Even if you ignore its huge influence on modern sports cars, the Lotus Elan has the dynamics, looks and sheer enjoyment quotient that makes it as unrivalled and as coveted today, as it was when launched.
Twenty-five quid! Could it really be true that without that loan from his then girlfriend, Hazel Williams, there would have been no Lotus Engineering? Without this cash injection, probably only worth around £600 at today’s values, there may not have been all those race victories – a total of 74 Formula One Grand Prix firsts, seven Constructors’ Championships and six Drivers’ Championships. We could have been denied all those stunning engineering road car firsts as well, and crucially, there may not have ever been a Lotus Elan.
Quite whether the loan from Hazel, who went on to be Colin Chapman’s wife, is that significant, or whether it is an anecdote that has grown exponentially over the years, or is simply an urban myth, doesn’t matter, the thought we might never have had a Lotus Elan is a concern (especially if you are a Mazda accountant, gleefully counting the cash that continues to roll in with Lotus Elan-inspired MX-5 sales), since it has to be considered as one of the most influential British sports cars ever built.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 4, 2017 من Classic Car Buyer.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 4, 2017 من Classic Car Buyer.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Staff Classics
REPORTING ON: Alfa Romeo GTV
Rootes Group - The Golden Years
The Rootes Group’s finest years commenced immediately after the end of the Second World War with the launch of a handful of brand-new models and lasted until the company was absorbed into the Chrysler empire in the middle of the following decade
MG ZT
The MG ZT was more than a Rover 75 in sports shoes. Much, much more. It was a performance saloon par excellence and today makes for a superb classic sporting bargain
MG Display Controversy
A classic vehicle insurer met with a mixed response at the Classic Motor Show when its display stand depicted a 1998 MGF apparently crushed by a WW2 Hellcat tank. But was this a sacrilegious act against a classic car, or an inspired promotional display?
Extra Ordinary
Exotics are usually the go-to classic investments, but a recent trend in everyday cars means more common street sights could be the way to go
Alternative Go
As the internal combustion engine’s fate seems in question, we look back at its past challengers
Death Of The Sports Car?
Another manufacturer belies its heritage to switch to SUVs
Cool Coupes
Every manufacturer was in on the ’90s coupe trend, stylish two-doors in abundance. But nearly three decades on, which are worth investing in?
Classic Scenes
Writing this as news reports bring us images of Sheffield residents trapped overnight in shopping centers by floods, we were struck by this image from October 1987.
500 Not Out
We identify some modern classics in danger of extinction... and the older cars which massively outnumber them
