For Sale at Auction: 1969 Lotus Elan Plus 2 Convertible in Weybridge,

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