Hazel Chapman R.I.P.

[bystander]

Hazel Chapman, widow of Colin Chapman, has died aged 94.

https://media.lotuscars.com/en/news-arti...2021).html

[JonE]

sad. end of an era. I looked up her obit in the Eastern Daily Press and whilst doing that came across a blog from 2020 on her husband's death and the multitude of stories which unfolded around that. I didn't know whether that was a bit conspiriscist, or whether that was the feeling from that time, 40 years ago? Not wanting to denigrate the name, but would like to know more if anyone could suggest whether the following is obsolute bunkum. It is the web after all: https://tcct.com/news/2020/04/the-myster...the-lotus/

Let's hope that such sad events might still give some impetus to the discovery of the early Austin 7 based 'Lotus' car, if it still exists in some form.

[Bob Olive]

Very sad to hear of Hazel's demise, and I reckon she had a lot to put with with Colin's mercurial temperament and obvious ability, although I believe it was she (or her family?) who financed some of his earlier experimental works.
On that score, Forumistas may remember a Seven body, standing in a garden in Newbury which backs onto the Kennet and Avon canal spotted from a passing narrowboat during the lockdown. Lotus 3 used to reside somewhere very close by, if not in the same road.  By coincidence (?) the original HQ of the VSCC also was based here...

[Steve kay]

Whatever the ongoing theories and stories, are we sure that this is the place for the discussions to take place? What Chapman did based on Sevens was a very long time ago and I suggest a line should now be drawn under it.

[JonE]

Steve - quite agree about the business stuff, although surely a positive thing IS Bob's remembering the observation - and that that body might be investigated before the centenary? i.e. Early car development history deserves to be looked into, if it developed from a Seven? It can't be difficult to find a door to knock on after walking down a towpath.

[Chris Garner]

When I was involved, on behalf of the PWA7C, in the Bill Boddy reprint of his book " The Austin Seven " I was contacted by a gentleman who was a contemporary  of Chapman and who had photo albums full of images of him, Sevens and the like.
Sadly he has passed away and I am unable to established what happened to them and where his family are.