| During the 1960's through to the late seventies sports | | | | of F1 victories. |
| cars were designed by engineers with one thing in | | | | The magnificent Lotus Élan was first revealed |
| mind, to provide high erformance with good handling | | | | during the early 1960's Earls Court motor show in |
| & brakes, good looks, and an exciting driving | | | | London, it caused an absolute sensation among sports |
| experience with lots of grin factor...read, pure | | | | car enthusiasts. The design of this wonderful little |
| unadulterated driving enjoyment behind the wheel. | | | | sports car featured a very sophisticated all |
| Sure, there are some great cars around today that still | | | | independent wishbone coil over suspension front |
| provide driverenjoyment, but many cars are being | | | | & rear, with four-wheel disc brakes fitted all round. |
| redesigned, and over engineered insuch a way that the | | | | The engine was based on a free revving high torque |
| old enjoyment factor is being taken out of | | | | four cylinder Ford power plant fitted with a special |
| theautomobile, even some high performance marques | | | | Lotus designed twin overhead camshaft alloy cylinder |
| have computerisedmanagement systems installed to | | | | head, the engine breathed through twin 40mm weber |
| stop you from getting a little out of shape while | | | | carburettors, and was coupled to a close ratio |
| cornering, which means you don't have to apply | | | | four-speed gearbox.The engine delivered about |
| oppositelock any more... heaven forbid...where's the fun | | | | 125BHP in big valve tune. |
| in that. | | | | But unfortunately the élan had a weak spot in |
| What ever happened to the car control skills learnt by | | | | the drive line, the drive shafts were fitted with rubber |
| sports drivers in days gone by? And what happened | | | | donut couplings, as the couplings aged they became |
| to the comunication between you and your car felt by | | | | weak and unreliable, it was not unusual for an |
| the sensations you often felt through the seat ofyour | | | | élan to break a donut while on a trip |
| pants.... now that's what real driving was once all about. | | | | somewhere. |
| In the sixties there were many different makes of | | | | The élan weighed about 745KG, thanks to its |
| sports cars on the road, the most common and | | | | lightweight sheet metal backbone chassis and |
| affordable was the MG, and the squarerigger type TC | | | | lightweight fibreglass body, these little cars could zoom |
| - TD - & TF and the later MGA & MGB | | | | from 0 to 100 kph in less than eight seconds, and that |
| were consideredfun sports cars of the time, they | | | | was forty years ago, and even today, a well-tuned |
| were not particularly fast, but gave thedriver enormous | | | | élan is much quicker than that! That's not bad |
| enjoyment along with wind in the hair motoring. | | | | for a sports car over forty years old. |
| Therewere also lots of big Austin Healeys...the Bull dog | | | | Many a modern day driver has found that the |
| of English sports carsand ever so popular with the | | | | performance of a well maintained élan is more |
| bigger budget drivers. Triumph TR2, 3 & 4swere | | | | than a match for the popular hot hatches driven today |
| also plentiful on the roads, they enjoyed a great | | | | and promoted as sports cars, few cars can match the |
| following by manysports car enthusiasts. | | | | Lotus élan for agility and handling on twisty |
| If you had a lust for very fast sports cars you would | | | | mountain roads. It was often said that the élan |
| naturally look atbuying a Jaguar E-type, or a Ferrari, | | | | handled like it was on rails, which meant, they went |
| Porsche, Morgan Plus 8, etc. | | | | where they were pointed. |
| But there was a small sports car designed by a happy | | | | The next time you are tooling down an alpine road in |
| go lucky Englishmen with a degree in aeronautical | | | | your hot hatch, keep your eyes on the rear vision |
| engineering who started designing and building unique, | | | | mirror, because a hot classic lotus élan could |
| agile little sports cars in his spare time. | | | | arrive on your tail any minute, don't bother to try and |
| It was not long before these little cars were finding | | | | keep up with the élan, just enjoy the sight and |
| success on the racetracks, and they continued to | | | | the delightful aural sound of a well-tuned twin cam |
| challenge and embarrass the more established | | | | engine fitted with twin 40mm Weber carburettors as |
| marques, racing fraternity people of the day were | | | | the elan howls past on a short mountain road straight. |
| all-aghast and wanted to know the name of the builder | | | | Today, lotus élans are much sought after by |
| of these funny little racecars called Lotus. | | | | collectors of fine thorough- bred sports cars, if you |
| As the years went by, the Lotus name become | | | | ever see one for sale, grab it if you can. The Lotus |
| synonymous with numerous World Championship F1 | | | | élan was frequently quoted in marketing press |
| victories on many of the world's great race circuits. | | | | releases in England as the kind of car "where you |
| Such was Colin Chapman's Design Genius and | | | | could average 69MPH with out exceeding 70MPH", |
| uncanny knack of selecting great drivers such as the | | | | and that about sums up what the Lotus élan is |
| late Jim Clark who drove the Lotus cars to a number | | | | about. |