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“It is not cheap, but to anyone contemplating buying a cheaper two-seater sports car, I would sell the television set, the washing machine, give up smoking, even give up drinking, but scrimp and save and buy an Elan and you won't be disappointed.” Denis Jenkinson
OK, steady on DJS, we love an Elan more than most (in fact they might well be in our ‘Top 1’ list) but there are some things... Also, have you seen what laundrettes charge these days?
Unfortunately, today selling your television set and washing machine won’t make much of a dent in the cost of a half decent Elan but at least modern taxes on smoking and drinking will help even more than they did back in the ‘forty-a-day’ days. The point Jenks was making is just as valid now as it was then.
Maturing from race car maker to fully fledged Road Car Manufacturer was never going to be easy for Lotus and while the firecracker Seven was a staple of the enthusiast, making a decent return on such a relatively low-priced machine was always going to be hard and it became more a way of keeping the race car mechanics busy (and paid) in the off-season. With the gorgeous Mark 14 Elite, Lotus, to a degree, cracked the ‘up’ part of the market and the innovative GT sold well enough. The trouble was that as the selling price went up, much to Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s satisfaction, the manufacturing costs went up even more and while turnover jumped dramatically, profits took a nosedive.
What was needed was a premium product that did away with the costly manufacturing process involved in producing the fibreglass monocoque and race derived engine of the Elite. Committed to the ‘egg shell’ concept but with the market demanding an open car, Ron Hickman and his engineering workmates (sorry about that) struggled to find a solution and while pencils were being chewed in the design office, a test rig for the running gear of the proposed roadster was needed. For expediencies sake, the development guys fashioned a simple, steel backbone chassis and went testing. So impressive were the structural stiffness results and dynamic performance of the mule that the two-seater open cockpit monocoque holy grail was quietly shelved; the backbone chassis was clearly the way forward and destined to remain the basic building block for all Lotus road cars for the next thirty-five years.
With the structural integrity taken care of by the immensely strong chassis, the lightweight body was just something to keep the weather out and to give the occupants somewhere to sit. Simplicity was the name of the game with pure lines unsullied by overt decoration and though the Elan was always going to struggle to match the exquisite beauty of its Elite predecessor, it came respectably close.
Under the fiberglass skin sat a technically advanced package of mechanical goodies worthy of a company founded on engineering excellence who were about to go on a run of Formula 1 success that yielded seven Constructors Titles. Independent suspension all round, a twin overhead cam engine and four-wheel disc brakes were the highlights and made for an alluring machine that while not exactly cheap, was affordable to the dedicated enthusiast - particularly if they were prepared to take DSJ’s advice and a more parsimonious stance regarding other, less important, fripperies.
The whole package made for what is consistently held up as a consummate drivers’ car of unparalleled ability giving unadulterated motoring pleasure which can count amongst its fans, F1 and "F1" car designer extraordinaire Gordon Murray and the Mazda Motor Corporation…
When launched in 1962 the Elan took the two-seater sports car beloved of the dashing young blades of the time to a whole new level. Rule books were torn up, re-written or generally ignored as new standards for performance, road holding, ride and handling were achieved by the ground-breaking technical tour de force from Cheshunt.
Subsequently Lotus’ policy of continual development (even if this was sometimes carried out by their customers) paid dividends and by the time the fourth series arrived in 1968, many of the early car’s “idiosyncrasies” had been consigned to history. Weight gain was kept to a minimum due to a better understanding of where the fiberglass body could be made lighter, while stronger running gear and more luxurious trim all meant the Series Four is considered by many to be the cream of the Elan crop. That’s the S4 selected then, now the choice is open or closed? We wouldn’t deny top down motoring has its pleasures but let’s be honest, how often do you see a drop head with its roof actually dropped? - this is the UK for goodness sake. Add in the fact that coupés are almost always better looking (see E-Type Jaguar/MGB GT) as well as providing a considerable upgrade in civilisation levels and a fixed roof variant looks pretty appealing.
This particular Series 4 fixed head left the Hethel Factory in 1969 finished in ‘L 04’, or Cirrus White for those not fully conversant with Lotus’ paint codes. It was registered to its first (and only previous) owner on 23rd May of that year. Within a series of chassis numbers documented as Special Equipment models, it still sports most of the defining S.E. features such as knock-on wheels, a tubular exhaust manifold, sill mounted trim strips, indicator repeaters and a brake servo; the rear wing badges and wheel ‘rimbelishers’ that were also part of the SE package may have been deleted or gone missing over the last fifty-three years. The original owner retained the Elan for over thirty years before selling it to its second and only other private owner, a now retired mechanic who has recently found hip and knee operations have taken their toll on his enjoyment of the Lotus. During his tenure, he maintained the Lotus himself and we understand he fitted the replacement chassis and rebuilt the engine to ‘Big Valve’ specification.
