The Prisoner Lotus 7

[Phildaupho]

This was a project I could not resist. While hiking recently with a group we kept hearing what sounded like a bell dinging. It turned out it was one of the hiker’s cell-phones but I said it reminded me of the half-century-old TV series The Prisoner. One of the other hikers then told a story of how his wife had fallen in love with the Lotus 7 the main character in the show drove. My hiking friend told his wife way back then that he would buy her a Lotus 7 for her eightieth birthday; never thinking they would ever live that long as they were only thirty at the time. Well her eightieth birthday is the end of April and he had no Lotus 7 to give her or even one for her to have a ride. I just happened to have a 1/24 Tamiya Lotus 7 kit in my closet that I always planned to build a Prisoner version if I ever got around to it so this seemed like a perfect opportunity. This might also be the first model I have built directly out of the box for a very long time – just paint and glue.

The model is not an exact replica in that the real car had wheels that were used on  Elans and Europas. The only extra detail I added were the ignition wires, pinhead shifter and license plates.

I was very impressed with this kit, which of course should be expected with a Tamiya kit. It was extremely well engineered in that the front suspension went together virtually without glue and it is poseable.

[Miatatom]

Great job! I've got The Prisoner on dvd. Loved that show.

[Phildaupho]

Thanks Tom. Yes The Prisoner was a very far out show for its time as were many other British productions and they all had cool cars in them.

[Dave B]

Great build Phil, I too loved The Prisoner (Patrick McNee by memory). Hope she appreciates the thought!!

Dave B

[peekay]

Very nice!

[SfanGoch]

2 hours ago, Bantoft said:

(Patrick McNee by memory)

Patrick Macnee was in "The Avengers"

 

Astoria, NY-born Patrick McGoohan starred in "The Prisoner".

 

Great looking Lotus 7, Phil. 

['70 Grande]

A fantastic build; there's so much to like about it! The fact that it'll become a promise-filling gift makes the whole story even better! Funny how the headlights showing in that 1:1 head-on shot look more like chrome-plated 1/24 kit parts!

[64Comet404]

6 minutes ago, '70 Grande said:

A fantastic build; there's so much to like about it! The fact that it'll become a promise-filling gift makes the whole story even better! Funny how the headlights showing in that 1:1 head-on shot look more like chrome-plated 1/24 kit parts!

The light is reflecting off the mesh stone guards over the headlights. 

I built a replica of the Lotus 7 years ago, and it is a fabulous kit. I even had a set of the Elan wheels (from Mini Exotics, IIRC), but I couldn't figure out how to properly mount them on to the model. Techniques and skills have definitely improved in the decades since then.

[GLMFAA1]

I hope it is the photo and not a pink interior,  Great build, always a ACBC fan. In my youth I had a an old VW chassis that I wanted to build into a rear engine Lotus 7.

greg

 

[Phildaupho]

6 hours ago, Bantoft said:

Great build Phil, I too loved The Prisoner (Patrick McNee by memory). Hope she appreciates the thought!!

Dave B

Thanks David - I am looking forward to her reaction. Joe is correct, the star was Patrick McGoohan.

5 hours ago, peekay said:

Very nice!

Thanks Peter

4 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

Patrick Macnee was in "The Avengers"

 

 

Astoria, NY-born Patrick McGoohan starred in "The Prisoner".

 

 

Great looking Lotus 7, Phil. 

Thanks Joe. Was not aware Patrick was US born. There are so many British born actors these days on US TV shows who have no accents - like Canadians !!

1 hour ago, '70 Grande said:

A fantastic build; there's so much to like about it! The fact that it'll become a promise-filling gift makes the whole story even better! Funny how the headlights showing in that 1:1 head-on shot look more like chrome-plated 1/24 kit parts!

Thanks Mark

54 minutes ago, 64Comet404 said:

The light is reflecting off the mesh stone guards over the headlights. 

I built a replica of the Lotus 7 years ago, and it is a fabulous kit. I even had a set of the Elan wheels (from Mini Exotics, IIRC), but I couldn't figure out how to properly mount them on to the model. Techniques and skills have definitely improved in the decades since then.

Thanks Ken - I have the Gunze Elan kit but did not want to rob that kit.

52 minutes ago, GLMFAA1 said:

I hope it is the photo and not a pink interior,  Great build, always a ACBC fan. In my youth I had a an old VW chassis that I wanted to build into a rear engine Lotus 7.

greg

 

Thanks Greg - Yes the interior is red. I have never had much success photographing red models.

[89AKurt]

Nicely done!  So cool we can build models for friends, I've done it, great satisfaction.  Now I have a movie to watch, never have seen it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Nice job, nice story.

That show was where I fell in love with those things too.

One of the 5 stupidest things I ever did was sell mine. 

[Classicgas]

Well done.

[thatz4u]

Lotus 7 driven by Number 6....

[Phildaupho]

39 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Nice job, nice story.

That show was where I fell in love with those things too.

One of the 5 stupidest things I ever did was sell mine. 

Thanks Bill - At least you once had one.

19 minutes ago, Classicgas said:

Well done.

Thanks Lee

14 minutes ago, thatz4u said:

Lotus 7 driven by Number 6....

Thanks Al - I have forgotten most of the details of the show but see there are episodes on YouTube which I am going to check out.