The Oliver Winterbottom Diaries

For the by few months, Oliver Winterbottom has been keeping a diary detailing the proceedings surrounding the release of his autobiography A Life inward auto Design. In this 3rd instalment, nosotros induce got a await dorsum at July. If you lot induce got missed the previous posts, you lot tin dismiss choose handgrip of upwards alongside May and June here.

2 July – Party at ex-Lotus Peter Riches (Chief Technical Officer, TOCA), sign his book.

Patrick Peel (CEO East Anglian Air Ambulance) plans to purchase one.

3 July – Siân at Veloce sends the June reviews of the book. thevirtualdriver.com correctly spots my wrong (for 40+ years) spelling of Giugiaro, simply totally incorrect, says Sylvia Kimberley was his sister, non his wife. Mike was amused in addition to and then spotted he had spelt his mention wrong!

6 July – From Alan at Club Lotus: "We've sold v copes hence far, which is pretty skillful for us, equally nosotros know many members volition read well-nigh the mass inward Club Lotus News, in addition to and then purchase it at a discounted cost elsewhere."

8 July – Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 telephone telephone yell upwards to my room at Chesford Grange is Chris Harris, ex-Lotus, who has arrived 'on spec' from Donington; he lives in addition to industrial plant inward Paris! Brought mass which I sign. Wonderful surprise.

9 July – TVR Big Bad Wedge Fest at Chesford Grange. Sign well-nigh sixteen books, in addition to become 1 in addition to sign for Martin Lilley, by possessor of TVR company.

17 July – Message from Mark Webb, TVR Weekend organiser: "I'm looking frontward to about character fourth dimension to initiatory of all reading your book, a friend called me the other twenty-four lx minutes menstruum in addition to said he was 3 quarters of the means through it in addition to loving it … He said it's quite funny inward places, in addition to I thought, well, it would hold upwards … Oliver does induce got a skillful feel of humour."

Siân from Veloce sends message that Jon Burgess, editor of Classic Car Buyer, would similar a chat. I e-mail him that, beingness a flake deaf, delight e-mail me.

19 July – My sister's Norwich fiscal advisor, Ian Dilks, has mass in addition to would similar it signed!

21 July – Visited Clive Chapman at Classic Team Lotus. Presented a book, which I induce got signed using Colin Chapman's propelling pencil, which he yet has. This was quite moving. I induce got seen many really accurate freehand drawings done alongside that pencil. Clive is interested inward stocking the mass on his website. I contact Emma at Veloce to enquire for them to contact Clive.

24 July – Daughters in addition to Pat come upwards to dinner at Queens Head. Anne brings her neighbours mass for signature – about other 1 sold!

25 July – Emma from Veloce responds in addition to includes the 'dropship' process, where Clive could sell the mass from Veloce, avoiding stock problems.

26 July – I contact Ketts Books, Wymondham, RE the September 10 Vintage Day. I induce got agreed to attend. Emailed them alongside 'dropship' idea, in addition to offering to render a mass 'on loan' for prospective client examination.

28 July – Receive e-mail from Tom Smith, possessor of Prototype Lotus M90/X100. Says that ReMarque, the magazine for Lotus Ltd USA, has published a mass review similar to the Amazon one. Await copy. He has seat the image on sale, bespeak cost $114,000 (£86,741).