Description
The Lotus Elan was created under Lotus Cars founder Colin Chapman's principle of lower weight to higher output performance. Rigidity was attained using a steel backbone double 'Y'-ended chassis bolted under a Ron Hickmann-designed lightweight fiberglass body. Power was produced from an advanced for the era DOHC 'Twin Cam' 4-cylinder 1, 6 lt engine to be delivered via a 4-speed gearbox to the rear wheels. Agility was achieved via rack and pinion steering, all wheel disc brakes and independent suspension of double wishbone at the front and Chapman struts at the rear. Alongside production of the Elan, Colin Chapman's Team Lotus was reigning at the race track winning Formula 1 World Champions Car Constructors title for years 1963, 1965 and 1968. In 1969 British Racing Motorsports F1 engineer Tony Rudd was recruited to redesign the technology that would soon go into Emerson Fittipaldi's car. In parallel, Rudd saw the Elan's Twin Cam engine potential which he exploited via enlarging the inlet valves, refining its ports, fitting the SE D-type camshafts and upgrading its carburetor jets. The ensuing 'Lotus Big Valve' engine was selected to be fitted in the last and most advanced version of the Elan, the Sprint which was introduced in 1970. In celebration of Team Lotus' consecutive F1 wins, Lotus decorated the Sprint with Team Lotus' John Player Gold Leaf livery of limited colors for the body over a golden stripe, golden bumpers and a 'World Champion Car Constructors' badge. A year into production the Sprint was to be even further upgraded by fitting a pair of Dell'Orto's DHLA 40 caburettors of 33mm choke and 135 jets. Nevertheless, the ultimate evolution of the Elan was to be unveiled in 1973 when Lotus decided to fit a 5-speed gearbox to the very last set of Sprints. By the end of production in March of 1973, less than 15 Sprints were fitted at Lotus' Hethel quarters under Roy Badcock's supervision with the 5-speed gearbox; these select few were rebadged as 'Sprint 5'.
Unit 0096H was constructed in late February of 1973 in Sprint 5 specifications to feature the Lotus Big Valve engine, the 5-speed gearbox, all production upgrades to be thereon dispatched to its 1st owner in Germany. In 2005 it was certified by the Classic Car Club of Portugal to later become part of a private Lotus collection in Athens, Greece. It is now offered in stellar cosmetic and mechanical condition and only 60682 km since new.
Year: 1973
Make: Lotus
Model: Elan
Edition: Sprint 5
Body: Drop Head Coupe
Type number: 45
Unit number: 0096
Destination: H, export
Date of manufacture: March 1973
Record number: 3893
Engine number: S27267
Engine block casting number: 701M6016EA
Engine block casting date: 1M16
Engine type: 1558 cc, in line 4 cyl., DOHC, 10. 3:1 compression, Dell'Orto DHLA 40 33mm choke 135 jet carburettors, 126 bhp at 6500 rpm and 153 Nm at 5500 rpm output
Exterior color, code: Lagoon Blue Metallic L12 over White with Team Lotus John Player Gold Leaf livery
Interior color: Black
Mileage: 60682 km
Registration: Historic Vehicle registration, Greece
Prior registrations:
- AC342X, Germany
- BM-32-66, Portugal
Certificates:
- Club Portugues de Automoveis Antigos Certificate, issued 2006
- Technical Inspection Certificate, 60123 km, issued 2009
Retrofits: Blaupunkt Essen R24 Radiocassette player
Sprint features
Engine:
- revised cylinder head with enlarged inlet valves, reshaped ports, modified D-type derived camshafts and skimmed height
- 'Lotus Big Valve' cam cover
- Weber 40mm DCOE carburettors, Dell'Orto DHLADell'Orto DHLA 40mm carburettors from May 1972 onwards with revised jets
- raised to 6750 rpm rev limiter
- single exhaust silencer with heat shield
Drivetrain:
- reinforced Rotoflex couplings
- revised fail safe driveshafts with differential stregthening brace
Interior:
- steering wheel enlarged boss with smaller emblem
- steering column integrated ignition switch
- relocated engine hood release lever
- black handbrake handle
- seat runner limiter
Lights:
- flatter side indicators
- flatter front indicators from 1972 onwards
- revised headlamp unit
Body:
- flatter engine hood with secure catches
- dual color paint with Team Lotus John Player Gold Leaf sponsorship graphics featuring gold sidewinders
- gold front and rear bumpers
- 'World Champion Car Constructors 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970' badge with 1972 from 1971 onwards
- black painted steel Lotus wheels with Rimbellishers fitted
Sprint/ 5 additional features
- 5 speed alloy bellhouse gearbox
- 'Sprint 5' badge
- relocated 'World Champion Car Contsructors 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970 and 1972' badge
