Lot details Registration No: HBL100D Chassis No: 265207 Mot Expiry: None
"The Elan remains the definitive small-bore sportscar, the standard by which all others have come to be measured" (Car & Driver magazine, December 1989).
Brainchild of Lotus design and development engineer Ron Hickman, the Elan was introduced at the 1962 Earls Court Motor Show. Based around a steel backbone chassis (a.k.a. the 'Chapman Bracket') clad with lightweight fibreglass reinforced plastic bodywork, it boasted such niceties as all-round independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, pop-up headlights and integral bumpers. The engine was clever too, mounting a Harry Mundy designed light alloy twin-cam cylinder head on a cheap, robust and readily available Ford 'Kent' bottom end, mated to a four-speed (later five-speed) manual gearbox. More than the sum of its parts, the diminutive Lotus redefined its class in terms of ride, handling and performance, thanks to Colin Chapman's superlative grasp of spring and damping rates resulting in a precise yet supple chassis.
This particular example has reportedly lain untouched in a garage for 10 years, and is presented as a non-running project that will need complete restoration. The engine looks to be of the correct and original type for a S2 car and the paint is apparently a factory hue. It seems complete, with the dashboard intact and the hard-to-find tail-lights still in place. With hardtop, stainless steel exhaust, oil cooler and triple-core radiator, this is likely a rewarding project for the keen home engineer.
PLEASE NOTE: The catalogue photograph of this vehicle was taken some time ago. The vehicle now has a dent on the hard top. An up-to-date photograph can be seen on our website.
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