Description
The Millbrook Sale | Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire
Viewing: Saturday 9th May 2026 from 12pm
Auction: Sunday 10th May 2026
Location: Millbrook Proving Ground, Station Lane, Bedford MK45 2JH
2000 Lotus Elise S1 Type 49
Estimate
£14, 000 - £18, 000
Registration No: V243 PHK
Chassis No: SCCGA1113XHC38026
MOT: April 2027
Just 27, 500 miles from new
One of just 92 special edition 'Type 49' Elise S1s supplied in the original 'Gold Leaf' paint livery
Supplied with its original book pack and accompanying service history
Introduced at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Lotus Elise was a driver’s car par excellence. A paragon of lightness, agility and responsiveness, the newcomer utilised a bonded extruded aluminium chassis clad with fibreglass body panels. Mid-mounted and allied to the five-speed manual transmission, its 1. 8 litre K-Series engine produced a modest 118bhp and 122lb. ft. of torque. However, with a kerb weight of just 1, 600lb. the two-seater was capable of 0-60mph in 5. 8 seconds and over 120mph. Able to glide over a broken British B-road in typical Lotus fashion, the Elise did without power steering, ABS or traction control and was all the better for it. Early models featured Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) brake discs which not only minimised unsprung weight but also provided great feeling. Enthusiasts are already seeking out Series I cars (especially MMC-equipped examples) as representing the purest incarnation of the Elise; a trend which seems bound to continue.
Lotus closed the 20th century with a special edition Lotus Elise 49 that commemorated Lotus’s Grand Prix glory and racing history. It was painted in the same red, gold and white colour scheme as the Lotus Type 49 Formula One car (along with several other Lotus F1, F2, F3 and sports racers) driven by, amongst others, Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt. According to Lotus’s very own archivist just 92 standard 118bhp Elise Type 49s, covering LHD and RHD examples, were produced, and the 143bhp 111S Type 49s totalled 43 cars in both LHD and RHD. Unveiled at the 1999 London Motor Show at Earls Court and with a fraction of the total 135 cars made surviving, this Gold Leaf special edition is a collector's dream.
This seldom-seen Type 49 has come to us in an excellent state of preservation, having covered only 27, 500 miles from new, of which just over 7, 000 have been completed since 2008. Sold new through Nelmes of Romford, Essex, to a Mr. Biddle of Chipping Ongar, at 25 years old the Elise has had only nine registered keepers, including one impressively long-term owner from 2003 to 2016. The maintenance record is excellent, with six service stamps issued annually from 2000 to 2005 (at 15, 528 miles), all by Lotus main dealers. A further five services were recorded, though unstamped, from 2007 to 2014 (at 24, 379 miles) and a final main-dealer service was completed in 2017 at 24, 962 miles and included a cam-belt change. Although not logged in the maintenance record, some more substantial work was performed in 2020 by Hexagon Modern Classics, including a general service, replacement of the rear brake pads, front drop links and anti-roll bar bushes, and refurbishment of the rear wheels. Most recently, it has been subject to an oil and filter service in April 2026.
In the present ownership since 2023, the Lotus is sold with the current V5C, the original owner’s wallet containing the controls manual, maintenance record and dealer directory, early correspondence from Lotus and invoices from Nelmes, assorted other invoices, several tax discs and MOT certificates running back to its first test in 2003. It now has a new MoT certificate dating to April 2027.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Parking and entry into the auction is free for auction attendees with a catalogue, available at the door.
Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people).
