LOTUS
ELAN
One of the lightest, fastest-for-its-size and
finest “road-clingers” of all time
HANDLES LIKE NOTHING ELSE CAN
The Lotus Elan is considered by many to be the quintessential sports car of the 1960s. Developed in 1962 as a successor the Type 14 Elite, the Elan offered a potent mix of curvaceous bodywork and race-inspired driving dynamics. Demonstrating the company’s history of pioneering technologies and engineering methods the ultra-light construction was bolstered by a 1,558cc dohc engine, and independent four-wheel suspension.
PURE DRIVING PASSION
The Elan featured a ground-breaking steel backbone chassis, supporting an all-new sleek aerodynamic glass reinforced composite body.
PERFORMANCE THROUGH DESIGN
The Elan was designed by Lotus Design legends Ron Hickman and John Frayling. Truly ahead of its time, the Elan was constructed around a steel backbone chassis, with the glass reinforced body fitting snugly over the on top. This meant the whole car was strong, stiff, lightweight – the ideal requirements for a high-performance sports car.
IN GOOD COMPANY
The high-powered engine and lightweight construction made the Elan a true supercar of its time, outclassing almost any contemporary car in terms of speed, acceleration, handling, and road holding. A pale blue Elan was famously driven by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in the 1960s British television show “The Avengers”. Other notable owners have included Lotus F1 driver and twice F1 World Champion Jim Clark, actors Peter Sellers and Paul Newman.
DESTINED FOR THE TRACK
The engine and drivetrain were mounted between the front fork arms. Sourced from Ford components, the 1,558 cc "Lotus Twin-cam" engine could generate up to 108bhp, for an impressive top speed of 181kph and a 0-100kph time of 9 seconds. True to Chapman’s engineering philosophy, the early Elan weighed in at just 550kg.
The quickest Elan was the Elan Sprint which accelerated to 100 kph in just over 6.2 seconds which at the time was record for a production car on sale in the UK.
YOU TOO CAN BUILD YOUR OWN ELAN
Despite its huge technical achievements, great care was taken to keep costs low for drivers. The Elan was a major commercial success for Lotus and its sales helped fund the company’s racing division for its initial 13-year production run. Price-savvy drivers could initially purchase the Elan in disassembled kit form for home assembly. The final builds were inspected by Lotus free of charge, with the component kit costing just £1,095.
AN ICONIC LEGACY
Heralded as one of the greatest sports cars of the 1960s, the Lotus Elan name was revived in 1989 with an updated front-wheel drive model designated the Type 100. This would be christened the Elan M100.
ELAN STATISTICS
Lotus Type No: 26
Year of production 1962-1964
Volume 848
Engine 1,499 cc to 1,558 cc Twin-cam, 4-cylinder
Power output 100bhp
Transmission 4-speed
Weight 549kg
Lotus Type No: 26
Year of production 1964-1966
Volume Approx. 1,205
Engine 1,558cc Twin-cam, 4-cylinder
Power output 105bhp
Transmission 4-speed
Weight 567kg
Lotus Type No: 36
Year of production 1965-1968
Volume Approx. 1,200
Engine 1,558cc Twin-cam, 4-cylinder
Power output 105bhp
Transmission 4-speed
Weight 689kg
Lotus Type No: 45
Year of production 1968-1973
Volume Approx. 3,000
Engine 1,558cc Twin-cam, 4-cylinder
Power output 115bhp
Transmission 4-speed
Weight 711kg
SPECIAL
EDITIONS