Vehicle Description
The original Elan was introduced in 1962 as a roadster, although an
optional hardtop was offered in 1963 and a coup� version in 1965.
The two-seat Lotus Elan replaced the elegant, but unreliable and
expensive to produce, Lotus Elite. It was the first Lotus road car
to use the, now famous, steel backbone sub-frame with a fibreglass
body. The Elan embodied the Colin Chapman minimum weight design
philosophy. It was technologically advanced with a Lotus-Ford
twin-cam, 1558cc engine, four-wheel disc brakes and four-wheel
independent suspension. The Elan +2 was introduced in 1967 with a
longer wheelbase and two more rear seats. It was a fast and agile
sporting coup� with very elegant lines. It combined the performance
and reliability of the Elan Coup� with genuine 2+2 passenger
comfort. With less than 1200 of these cars on the roads today,
their relative rarity, beautiful lines, impressive performance and
practicality are the main factors for the rising interest in these
cars among collectors. This 1969 registered Lotus Elan was
originally manufactured as a coup� and was modified to a
convertible using a Christopher Neil conversion kit. Lotus
aficionados will be aware Christopher Neil is a name synonymous
with the marque with exceptional knowledge and experience. Having
been restored and completed in June 2000, it has been greatly
enjoyed. It is described by the vendor as �putting a smile on your
face' when driven. The restoration included a new chassis and sills
together with a bare Gel-coat respray. Mechanically, everything was
taken care of at the time with a full engine rebuild, new brakes
and wiring loom. The 1557cc engine started immediately when
requested and we are advised XWW 50G drives with no known faults.
It is supplied with a V5C registration document together with an
MoT test certificate valid until 12th December 2017and a history
folder. An interesting Elan and one that offers loads of fun for a
relatively modest outlay. For sale by auction on Saturday 23
September 2017 with Historics at Brooklands, Brooklands Motor
Racing Circuit, Weybridge, Surrey, Call 01753 639170
