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2025 Winner
Nominated by : Simon Hodkin and 'Don Hasi'
"Long-time contributor to the Lotus Excel world, and to suppliers of new valves"
"He brought the tuning of the Excel to an extreme in his chosen way. His car and achievements as well the engine rebuilds are well known. And, he will be sadly missed. Such a straight honourable character. Gone to soon "
This is a posthumous award - more about Jerry's life and love of Lotus was published in Absolute Lotus Jan/Feb 2025 issue and the text is copied below. The award was presented to Diane Malloy, Jerry's wife.
Jerry Taylor was born in York in 1963 and educated at the same school as Guy Fawkes, although not at the same time. Combine this with his early career in the RAF where he learned to respect the individuals he worked with, regardless of national origin, beliefs or colour, and we might get an insight into why he railed against injustice, unfairness and inequality for the rest of his life.
Following his stint of service, he spent some time in London, mainly doing bar work and things on the fringes of the alternative music scene. Then he joined the railway, eventually moving to the North-East where he met his long-term partner Diane and moved in with her
Over the years, Jerry dabbled with other cars – he'd had MGs and an MX5 before the Excel (A100CRM, hence his online persona of "Mr Cool A") but it was joined by a green Elise S3 (EL10TUS) which was latterly replaced with a BMW Z4. The Excel, though, remained his passion and it was his goal to improve the performance to what he thought it should have been. That had to be done without replacing the 912 engine that was the Lotus heart. By the time he was finished, with the help of Lotusbits, Garry Kemp and others, it had become a 250bhp fuel-injected giant-killer, with RX8 seats and a few extra gauges in the cabin. Few of us will forget the epic battle between him and Pete Boole in the LS-engined Excel at the Croft meeting in 2013. Neither could gain on the other, being so evenly matched. Honour was satisfied.
He was a huge fan of MLOC's Lotus in the Peak Event and attended many times. Shaun Wapshare remembers a couple of incidents in particular :
"I first met Jerry in 2013 at a Lotus Excel weekend event. I arrived at the hotel we were staying in and parked next to him just as he was getting out of his car. His very first words to me in a big stern voice were, ‘ you can’t park there!’ Rather taken aback I asked ‘why?’ ‘Because your car is too nice and it’s making mine look bad!’ A faint smirk then appeared on his face and we shook hands. I didn’t know it at the time but it was the start of a great, albeit long distance friendship.
There was never a dull moment in the company of Jerry, so many funny moments and memories from the times we spent together, mostly at the annual ‘Lotus In The Peak’ events. One year I was following him on one of the early morning group runs, struggling to keep up with his highly tuned but sometimes temperamental Excel when, suddenly, he hit the brakes hard and pulled into a lay-by. Assuming he had a problem with his car, I pulled in behind him and so did the three or four other Excels behind me. He got out of his car, walked behind a hedge, returned about 30 seconds later, jumped back in his car and sped off. My wife and I looked at each other slightly bemused and sped off behind him. When we got to the breakfast stop I asked him what the problem was. ‘ I was dying for a leak’ he said. Still makes me laugh years later.
It is often said in the Lotus community it’s as much about the people you meet as the cars themselves. Without my Excel I never would have met Jerry. He was such a colourful, fun guy and I will be forever thankful for the great times we shared."
From Angus Marshall :
I first met Jerry not long after we'd both become Excel owners, but it's so long ago that I can't actually remember our first meeting. Safe to say, though, that over the 20 or so years that I've had my car, Jerry has always been somewhere in the background. In spite of looking like a stuntman for one of the hairy bikers (and he was a pretty enthusiastic and good cook too – even to the extent of making bread, charcuterie and bacon) he was, at heart, a true punk and petrolhead. Fiercely independent yet caring for his fellow humans and animals, he could be counted on for advice, help or just a good natured argument at any encounter, and he and Di were always game to turn out for any event with other Lotus enthusiasts. Even if they were late because they'd had to stop and re-attach a wheel that had overtaken them on the A1.
After retiring in 2022, he added a motorhome to the fleet with the intention of going touring with Di, and a few trips were completed successfully. Sadly, in June 2024, a mystery illness was diagnosed as cancer, and later in the year it was pronounced terminal. On October 11th 2024, Jerry finally allowed Di to make an honest man of him and passed away the following day, no doubt chuckling at putting one over on the taxman.
Apparently, he said to Di that he didn't think anyone would miss him. Well, for once I'm going to tell him he's wrong and he isn't going to argue (but I so wish he could). Jerry, mate, you touched more lives than you could possibly know. Your funeral was standing room only and the sky that day was the colour of your car. The world is poorer for your passing, and the Lotus and Excel part of it feels pretty empty right now.
A note from Diane :
I am both happy and sad to receive this award on Jerry’s behalf. Happy because it is a lovely tribute to Jerry and recognises some of his finest qualities. Sad, obviously, that Jerry isn’t here to see this and realise how much people thought of him and appreciated the help and support that he gave to the Lotus community who, in return, gave him so much pleasure and assistance with his beloved Lotus Excel. Loti B. He would, no doubt, have complained that he didn’t deserve the award but in reality he would have been both honoured and proud even though for all his confidence and big personality he’d have been quite shy to be in the limelight – no matter how well deserved.
I’d personally like to thank his Lotus friends for their help and support during this time and know that I have made some enduring friendships with whom I can reminisce about Jerry for years to come.
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