1965 Beach Mk4B Sports Racer s/n 102A

Tentative Identification - I believe this is the unnumbered Mk4B kit shipped to Lotus Southwest in June 1965. I have assigned it serial #102A since the ship date is between 102 and 103. 

shipped 6/65 Lotus Southwest TX - - kit without engine
1965-68

James Hahn

Dallas

Ford 105E

??

pearl white - RHD
"Sunova Beach" "Sharp Special"
1969-??? ???? probably to FL ? ? probably  this abandoned car

It was raced by Jim Hahn as the "Sunova Beach" and "Sharp Special" in HSR class in 1966-67 at least. It may have later been abandoned in Florida and found by Glenn Diemond.

Race History - Jim Hahn
8/6/66? Austin Nationals - 4th
10/1/66 Tulsa Nationals (War Bonnet) - 4th
3/4/67? Mansfield, LA Nationals - 3rd
6/3/67 Green Valley Nationals - 4th

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Jim Hahn in his Mk4B "Sunova Beach".  Photo taken by Don Gwynne at Green Valley probably in October 1966.

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Jim Hahn
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Jim Hahn - "Ford Powered Sunova Beach"
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Jim Hahn
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Jim Hahn
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Jim Hahn's patch
Photos from Robert Stephenson - His father George Stephenson helped Jim Hahn build his car and crewed for him 1966-68. Robert writes "Jim and his wife Marj moved to England in the early 60's, and returned to Texas in 1963-64 with a Lotus Seven. Jim ran the Seven in some events, then pulled the engine, a Ford Anglia 105E, and put it into a Cooper formula car for a season or two.  Then he got the Beach, and the engine went into that platform.  I remember my father saying the engine had been destroked, I suppose to fit the class Jim ran.  One race at Green Valley, Dick Smothers stopped by to visit with Jim about the Beach - it was a pretty little car.....Jim and Marj moved to Florida for a few years; I guess he sold the car before they moved.  In Florida he got into Formula Vee..."

Diemond Mystery Car - Probably Jim Hahn's car

Glen Diemond found this car in a vacant lot in Florida about 20 years ago.  This definitely looks like an early Mk4B front and rear body and parts of the frame are certainly Beach. It has an early-style portal frame. It is RHD but does not have the later instrument pod. Many features match the Jim Hahn car - fuel tank filler location, RHD, no instrument pod, early portal frame instrument panel, layout of footwell braces, Mk4B style midsection & doors, etc. The full-width roll hoop was obviously added later.

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