Lotus Elan - World Of Classic Cars -

Lotus Elan S3 Convertible 1966

The original Lotus Elan was introduced in 1962 as a roadster, although an optional hardtop was offered in 1963 and a coupé version in 1965. The two-seat Elan replaced the elegant but unreliable and expensive to produce Lotus Elite. It was the first Lotus road car to use the now famous steel backbone chassis with a fibreglass body. At 1500lb, the Elan embodied the Colin Chapman minimum weight design philosophy. It was technologically advanced with a twin-cam 1558cc engine, four-wheel disc brakes, and four-wheel independent suspension. The Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine was based on Ford's Pre-Crossflow four-cylinder 1500cc engine with a Lotus-inspired Cosworth alloy twin-cam head. This Lotus-Ford four-cylinder engine would go on to be used successfully in a number of Lotus production and racing models. The Lotus Elan ceased production in 1973 and the Elan +2 in 1975. An estimated total of 17,000 original Elans and Elans +2 were built. Because of its successful design and technological sophistication, the Elan went on to become Lotus's first commercial success, reviving a company stretched thin by the more exotic and less commercially successful Elite and thus enabling funding of the successful Lotus racing over the next ten years.