Low Mile Survivor: 1973 Lotus Elan
Is the Miata too big and reliable for your taste? Would you prefer to have a toolbag with you at all times and get to know the stereotype of English engineering? Do you want to have better steering than the McLaren F1? Then have I got the car for you, pop-up headlights and drop-top design included! The Elan was introduced in 1962 and was Lotus’s first car to use the fiberglass body and steel frame layout used in most of their cars. You can find this 1967 model here on eBay.
The seller provides a lot of images, but not a lot of information. There’s no word on if it runs, what works or what doesn’t work, or what the history of the car is. I’m sure if you were to contact the seller, they would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have, but it would still be nice to know ahead of time. Inside, the interior looks fantastic when you remember that it’s 54 years old, but the dashboard could use some resurfacing, and the wires under the dash look more like a rats’ nest than wiring. All that considered, both the glass and upholstery look good. Importantly, they don’t show the roof down, so that might need to be rebuilt.
Under the bonnet is a 1,558cc Lotus Twin Cam inline four-cylinder with dual Weber carburetors. Lotus said the engine produced 105, 108, or 115 horsepower, depending on the trim level and which source gave the power figure. Regardless of what it made when new, it probably doesn’t make that now. Engines lose power with time, and this looks like it was a well-loved little roadster. Lotus included a four-speed manual as standard equipment, and with how original this car looks, I’d be willing to bet that’s still fitted.
The frame and underpinnings are straight and relatively rust-free. The underbody pictures are super fun to look at; looking at all of the engineering choices they made. Lotus is first and foremost an engineering company, and the engineering of Lotus cars is a neverending rabbit hole. There’s a reason behind why they did everything they did, and the reason can usually be traced back to Colin Chapman’s mantra: “simplify, then add lightness.” Something that most modern car designers could stand to learn from.
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Comments
It’s located in Wylie,Texas.
A good Elan is one of the best cars
to drive ever made.
Wylie means only one thing – Arse Monkey’s friend Dennis.
winner, winner
Hmmm…this could be a great car with a great starting point, but I think I’m going to keep the 95 M-Spec instead. At least I know that (nearly all of the time) I don’t have to spend a weekend under the hood…unless I choose to…
Those battery terminals … *shudder*
“Mrs. Peel, we’re needed.”
https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m054hryHrx1qbblkzo1_500.jpg
This looks pretty complete and solid. Frame looks great so the body could be left on if the buyer likes. Parked since 1985? Will need all the usual stuff. Looks like it had a re-paint (I think) Top looks shrunken (they cannot get the second top bow in place). Still has it’s tonneau cover. Price is maybe just a tad high, but the sellers might well be reasonable.
This looks like a solid example of what is probably the most desirable Lotus production car. How come it is so much cheaper than a pile of rust and a title that says Lotus Cortina? Strange world.
size/room, adaptability, history, familiarity w/international public?
Bill D: the terminals are not a problem, just clean ’em all up and smear all parts with di-electric(sp?) grease.
Item location:
Wylie, Texas
Wow two Lotus in one day. At 6′ 2″ i doubt i would fit.
Many years ago, I had a ’66 Lotus Elan, Jim Clark special, coupe. I’ve owned a lot of cars. that was one of the most fun cars to drive. Although, give the moncoque chassis design, it was probably the most dangerous on the road, if you were “T-Boned.”
The car, that I had, would do zero to sixty in about six second and all of that in first gear. That’s not surprising, considering it doesn’t weigh much more that a full dress Harley, if that and had 115 hp. the gearing, in my car, was like a five speed with first gear missing. If you have big feet, the driver’s foot well is so small, it’s like a formula car.
The asking price at $19,800 might seem a little high. I sold my coupe in 1985 for twice what I paid for it, at $9,500, after doing some restoration. The last time, that I saw that same car sold, ten years ago, it for $35,500. However it was a special edition car.
When I bought it, I was driving it home. I stopped at a traffic light and realized that I had to look up at the driver of a 124 Fiat spider, that was sitting next to me. It was another of the cars, that I’ve owned, that I wish I hadn’t sold.