me that I was more of a purist that I expected, I get happy in the moments where I find small original details that reveal that the car has a soul.

The car was in the UK all its life until spring, 2006.

I think I have the full owner history of the car:
First Registration on 24-10-1968 as SUE 173G to D. P. Stonehouse, Castle Bromwich
Changed owner on ???????????? to Terence John Adams, Sussex
Changed owner on 01-10-1972 to John Deaycott, Hertfordshire
Changed owner on 16-08-1973 to Maxwell George Webber, Hertfordshire.
The car was black and cost 795£ according to invoice
Changed owner around 1981 to Keith Sturge, Hertford
Changed owner on 17-03-2005 to John Rees, Hertford
Changed owner on 02-05-2006 to Jan Olesen, Denmark

The previous two owners Keith Sturge and John Rees are keen classic racers. SB2345 has been raced and is race prepared with a hi-spec dry sumped Xflow approx 145hp. I have not tried to contact any of the previous owners yet, I simply don't know how to contact them, but I guess that I could try to send a oldschool snail mail to them, since I have the addresses :-)

The car had the registration SUE173G from birth to I exported it from UK, now it is called YD 56955. SUE173G reg was apparently worth money in the UK so it was sold off on eBay and was not a part of my purchase. Originally I didn't like the colour scheme, however it grew on me and now I have absolutely no intension of changing it.

Above are some pictures that show SB2345 in action. I've been so busy flying the car around the small roads that I completely have forgotten to take some nice pictures of it! I will take some this summer and post them, that’s for sure!