Post by rcollum on Aug 28, 2021 12:48:15 GMT -5
Arnie Johnson, who held various high positions within Lotus Cars USA for the last 50 years, has passed. He started working for the East Coast Lotus distributor in the 1960's. In the 1970's, he moved to Lotus Cars USA, where he became head of Service and Parts. Even when he became head of Lotus Cars USA, he had as many hats as anyone - doing his Corporate job during the day, and changing into coveralls after hours, to work on cars. When a batch of Lotus cars came in problems, Arnie and crew would work to get them operational. If you had a Lotus from the 70's, 80's, or 90's, Arnie might have been personally responsible for getting it sorted out. Arnie personally rebuilt the transmission for the Esprit of a friend of mine.
In 1987, I did not know Arnie, but I got his phone number from my Lotus dealer. I called Arnie, and asked how I could get a tour of the Lotus factory on my trip to England. He arranged for me to get a tour of the factory from a Lotus director. He didn't know me, but he recognized that I was a passionate Lotus fan. (Try that with your Ferrari or Porsche dealer!)
Over the years, at annual Lotus Owners Gatherings (LOGs), I got to know Arnie. Even if you have never heard of him, we owe him a great debt. To convince Lotus that the US could be a great market for the Elise/Exige, Arnie arranged to have a Celica GTS engine and transmission shipped to the UK, to show that the Elise and Exige could be fairly easily federalized. If you drive an Elise, Exige, or Evora, Arnie made your car possible!
In 2005, when the first Federal Elises arrived in the US, someone had bumper stickers printed up that said, 'Thanks, Arnie!' A fitting tribute to the guy who did so much bring Lotus back to life in the U.S.
--Bob Collum
In 1987, I did not know Arnie, but I got his phone number from my Lotus dealer. I called Arnie, and asked how I could get a tour of the Lotus factory on my trip to England. He arranged for me to get a tour of the factory from a Lotus director. He didn't know me, but he recognized that I was a passionate Lotus fan. (Try that with your Ferrari or Porsche dealer!)
Over the years, at annual Lotus Owners Gatherings (LOGs), I got to know Arnie. Even if you have never heard of him, we owe him a great debt. To convince Lotus that the US could be a great market for the Elise/Exige, Arnie arranged to have a Celica GTS engine and transmission shipped to the UK, to show that the Elise and Exige could be fairly easily federalized. If you drive an Elise, Exige, or Evora, Arnie made your car possible!
In 2005, when the first Federal Elises arrived in the US, someone had bumper stickers printed up that said, 'Thanks, Arnie!' A fitting tribute to the guy who did so much bring Lotus back to life in the U.S.
--Bob Collum