CLASSICS CHATTER AUCTION UPDATES: elan

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Thursday, 20 February 2020

1963 LOTUS ELAN S3 COUPE - SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS Race Retro Sale Saturday 22nd February 2020 Warwickshire Exhibition Centre Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LG

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FEATURED AUCTION

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Race Retro Sale

Saturday 22nd February 2020

Warwickshire Exhibition Centre

Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LG

1963 LOTUS ELAN S3 COUPE

Chassis number:

36/7749

# of cylinders:

Transmission:

Manual

Engine capacity:

1588

Body colour:

Blue

LHD/RHD:

Right-hand Drive

Registration number:

VPA 182F

Engine number:

LP11551LBA

Interior colour:

Black

Odometer Reading:

19934

miles

Only three owners and remarkably less than 20,000 miles
Smartly finished in French Blue with a classic black interior
Mechanically recommissioned in 2002 after 30 years in storage
Further refreshed in 2015 prior to our vendor's purchase
This little Lotus has many more years of enjoyment to offer

The Series 3 Fixed Head Coupe arrived in 1965 and, in line with Lotus' intention to move upmarket and justify an increase in prices, fit and finish had been improved over the earlier Elans and the Coupe sported a considerably smarter dashboard. The new S3 further benefited from revised windows with frames to reduce cabin noise and of course, the windows were now electrically operated. Powerful, light in weight and endowed with exceptional handling, the Elan proved an immense commercial success for Lotus, slightly fewer than 9,000 being produced by the time production ceased in 1973.

This S3 was purchased new by a Mr David Penney of Dorking as a kit from Lotus agent, Gemini Cars, and built by the engineers at Walker Racing. After circa 19,850 miles had been covered, the car was placed in heated storage, remaining there for 30-or-so years before being re-commissioned around 2002. The tyres, brakes, shock absorbers, exhaust system and suspension donuts were replaced at this time. Mr Penney subsequently sold the Elan in 2005 through the Bonhams Beaulieu auction where it was acquired by its second owner and added to his large collection of British cars. Prior to that sale, it had benefitted from a light refresh including the carburettors, brake callipers, master cylinder, clutch reservoir, flexible hoses, and front suspension bushes. Some ten years later in 2015, the Elan was acquired by our vendor and once again appears to have been used lightly, now with an indicated mileage of 19,934 (atoc). Later knock-on drilled wheels and a metal-sprayed exhaust system are the only listed modifications from factory specification. It remains smartly finished in Lotus French Blue with a black interior and bronze carpets and is supplied with its purchase invoice, and all bills for subsequent work, the owners' handbook, and a very short list of owners.

Quite rightly, the Lotus Elan is today regarded as one of the finest British sports cars of all time and the S3 Coupe is arguably the most beautiful of all the early Elans. It seems to us that this little Lotus has been asleep too long and is now ready for the next chapter in its life

SOURCE: https://silverstoneauctions.com/events/2020-auctions/race-retro-classic-competition-car-sale-2020/race-retro-classic-competition-car-sale-2020/classic-cars-saturday-22nd-february-2020/1968-lotus-elan-s3-coupe-type-36

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1972 LOTUS ELAN SPRINT FHC - SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS Race Retro Sale Saturday 22nd February 2020 Warwickshire Exhibition Centre Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LG

SELECTED BY THE SQUIRREL

I'm NUTS ABOUT CLASSICS

FEATURED AUCTION

SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS

Race Retro Sale

Saturday 22nd February 2020

Warwickshire Exhibition Centre

Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2LG

1972 LOTUS ELAN SPRINT FHC

Chassis number:

72120607E

# of cylinders:

Transmission:

Manual

Engine capacity:

1558

Body colour:

Tawny over White

LHD/RHD:

Right-hand Drive

Registration number:

DRA 571L

Engine number:

N28348

Interior colour:

Black

Superbly restored, matching number, late-production genuine Sprint
Striking in the rarely seen Sprint livery of Tawny Metallic over Cirrus White
The 1558cc twin-cam has been overhauled and balanced. Unleaded head
Fitted with an alternator and deep core radiator otherwise factory original
Comprehensive service history from new and MOTs from 1976
Original handbook, numerous invoices, old tax discs and photographs

The 1971 Elan Sprint was essentially based on the Series 4 Elan bodyshell and was primarily designed to rekindle demand and improve the performance of the nine-year-old sports car. Conceived by Lotus Sales Director, Graham Arnold, the Sprint's most notable feature was the horizontally-split two-tone paintwork echoing the livery of the Gold Leaf Team Lotus Formula 1 cars. Meanwhile providing the 'go, to match the show' a new big-valve cylinder head with high-lift cams and a raised compression ratio, the work of Engineering Director Tony Rudd, provided a 25% increase in power to 126bhp. The drivetrain was suitably toughened and braced and the front callipers were redesigned to cope with the increased performance.

