1991 Lotus Elan SE Turbo

Lotus have been building sports and racing cars since Colin Chapman produced his first Austin Seven based special in 1949. Some wonderful cars have left the factory, firstly at Hornsey but the better known ones at Cheshunt and since 1966, from Hethel. The original Lotus Elan followed hot on the heels of the exciting if temperamental Climax engined Elite. The Elan was amongst the prettiest post war sportscar and has more recently been copied to a degree by the Japanese with their ever popular Mazda MX5.

Strangely enough the latest Elan has a generally reliable Isuzu based engine from Japan, fitted into a spectacular wedge shaped two seater body. On offer today is a British Racing Green example, with a rare hardtop in addition to the standard hood. The body and paintwork are described as reasonable with good grey and black trim. The hood itself is apparently fair and the said hardtop, finished in black, is in very good condition. The spacious cockpit has original instrumentation and all are believed to be working.

The vendor states that the engine and running gear are in good condition and is only parting with the Lotus after some twelve years of ownership due to lack of use, having two other vehicles available and insufficient time to devote to more.

A V5C registration certificate is supplied with the car, together with a vast history file of service records. These Elans may well be under valued at present and earlier ones are becoming out of reach to many enthusiasts. According to one motoring journalist, the later models are amongst the most useable and are definitely enjoyable, so maybe this is a good opportunity to try one.