Want some attention - guess which one gets it?

We're three guys that hang out together. We tend to go to car shows, vintage races, etc. usually driving in tandem and parking the three cars side by side.

If you're an attention getter then there is only one of these cars to be driving. Not just the events, but even more so if we park at a gas station, restaurant, etc. Consistently people tend to walk right past two of the cars to oogle at the third. Its no contest. Happens every single time.

The contenders are 72 Lotus Europa twin cam, 80 Triumph TR8 and 66 Porsche 911.

What one do you think gets the most attention.

europa. the back end is distinct

Has to be the Lotus. Its looks are unique.

i'm betting lotus.

All you guys get a cigar. Its actually fun to watch whenever we park the cars. People swarm the Lotus. The 911 gets some attention, but mostly only from Porschephiles and the TR8 more or less flies under the radar. It seems strange to see people gawking at the Lotus and then completely ignoring the other two cars.

Since any Lotus that actually runs has the scarcity rating of a live Unicorn, it should not be too surprising.

Have you considered that people are not actually falling over the Lotus, but rather tripping on the way to check out either of the other cars? It is kinda low.

I don't think I've EVER seen a Europa on the street. It would certainly get my attention first.

We always tell the Lotus owner in our group that the gawkers aren't saying to themselves "I want one of those cars" but instead are thinking "what is this goofy little thing"? He's got the twin weber Euro head so the little 1600cc engine also gets a lot of attention when the bonnet is up.

I been actually surprised that the 66 911 doesn't get as much love as the Lotus, but it must be because 911's are so common and many people can't/don't distinguish the classics from the newer ones.

When I was in high school in the early 1970s one of the teachers drove a Europa. It really stood out in the high school parking lot.

The Lotus looks exotic. The other two look like regular cars, so no surprise the Europa gets more attention.

I have a brown Lamborghini, but not a swoopy bodied one, so it often gets passed by as being something people can't quite place but don't see as anything terribly odd.

OTOH, my Jensen CV-8 has...distinctive styling and gets most attention because no one knows what the heck it is.

Here is another picture of one of my cars and two friends on a trek. Any guesses about attention division here?

Early TR's always get attention and the car on the right could get confused as a kit car based on the photo. I'm trying to figure out what the center car is? I'd almost say Marcos, but know its not. I'd have to do a walk around before I could decide.

Paint your Lambo in a Ferrari red and that might change everything.

In reply to TR8owner:

wsphon's profile indicates the middle car is his Fiberfab Jamacain, a kit car he built on MG underpinnings.

As for the Lambo, brown works for me and red isn't that much better.

I'll take mine in this color, thank you very much.

In my picture the other two cars are pretty interesting.

The TR is a TR-3 with TR-2 nose, and the car was split down the middle and widened a few inches and fitted to a TR-6 chassis with a 240SX engine and trans. It looks so right after looking at it awhile, that when you look at a regular TR-3 it looks skinny and narrow!

The other car is also a rare one - Panther J72.

The Jamaican looks better from the side.

TR8owner wrote: It seems strange to see people gawking at the Lotus and then completely ignoring the other two cars.

dont worry, I would gawk the E36 M3 out of all 3.

MadScientistMatt wrote: I don't think I've EVER seen a Europa on the street. It would certainly get my attention first.

Actually there was a Lotus Club in Louisville Ky for several years. They often had four or more Europas come out for events & I still know a couple of guys who have and drive them. Some still drive to the British Sports Car Club Bash here in Louisville every year. In fact the British Sports Car Club in Louisville is actually an expansion of the Lotus Club that was here first.

I put a deposit down on a JPS Europa from the dealer in Cincinnati. But the car arrived on Wednesday and the dealer got a cash buyer who paid over retail before I could come in as scheduled on Saturday. He didn't call me and tell me he sold my car. So when I drove another car up with a co-driver to bring it home, he tried to sell me a non-JPS Big Valve he already had in stock at way less than retail. The non-JPS Big Valve was almost the exact same car except for the JPS livery and the leather JPS liveried jacket that came with the car. But I was already so mad, I wouldn't consider it at any price.

Another friend of mine has a M3. I wouldn't call it an attention getter. Too young to be considered a vintage classic.