Lotus Elan became an instant hit when it was launched at the Earls Court show in London in October 1962. The driving characteristics was superior over the present competition and it was a very fast car by the standards of the time: 0-100 km/h took 8 seconds, top speed was 190 km/h.
”A formula car for ordinary street use” was the verdict from Car & Driver. ”It’s almost a drug”, concluded Road & Track.
This Lotus Elan, currently for sale at Bilweb Auctions, was sold new in Sweden in August 1967 and has stayed in the country since then. The present owner purchased the car in 1986 and the odometer shows only 75 150 kilometers, a figure that is considered to be correct. The car received a new paint in 1989 in the original color Carnival Red and it is still in a very good condition. The wheels are of the ”knock-on, centre-lock” type, which was a period accessory for the Elan.
The original seats are still in the car, mainly unaffected by the 56 years of use, but equipped with four-point safety belts from Sparco for increased safety. The original condition of this Elan creates a connection back to the Swinging Sixties in a very inviting way.
The Lotus Elan belong to the crème de la crème of British sports cars and has obtained a high octane cult status, especially in the UK, but there are plentiful of Elan aficionados all over the world.
The simple design of the car, with nearly all parts being readily replaceable, makes it well suited for the collector market. New chassis, bodies and drive train components are all available. There are numerous suppliers of Elan parts and restoration services, worldwide. Conveniently, the fiberglass body is immune to rust.
Under the hood resides a 1.6 litre inline four with a Ford heritage, but tuned by Lotus with double overhead camshafts and twin Webers. The result was 116 horse power in a car weighing less then 700 kilos.
Just recently Silverstone Auctions sold no less than seven restored Lotus Elans, all with an interesting provenance. The star was the low mileage 1966 car used in the tv series ”The Avengers” from the 1960s and then owned by the actress Diana Rigg. It finished at 146 000 GBP. A model year 1969, formerly owned by Formula One star Jochen Rindt, was sold for 58 000 GBP.
The Elan at the current Bilweb Auction listing, closing on 16 March, is estimated at between 330 000 SEK and 360 000 SEK.