The car presented here is a genuine home-market FHC Sprint model that was first registered in 1972 and is particularly striking in the more rarely seen Sprint livery of Tawny Metallic over Cirrus White. Supplied new by Lotus dealer J A Else & Son, it's one of the last registered Elan Sprints and has been confirmed by Lotus as the 59th from the last Sprint ever built. It's simply beautiful with correct matching numbers and has been lovingly and meticulously restored which included a new genuine galvanised Lotus chassis. The bodywork was taken back to the gel coat and great attention was given to achieving perfect panel alignment, particularly the doors before it was superbly repainted in its original colours. In 2015, the engine was overhauled and balanced and the cylinder head was converted to run on unleaded petrol. With a few notable exceptions such as an upgrade to an alternator and a deep core radiator, the Elan retains its factory originality and is possibly one of the finest examples on the market today. It's supplied with a fantastic service history dating back to the Elan’s first free service back in September 1973 when the car had done 564 miles and there are 30 older MOT Certificates including the very first one from March 1976. The comprehensive history file contains the original handbook, numerous invoices, old tax discs and photographs.

There is no doubt that DRA 571L has received more than its share of care and attention and continues to look crisp and fresh. We understand that it's as agile and eager as a Sprint should be and imagine that Mr Chapman, whose signature is etched into the steering wheel, would be proud that his inspired creation is as desirable now as the day it rolled out of Hethel all those years ago.

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Friday, 28 September 2018

1964 LOTUS ELAN 1600 SERIES I - SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS Saturday 29th September 2018 Dallas Burston Polo Ground Stoneythorpe Estate, Southam, CV47 2DL, Warwickshire

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SILVERSTONE AUCTIONS

Saturday 29th September 2018

Dallas Burston Polo Ground

Stoneythorpe Estate, Southam, CV47 2DL, Warwickshire

1964 LOTUS ELAN 1600 SERIES I

Registration: ARU 331B

Chassis Number: 263742

Engine Number: Not Specified

Number of cylinders: 4

CC: 1558

Year of Manufacture: 1964

RHD/LHD: Right Hand Drive

Estimate (£): 36,000 - 40,000

(+buyer's premium of 15% including VAT @ 20%)

An early and desirable Series I Elan Drophead Coupé
Approximately only 680kgs and fitted with a DOHC 1558cc engine
Restored sympathetically by people who know what they are doing
Supplied with a new MoT, a UK V5c, and a file of invoices

The original Lotus Elan (Type 26), was first introduced in 1962 as a roadster and replaced the elegant, but unreliable and costly to produce Lotus Elite. It was the first Lotus road car to use a steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass body and in the early days, Elans were also available in kit form for home assembly but predictably that didn't last long. As is often the way, the Elan evolved through a number of iterations before manufacture ceased in 1973. These developments mainly concerned comfort and civility but all through its life the essence of the Elan didn't change. A technologically advanced DOHC development of Ford's proven ‘Kent' engine, bored out to 1558cc (commonly known as the Twin-Cam) provided the propulsion, whilst cutting-edge features such as all-round disc brakes, fully independent suspension and nimble rack and pinion steering provided agility and handling that was simply amazing compared to the opposition.

Colin Chapman proudly announced in the launch literature that "We wanted to build you a fun car.."; a brief he achieved with vigour thanks to the fact that his unequalled talent for vehicle set-up was never more prevalent than in the Elan's handling. Exciting paintwork colours were introduced such as Carnival Red, Pistachio Lime Green and the delectable Lotus Yellow and the Elan became the 'Darling' of the High Street in the mid-sixties.

Offered here is a rare and beautiful example of a Series I Lotus Elan drophead coupe, first registered on the 7th July 1964. Our vendor, a chartered surveyor by profession, discovered this car in 2014 in a barn on one of his site visits and, after some negotiations, persuaded the previous owner to part with this very early car. It had been languishing for some time and consequently needed a comprehensive restoration. Our vendor has been involved in motorsport in his spare time for many years and had experience of the abilities of the team at Startline Services so they were entrusted with returning the Elan to life.

The car was totally dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up using as much of the original as possible and refurbishing components where necessary. Every Elan needs a new chassis at some point and that was obviously the place to start with new parts being sourced from the usual Lotus specialists, including Paul Matty and Mick Miller Lotus. The engine was removed and sent to Owlesbury Crankshaft Services where the cylinder block was rebored and the crank reground. Once back at Startline Services, it was re-assembled with a new clutch and installed back into the chassis. The GRP body was carefully repaired, with particular attention being paid to those areas where Series 1 cars are known to 'stretch', and was then treated to a full respray in Lotus Yellow. Apart from the door cards, the car's trim had survived well and was re-installed. The wooden dashboard was totally restored at considerable cost and now looks fabulous. The front and rear suspension and brakes were rebuilt and the car was finally put back on the road. Our vendor had been keen to keep the Elan looking as original as possible and one of the best things about the Elan is that nearly everything is available from specialists with Paul Matty, in particular, retaining a huge quantity of new /old stock for these delightful little cars.

Supplied with a UK V5c and a new MoT prior to the sale, this lovely early Elan is exactly what the doctor ordered – an iconic British Classic looking just as Mr Chapman intended.