Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Chassis No: See Text
Mot Expiry: N/A

"So we arrived at Brands Hatch one miserable, damp, morning and unloaded the car. Roger Manning was given strict instructions to take it easy and just bed in the car. Perhaps he didn't hear or maybe wasn't listening, because he immediately started lapping very quickly and ignored two signals to pit. When eventually he came into the pits he claimed not to have noticed the pit boards, and that anyway the car was fine. When told he had done 53.6 and equalled the lap record, he just could not believe it because it had been so easy. Unfortunately it was several months before this time was matched again." (Brian Hampsheir recalling the Elden MK14's track debut) Confronted by ever dwindling grid lists during the 1972 UK season, Volkswagen determined to entice a third constructor into its Formula Super Vee single-seater series. Entering into negotiation with Elden (no doubt impressed by the Kent concern's successful Formula Ford designs) it duly agreed terms and was rewarded when the prototype MK14 appeared some twelve weeks later. Intended for series production, the racer's tubs were to be supplied by GP Metalcraft, while its glassfibre bodywork was to come from John Gillmaster. In the end just eight MK14s were built. The first car was allocated to Mark Litchfield (whose business partner Roger Manning had helped with the test programme), the second one to Brian Venn and the remaining six to dealers in the USA and Germany. Supplied to Californian Freddy Philips by Dick Cooney, a MK14 succeeded in winning the North American Run Offs two years in a row. Following recent e-mail correspondence with Brian Hampsheir to whom we are indebted for his generous assistance, it seems that this MK14 may well be the ex-Venn car. However, this supposition has yet to be confirmed. Dry stored for a number of years, it appears scruffy but complete. Powered by a dry-sumped 1600cc VW flat-four engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox with remote change, it is somewhat unusual in retaining its original nosecone badge. Equipped with fully independent suspension and disc brakes, it represents a potentially inexpensive entry into historic motorsport.

PLEASE NOTE: We have been informed by Brian Hampsheir (who with his brother Peter founded the Elden Marque) that this car is an Elden MK 14 Super Vee and that its quoted chassis number is erroneous/non sensical.