It never ceases to amaze us just how tiny Elans are in the flesh and this example doesn’t disappoint, looking for all the world like a three-quarter scale model of a modern two-seater sports car; delicate, dainty and achingly pretty. We have also always rather liked them in white, quite possibly due to John Miles’ road test of an S4 FHC in Autocar Magazine we read and re-read back in the day.
The Elan’s body is in very good condition being straight and true with (by Lotus standards) good panel fit. Even the notorious passenger door’s lower trailing edge is passably flush with the surrounding body; rumour has it that some moulds were better than others in this respect so one can assume this is one of the lucky ones. There is no evidence of accident damage or that bane of fibreglass cars, crazing in the gel coat.
For the most part the paintwork is very presentable with a good shine though there is some micro-blistering evident in a few areas. There is also the odd chip as shown in the photo gallery though the correctly finished sills (satin black as opposed to body colour) indicate that the paint was applied by someone with a good understanding of refinishing Elans.
With painted fiberglass bumpers there is not a lot of brightwork on a two-seater Elan and what there is is in good to average condition. There is some pitting to the door handles plus a small amount present on the fuel filler while the side window frames are in good order with just a few blemishes. The ‘Tex’ bullet door mirror has some light pitting to its base as do the rear lights and boot hinges. The aluminium door aperture trims and ‘plasti-chrome’ strip between body and front bumper are in good shape and it is good to see this is properly affixed, sandwiched in place without resorting to screws.
The front windscreen is a zone-tinted example while the rear has a heater element though each has a small area of minor delamination as shown in the photo gallery. The plastic light lenses are all in good order.
The wheels are finished in a slightly matt off-white paint but aside from a small dent to the outer rim of the off-side front (which looks as though it could easily be dressed back into shape), they are in good condition. New spinners have just been fitted and the quality Firestone tyres in the correct 155/80 profile have generous amounts of tread remaining.
Generally, the interior is in nice order with the seats so good it is possible they have been retrimmed, albeit in the correct basketweave pattern. The headlining is in good condition with no rips or major discolouration and the carpets are free from significant wear. The correct round wooden gear knob is in place, complete with Lotus logo and an aftermarket, smaller diameter steering wheel has been fitted along with inertia reel seatbelts. The dashboard is in fair condition though the lacquer is lifting in a couple of places and the lower trim pieces are missing. There is no radio currently fitted but installing one or a blanking plate would be a quick, high reward win in our view. The electric windows were having a day off when we inspected the car and will need some sort of attention. In the boot the carpet is not showing any major wear but the binding is coming adrift on one edge. A new battery has just been fitted and a cut-off switch is a useful safety and security measure. The tyre-less spare wheel under the boot board requires refurbishment.
The engine bay is pretty much as Factory and is honestly presented with no attempt to overly-detail it. The twin Dellorto carburettors sport a Magard linkage and ITG foam air filter. The correct ‘single Lotus logo’ cam cover is a lightweight (i.e. no paint) version. The brake servo and air horns are present and correct, nestling in the nose in-front of the radiator.
With a couple of dabs of the throttle, the Elan starts readily, aided by an electric fuel pump mounted in the boot which circumvents the need for extended cranking of the engine which is often required with the standard mechanical pump set up. Initially a little lumpy at idle the ‘Big Valve’ engine soon clears its throat and runs very sweetly with oil pressure showing at an impressive 60 PSI when cold suggesting it might well be fitted with a high-pressure pump. A lovely, fruity exhaust note emanates from the twin stainless steel back boxes. Though some brake servos can give a little too much assistance, this is not the case here and the pedal is beautifully weighted and full of feel, aided no doubt by the Aeroquip lines fitted throughout the system. This is complimented by a smooth and progressive throttle, (the Magard linkage proving its worth) and short throw but light clutch. Rare for an Elan, the handbrake is highly effective.
Up on the lift the Spydercars chassis looks to be in excellent, well protected order as do the tubular front wishbones; both are considered worthwhile modifications from the Factory items that were perhaps built down to a price. The Rotoflex couplings look to be in good shape with no evidence of cracking much less splitting and everything is well protected in water repellent spray. Conscientious maintenance is evidenced by the apparently recent bushes and well-greased trunnions. The exhaust system is a Double S stainless item from the manifold back to the twin rear boxes and looks to be in good condition while the engine, gearbox and differential all seem to be free from significant leaks.
The documents on file include the current V5C confirming the Elan’s ‘Historic’ status, just one former keeper and its only change of ownership in April 2001. There is also a selection bills but with the last owner working on the Lotus himself, these are mostly for parts from the likes of Mick Miller, some of which relate to resealing of the sump earlier this year and replacement of the water pump in 2021. There is also an invoice from Anderson Race Engines who rebuilt and set up the carburettors in 2014. There are also a number of old MOT test certificates dating back to 2014.
Apparently spot on mechanically and more than presentable cosmetically there is much to like about this Elan; replaced chassis, twin 40s and what feels like Sprint levels of performance plus a great colour to boot, it may be time to sell those domestic appliances and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
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