Lotus Carlton ‘40 RA’: public enemy number one
Thanks to some fettling by Lotus Carlton specialist Agamemnon, the reborn 40 RA is now in excellent shape.
The engine starts with a gruff snarl at our rendez-vous, just south of Birmingham.
It’s almost 30 years to the day since the original 40 RA was fished out of the canal in Knowle, 20 miles away, on 14 January 1994.
“It’s one of the cases that’s etched into my memory because of the interest and the fascination that surrounded it,” remembers Brian, who retired from the police in 1999.
Just 949 Lotus-tweaked Vauxhall Carltons and Omegas were built
“Every morning we would arrive at work and everyone would be asking if the car had been seen,” he recalls.
“It would have stood out on its own, but with 40 RA on it? Now come on, that’s cheeky.”
We are joined today by an ex-West Mercia Constabulary Rover SD1 3500[1], fresh from a 12-month rebuild (see below).
This 1984 car would have been long in the tooth by the time 40 RA was being pursued across the Midlands; instead, young guns such as the BMW[2] 3 Series and Vauxhall Senator had joined the chase.
The Lotus Carlton has no driver aids, so caution must be exercised
Brian hops into the Carlton with Richard and son Rob Austin to get a taste of what he was up against.
“The car is such an advanced piece of kit and we didn’t have the technology to handle it,” says Brian.
But times change, and the gang would stand little chance against today’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.
Thankfully, the 40 RA numberplate is no longer associated with its murky past, so we don’t need to worry about getting into trouble on the heavily monitored M5 motorway.
The fabled 40 RA numberplate on Richard’s Lotus Carlton
This is the Central Motorway Police Group’s stomping ground, where even its V8-powered Range Rovers[3] were easily outgunned by 40 RA in 1994.
West Mercia Police fleet manager David Newbold and vehicle technician Jamie Willis follow in the SD1.
We stick to 60mph because the aged Rover’s twin SU carbs are in need of a rebuild.
It might not be a fair fight, but 40 RA – with its 24-valve ‘six’ fed by Rochester fuel injection – would run rings around it.
The Lotus Carlton was as adept at baiting the cops as it was Lamborghini Diablos
The Carlton’s ZF ’box, borrowed from the Chevrolet[4] Corvette ZR-1, required Lotus engineers to cut a new place for the gearlever.
You don’t need to trouble it much, though, because there’s plenty of power throughout the range, even before the turbos spool up.
The limited-slip differential and trick suspension help keep things in check.
Even so, with no traction control to watch over you, it’s a surprise the gang was never caught – both red-handed and red-faced.
Lotus Carlton 40 RA back at the scene of the crime
We peel off the motorway and head into Rubery.
Parked outside Gills News, formerly Supercigs, the Lotus and Rover pair gets a lot of attention.
A passer-by asks: “Is that the one that was stolen?” Another poses for a photo next to the fabled Carlton.
It must have caused a fair few headaches at Vauxhall PR at the time, but 40 RA now forms a big part of the Lotus Carlton legacy.
The original may be long gone, but it’s clear that the legend lives on.
Images: Max Edleston
Thanks to: West Mercia Police[5]; Blue Light Vehicle Preservation Group[6]; The Vernon in Hanbury[7]; BBC Midlands Today
West Mercia Police’s Rover SD1
West Mercia Police instigated this Rover SD1’s rebuild
B197 FUY first joined the West Mercia Constabulary fleet in 1984 (before its name changed to West Mercia Police in 2009).
The V8-powered Rover SD1 worked as a motorway patrol and driver-training car in the Midlands.
When fleet manager Dave Newbold joined the force in 2013, he was surprised to see an ’80s Rover[8] still on the system.
“At the time there was a mileage replacement criteria of 120,000,” he says, “but the car had only done 106,000 miles, so it was never going to reach that.”
There’s no mistaking this ex-West Mercia Constabulary Rover for a standard SD1
“We made the decision that we couldn’t keep it on the fleet – it was far too old to be used operationally again,” he continues.
“We donated it to the Police Vehicle Enthusiasts’ Club[9].”
The Rover was in need of some work, but a lack of both time and funds got in the way.
Dave met club secretary Alan Matthews at the NEC Classic Motor Show[10] a few years later and a plan was hatched to return the car to West Mercia Police’s workshop.
‘The Rover SD1 is as good as new, including its bucket-sized blue light and ear-drum-busting air horns’
“I jumped in the recovery truck in the early hours one morning and drove to South Wales to pick it up,” he recalls.
“We were surprised to discover that it was still as solid as a rock.”
The SD1 became a low-cost, after-hours project for the team, who replaced the suspension bushes, mended the exhaust, refurbished the fuel tank and undersealed the chassis.
Now the car is as good as new, including its bucket-sized blue light and ear-drum-busting air horns.
“Our local bodyshop, the Autocraft Accident Repair Centre in Telford, did all the repairs on it for nothing,” says Dave.
Similarly, Lakeside Group applied a fresh West Mercia Police livery at no cost.
Today, B197 FUY isn’t used for chasing down baddies, but you might spot it at a car show or a community engagement event.
Factfile
Lotus Carlton
- Sold/number built 1989-’92/949 (including 663 Lotus Omegas)
- Construction steel monocoque
- Engine iron-block, alloy-head, dohc 3615cc 24-valve straight-six, twin intercooled Garrett turbochargers, Rochester fuel injection
- Max power 377bhp @ 5500rpm
- Max torque 419lb ft @ 4200rpm
- Transmission six-speed manual, RWD via LSD
- Suspension independent, at front by MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar rear multi-link, semi-trailing arms, progressive-rate coil springs, self-levelling; twin-tube dampers f/r
- Steering power-assisted recirculating ball
- Brakes dual-circuit vented discs, with servo and GM-Bosch ABS
- Length 15ft 7½in (4763mm)
- Width 6ft 4in (1930mm)
- Height 4ft 8½in (1435mm)
- Wheelbase 8ft 11½in (2730mm)
- Weight 3726lb (1690kg)
- Mpg 23
- 0-60mph 5.2 secs
- Top speed 176mph
- Price new £48,000
- Price now £90,000*
*Price correct at date of original publication
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Ryan Standen
Ryan Standen is Classic & Sports Car’s Editorial Assistant
