Lotus Elan

From Swinging Sixties icon to motorsport legend: the story of the Lotus Elan.

The Lotus Elan perfectly captured the spirit of the Swinging Sixties. Light, agile and brilliantly engineered around the groundbreaking Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine, it evolved between 1963 and 1968 from the simple Series 1 roadster to the refined Series 4 convertible, amid factory moves, Team Lotus victories, Formula 1 World Championships and the landmark JPS sponsorship era. In 1967, it was joined by the elegant four-seat Plus 2, as Colin Chapman elevated the Lotus brand into the world of sophisticated Grand Tourers. The Elan name returned briefly in 1989 with the Isuzu-powered, front-wheel-drive M100. Including more than 250 photographs, many of them previously unpublished, Lotus Elan – The Complete Story features:

• A Foreword by Lotus stalwart, collector and racer, Malcolm Ricketts
• Comprehensive histories and technical specifications of all Elan variants, from Series 1–4 to Sprint, Shapecraft and 26R race versions
• Insights from designer Ron Hickman and leading Lotus figures including Fred Bushell, Mike Kimberley, Warren King, John Miles, Jackie Oliver, Tony Thompson and Noel Stanbury
• Exclusive on-track photography from international events, including Spa Six Hours, Nürburgring OldTimer, Porto Historic Grand Prix, and Rallye Monte Carlo Historique
• Ownership insights and buying advice from marque connoisseur Guy Munday

When the Elan was unveiled at the 1962 Earls Court Motor Show, Lotus was approaching the height of its international racing success. The new car perfectly reflected that winning momentum. Beneath its beautiful, understated, yet purposeful shape lay Lotus’s finely tuned, race-bred suspension that ensured exemplary handling. Uniquely, the Elan was powered by Lotus’ own Ford-based Twin Cam engine – an advanced unit that was also featured in the Lotus Cortina and Europa, among others. Constructed around a steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass body, the Elan’s front-engine, rear-drive layout made it a finely balanced sports car. In the guise of the 26R competition version, the Elan continues to be an exciting frontrunner in motorsport worldwide.

Designated Lotus Type numbers 26, 35 and 50, the original Elan was in production for 12 years. With full-on JPS sponsorship funding the company’s racing activities and buoyant road car sales, the marque’s future seemed assured, and the upmarket Plus 2 model was launched in 1967. This proved the harbinger of yet more upscale Grand Touring models, which displaced the Elan, until the name was revived between 1989 and 1995 for the M100 version, which in turn was superseded in 1996 by the enduring Elise range.