Lot details Registration No: 1482 PH Chassis No: 26/0070 Mot Expiry: July 2011
"The Elan remains the definitive small-bore sportscar, the standard by which all others have come to be measured." (Car & Driver magazine, December 1989)
The brainchild of Lotus design and development engineer Ron Hickman, the original Lotus Elan was introduced at the 1962 Earls Court Motor Show as a replacement for the beautiful but unreliable Elite. It was based around a steel backbone chassis (a.k.a. the 'Chapman Bracket') and clad with lightweight glassfibre reinforced plastic bodywork. The suspension was by unequal length wishbones at the front and wide-based wishbones and Chapman Struts at the rear. It boasted four-wheel Girling disc brakes and responsive rack and pinion steering sourced from the Triumph Vitesse.
The engine was clever too and comprised a Harry Mundy-designed light-alloy DOHC cylinder head mounted on Ford's proven 1498cc (later 1558cc) four-cylinder 'Kent' bottom end. This in turn was mated to a four-speed (later five-speed) manual Ford gearbox leading to Ford differential. The early cars could either be ordered complete or in kit form at a reduced price and were only available as two-seater Dropheads, with or without hard top. With the S3 version of 1965 came such welcome refinements as electric windows and the option of a Fixed Head Coupe.
Far more than the sum of its parts, the diminutive and featherweight (1,500 lb) Lotus redefined its class in terms of ride, handling and performance. As Colin Chapman proved time and again, the clue to such good performance is as much about lightness as raw power and, while many cars have offered more ultimate speed than the Elan, few have matched its agility and levels of driver satisfaction. By the time the production of the Elan and Elan +2 ceased in 1975, some 17,000 examples had been sold. The model proved to be a major commercial success for the company, directly helping it to progress its international racing programme.
The S1 Elan offered is a right-hand drive, factory built, 1558cc-engined car that was first registered on June 1st 1963. It is finished in red with a black vinyl interior. '1482 PH' has been in its current ownership since 1979 and is now ready for a new home.
PLEASE NOTE: This vehicle has a current MOT expiring July 2011.
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