Vehicle Description
1971 Lotus Elan Plus 2 -1.6L 4 Cylinder -4 Speed Manual -45k Miles
-New interior (Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1971
Lotus Elan Plus 2 on a site other than GarageKeptMotors.com, it's
possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this
vehicle due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you
access all the more than 160 photographs, including a short
walk-around-and-startup video, please go to our main website:
GarageKeptMotors.) The Elan very simply represents the sports car
developed in tune with the state of the art. It comes closer than
anything else on the market to providing a Formula car for ordinary
street use. Car and Driver, January 1970 In a May 2010 Autoweek
article entitled The family Lotus, the magazine chronicled the
development of the Elan Plus 2: Of the first cars produced by Colin
Chapman's company, Lotus, most were racers, and only a few were
sports cars. Two of those, the Seven (1957-70) and the Elan
(1962-73), became motoring icons. Yet, it was the Elan Plus 2
variant introduced in 1967, which made up nearly a third of all
Elans sold, remains largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic.
Built on an extended version of the little Elan's innovative
backbone chassis, the Plus 2 was 315 pounds heavier than its
smaller sibling while utilizing the same 118-hp Lotus Ford twin-cam
engine. Still, the Elan Plus 2 was lively enough, with a
0-to-60-mph time of 8.5 seconds and a 120-mph top speed. While its
roomier cabin, extra seats and larger trunk broadened its appeal,
the car's svelte, sexy styling made the Elan Plus 2 stand out. You
can see all that stand out quality in the 1971 Lotus Elan Plus 2
offered here. This very-low-mileage example (just 45,000 miles) has
been mildly refreshed in a manner appropriate for what is truly a
classic automobile. The car's exterior paint has been
professionally refreshed with a deep red, almost burgundy metallic
re-spray. The color is period-appropriate and is particularly
handsome across the car's entire body. Badging and emblems have
been removed enhancing appreciation of the car's styling. From the
front-hinged, off-center-scoop hood, through the pop-up headlights,
across the smooth flanks and the sloping roof, to the bobbed rear
end, the paint is free of damage or signs of wear or fading. Steel
wheels feature knock-off hubs and are mounted with Michelin
Defender radial tires. The Elan's interior is rendered in black,
and has recently been refreshed. Bucket seat ventilated
upholstery-including on the rear plus 2 seats-is in excellent
condition with only the driver's seat cushion showing a small hole.
Door trim is complete with some fading of the carpeted lower
surfaces. The headliner is intact and not drooping. The original,
Lotus-branded steering wheel is in place and frames what can only
be described as a beautifully classic, driver-centric, British
dashboard adorned with chrome-trimmed Smiths gauges, a host of
rocker switches, brightly colored warning lights, and a flat,
burled-wood surface across its entire width. The shifter knob on
the floor-mounted shifter is rendered in walnut with the 4-speed
shift pattern shown on an inlaid, forged metal button. Black
carpeting completes the car's cabin. The original Lotus Works data
tag showing the unit number and the engine number is properly
mounted and legible. The trunk is tidy and includes the spare tire
mounted on a matching wheel. Under the hood, the Lotus-Ford
1.6-liter, 4-cylinder, double overhead-camshaft engine is
exceptionally clean and orderly. (Listening to the engine's exhaust
note by way of the video available at the GarageKeptMotors site is
pure audio entertainment.) Twin, side-mounted carburetors feed
fuel. A replacement, custom aluminum radiator has been added. All
other components are properly mounted. Viewed from underneath, the
car's chassis-including independent-suspension components-show no
significant rust. The car's undercarriage is remarka
