The Date on the picture.

[Ian Wegg]

It was just a part of the Avengers entry that I hadn't heard before, and thought I'd see if anyone had heard the same. It sounded unlikely to me, but one never knows.

FWIW, I hadn't heard it either. This dealer website http://www.mikeabbasclassiccars.co.uk/Carhistory.htm claims to have handled the car at some point.

A comprehensive article on Avengers' vehicles by "Tony O'Grady"* was published in issue #8 of Time Screen in December 1986. It doesn't mention what happened to the car but does say that Diana Rigg's personal transport was a standard Mini. It also, incidentally, claims that "powder blue" was the official Lotus colour code designation.

~iw

(*Tony O'Grady was a pseudonym used by Brian Clemens in the 50's and 60's).

[Timeless A-Peel]

It was just a part of the Avengers entry that I hadn't heard before, and thought I'd see if anyone had heard the same. It sounded unlikely to me, but one never knows.

FWIW, I hadn't heard it either. This dealer website http://www.mikeabbasclassiccars.co.uk/Carhistory.htm claims to have handled the car at some point.

A comprehensive article on Avengers' vehicles by "Tony O'Grady"* was published in issue #8 of Time Screen in December 1986. It doesn't mention what happened to the car but does say that Diana Rigg's personal transport was a standard Mini. It also, incidentally, claims that "powder blue" was the official Lotus colour code designation.

~iw

(*Tony O'Grady was a pseudonym used by Brian Clemens in the 50's and 60's).

I wonder how many pseudonyms Brian Clemens has had over the years? It's a wonder he manages to keep track of them all.

If Diana was quite happy with her Mini, it's quite possible she would have shifted the Lotus as soon as she got it. If the information in the link you gave is accurate, it doesn't eliminate it as a possibility--there's no mention of the source of the sale. I rather like the idea that they may have given it to her as a sort of goodwill gesture, but we'll probably never know for certain.

[dissolute]

It also, incidentally, claims that "powder blue" was the official Lotus colour code designation.

Incorrectly, of course - Brian is a great revisionist (if it were he).
I have a Lotus colour chart from the era somewhere, and nowhere does it mention "powder blue". I'll see if I can find it to prove the point.

[dissolute]

Hmm, I've found mention that says "Glacier Blue", which seems the best match for Mrs Peel's car, wasn't in production use until 1972 or 1973. However, the official 1967 colour chart doesn't have any metallic paints at all, so she may have had a special finish done.

Here's the 1967 colour chart - only contender is "Wedgewood Blue" - Emma's Lotus might have been in a pearlescent version of this.

[Dandy Forsdyke]

A rudimentary search says that Lotus did a French Blue "prior to October 1967 - October 1970".

[dissolute]

Yep, but French Blue is much too dark to be the colour used for SJH 499D

[dissolute]

Actually, this obliquely answers the question about the colour of Series Four's HNK 99C - It would almost certainly have been Cirrus White, as it's the only light colour - even Wedgewood Blue would appear too grey in b/w footage.