The Poor Mans Lotus is Still A Lotus
Many people say to get into the lotus ethos, buy an MX5 Miata but the lotus Elite/Eclat may be the better way in
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The Twin-Cam Cult: Why One Engine Still Matters
The Lotus–Ford twin-cam was never the most powerful engine of its era. Sixty years on, it remains one of the most instructive — a lesson in doing the obvious thing exceptionally well.
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7 piecesA Field Guide to the Carburettor
Fuel injection won, and rightly so. But understanding the carburettor — a device that meters fuel using nothing but moving air and clever holes — is still the fastest way to understand an engine.
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Restoring an E-Type's Monocoque: A Study in Patience
Beneath that famous shape is a monocoque tub that rewards honesty and punishes shortcuts. Notes from a rebuild measured in millimetres and months.
ReadThe Awkward Physics of the Swing Axle
Simple, cheap, and quietly treacherous. The swing axle is a masterclass in how a sensible-looking engineering decision can hide a nasty surprise at the limit.
ReadSpheres of Genius: The Citroën DS Suspension
In 1955 Citroën launched a car that rode on nitrogen and oil and seemed to come from a different decade. The hydropneumatic system was strange, complicated, and almost entirely right.
ReadPatina or Perfection? The Quiet Argument in Every Workshop
Restore it to better-than-new, or preserve every honest scar? The debate over patina is really a debate about what a car is for — and who it belongs to.
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7 articles- The Poor Mans Lotus is Still A Lotus Deep Dive
- The Twin-Cam Cult: Why One Engine Still Matters Engineering
- A Field Guide to the Carburettor Engineering
- Restoring an E-Type's Monocoque: A Study in Patience Restoration
- The Awkward Physics of the Swing Axle Engineering
- Spheres of Genius: The Citroën DS Suspension Engineering
- Patina or Perfection? The Quiet Argument in Every Workshop Culture
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© A photo of S. E. Parker
About
Notes from the workshop floor
Motarchive is written and edited by S. E. Parker — A strong interest in cars, pre-war to modern led to the creation of Motarchive. Having been exposed to cars as a young child, a fondness grew for anything 4-wheeled particularly the beauty in the function.
The journal began as a notebook: somewhere to document my own thoughts on select cars with a fresh insight on to the more technical side. Many blogs show cars as just objects of beauty, with this project I continue to show the beauty behind the body and the history of how they came to be.
When not writing, Parker is either looking for the next project, working on a current one, or photographing cars, nature or just something that catches the eye.
— S. E. Parker, Editor
A new piece, now and then.
Once a month or less, a tailored breakdown of whats new on the site with some minor personal reflection.