twobone Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 http://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/general-classic-car-news/get-the-best-of-lotus-in-the-new-issue-of-csc Just picked up the latest Classic and Sportscar magazine. Looking forward to the review of the great Lotus models Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I'm not sure which car is which but there is someone a couple of blocks from me who quite often drive around in his classsic Lotus. It looks identical to the white one with the full stripe down the middle. Beautiful car but he always seems to be out when I'm not in the seven so have not had a chance to catch him for a chat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 (edited) The original Elite. What a beauty. Probly my favorite car shape of all time. Photo makes it look huge, tho is only 148" long (10" shorter than a Miata), 3'10" tall & weighed under 1500 lbs. Edited November 16, 2011 by Kitcat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimrankin Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I see the car on a fairly regular basis but have cruised the streets around my house trying to see where it resides. He must keep it garaged unless he's actually in it because no luck on finding him so far. I would think that as nice as the car is, and as rare, that he might be a Golden Gate Lotus Club member but have not seen it at a track day or autocross. It's the closest thing to a very early "E" type on my favorite car shape list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnr Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 I would think that as nice as the car is, and as rare, that he might be a Golden Gate Lotus Club member but have not seen it at a track day or autocross. Original Elites are fairly valuable and I believe mint condition ones can go for 6 figures Mike Ostrov is a GGLC member in the East Bay who is considered the worlwide expert in Elite restoration. At any given time he has about a dozen of them in his shop/house which is especially impressive when you consider that Lotus only made 1000 of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskossie Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 The original Lotus Elite is in my opinion the most graceful, most subtle, most beautiful coupe shape of the post-WW II era. Hard to believe it was penned by an accountant, Peter Kirwan-Taylor. Until you see one of these in the flesh, you have no idea how small, but how perfectly-proportioned, this car is. A fellow Seven owner in the Denver area owns an Elite, and I took photos of it at LOG 27 in Aspen. I believe his is original, and unrestored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW RACER Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 What a great looking car! It still looks good today! Put some wider tires on it and it would look current. I read somewhere that Colin Chapman demanded that the hood was two layers of fiberglass, so that it had a smooth finish on the inside and didn't look like a kit car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskossie Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Here are some more photos of Lotus Elites at LOG 27. I think I like the blue and grey color combination the best, but would take any one of them. The "Owner with Seven" in one photo is our own bsimon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdca7 Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 That is one of the greatest looking cars I've ever seen, and light too! I want one so bad it hurts. Too bad Caterham didn't take on that design as kit car! Imagine what it would be like with a modern drivetrain. Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskossie Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 The closest that Caterham has ever come to the Lotus Elite is the short-lived Caterham 21; see photo. I seem to recall that someone in UK was making replacement Elite body/chassis units for restoration purposes. Now, one of these, with an aluminum Duratec 2.0 engine, 6-speed Caterham transmission, and uprated rear diff and brakes might make a nice modern Elite replica.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikker Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 nope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danilo Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Cat 21 always looks pretty in Promo photos. In real life it's a Dog's breakfast contraption. Basically a 'normal' 7 with a f'glass body shell plunked down on top of it. They never even managed roll up windows. Expected in a 7 .. laughable in anything else. There was Reason why it was v poorly received in sales rooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboeric Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 What a great looking car! It still looks good today! Put some wider tires on it and it would look current. I vividly remember being at a vintage weekend at the old Westwood circuit near Vancouver, where an Elite and a Mustang Shelby 350 were having at it in the pouring rain. The Shelby was all thunder and wide tires, while the Elite's skinny bicycle tires made short work of the streaming wet track. Lap after lap they passed and repassed each other, the Mustang thundering past on the straights and the Lotus out-braking and out-cornering the Shelby. Epic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pi7ot Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Cat 21 always looks pretty in Promo photos. In real life it's a Dog's breakfast contraption. Basically a 'normal' 7 with a f'glass body shell plunked down on top of it. They never even managed roll up windows. Expected in a 7 .. laughable in anything else. There was Reason why it was v poorly received in sales rooms. Jez Coates said that it failed because the Elise also came to be, and it was more expensive than the Elise. It was a doomed conception. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silk Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Came close a couple of times to acquiring an Elite back in the day. I agree it's one of the best and most timeless designes out there. If money were no object, something like this would be in my garage - http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/lotus/elite/1292804.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danilo Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 That's a pretty one... as to be expected at $80K. As perspective: Austin Healy 3000's fetch same if not more... regularly. These were Really Poorly made machines .. well below Par assembly/detailing standards.. even then. Remember taking a purchasing eye to one in late 60's. The glass shell was crumbling and cracking, pretty well everywhere. Many of the goofy metal mounting inserts were either missing!, loose or ready to pull thorough. The Mechanical bits were barely operable mostly as result of poor assembly, but also by low quality. IMO, Loutii, now as then, are something best enjoyed when 'someone else' owns them. Interesting Jez Coates reference. I would suggest a more appropriate one as: "The sun was in my eyes, my mitt was too big and I tripped " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readysetgo Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 I like the badge on the dash of that car listed on the hemmings site.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HankMauel Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 http://www.mauelguitars.com/Lotus1.jpg Having Vintage raced a Lotus Elite for more than 20 years, I can state it was the most wonderful car to drive and drift through corners. Yes, in stock form they suffered from poor quality in assembly, etc. But when "put right" via a thorough rebuild and attention to the known weak spots, it was virtually bullet proof. We had nearly 9000 racing miles on the car without the engine ever being out of it. The only DNF's ever were due to the a Facet fuel pump packing it in...several times. With a good mechanical pump we finished every remaining race. And it was a blast to drive. My favorite position was in the middle of a pack of 4 Lotus Cortinas at Sears Point...just ruining their photo ops! I am now completing the restoration of an Elite that has come back to me...25 years after I sold it to help put the first child through college. Should be ready in the spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitcat Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Ready to...race, street drive? Both? Share pix when you get a chance. I just dont get enough chances to drool over this model Lotus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HankMauel Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ready to...race, street drive? Both? Share pix when you get a chance. I just dont get enough chances to drool over this model Lotus. Street car...photos of as owned in 1984 and a few months ago, back in my possession, begining completion of restoration. http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1589/7808673/23951918/399674998.jpg http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1589/7808673/23951918/399674994.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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