The Lotus-Library is a part of the Auto-Archives: Automotive & Motor Sport Library and Research Centre. A non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization.
The Lotus-Library is part of the Auto-Archives Library & Research Centre housed within the 1500 sq.ft. offices of leading automotive publisher Coterie Press in Littleton, Colorado. Auto-Archives is open to all automotive journalists, car clubs, researchers and fans, to view the collection, research the archive, or simply ‘hang-out’ with like minded people.
The Archive currently has access to the following material, with all items either owned by Auto-Archives or, on permanent loan. All photographic images held in the archive are held under license with full copyright agreement from the copyright holder. We plan to become one of the major collections of automobile related material in the world.
- 19,659 UK Magazines
- 29,783 USA Magazines
- 4,684 Worldwide Magazines
- 6,178 Club Magazines
- 1,729 Race Event Programs
- 1,346 Race Media/Press Packs
- 1,562 Car Brochures & Press Releases
- 279 Auction Catalogs
- 164 Vehicle Workshop Manuals
- 7,653 Automotive Books
- 359 Scale Models
- 198 Automotive & Motor Racing Posters
- 172 Original Autographed items
The Photographic Library holds well over 80,000 images from the photographic archives of Peter Darley, Ian Catt and William Taylor, along with the Motor Racing collections of Classic Team Lotus, Coterie Press and the Polygon Gulf Collection.
- 5,230 Peter Darley Archive
- 22,640 Ian Catt Collection
- 37,400 William Taylor
- 5,250 Classic Team Lotus
- 2,100 Polygon Gulf Collection
- 6,850 Coterie Press
Auto-Archives has some funds available to purchase collections for the archive, but of course depend on donations from automobile collectors and enthusiasts throughout the world. Any material donated will be ascribed to the company or individual making the donation. If requested, the name of the donor will be kept confidential. Auto-Archives are actively seeking additional documentation to enrich the collection, including rare and interesting reference books, periodicals, programs, prints, films, and posters. We are especially interested in manuscript items such as drivers’ diaries; the research notes of motor racing journalists; club, sanctioning body, corporate, and team records; scrapbooks; and other unique items that express the passion of the people who have shaped the Automotive and Motorsport world.
If you have any automotive related materials, or know of any individuals or companies that may have items that they would like to donate, please contact us. If you know of any collections or photographic archives that may be available for purchase, again, please contact us. Period photographs are the most accurate record of vintage automobile and racing history, and, if properly archived, provide the most valuable part of any library. Please help us save this area of automotive history that is all too quickly being lost forever.
All materials given to Auto-Archives are recorded, cataloged and entered into a database as soon as they are received. This database will be available to reference on-line at the Auto-Archives website (www.auto-archives.org). All donations of either automotive related items, or cash, are of course tax deductible with the IRS. Items donated to Auto-Archives that duplicate items already in the collection will be available to outside individuals or other collections for sale or trade. Duplicate material will also form part of our ‘Mobile Archive’ that will travel to race meetings and car shows. We hope to work with other automobile related archives to help us all expand our collections.
William Taylor
President: Auto-Archives