{"id":30759,"date":"2024-08-01T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T07:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?p=30759"},"modified":"2024-07-29T12:33:24","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T11:33:24","slug":"1959-lotus-elite-project-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1959-lotus-elite-project-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"1959 Lotus Elite \u2013 Project Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

To coin a phrase, Colin Chapman was one of motoring\u2019s greatest blue sky thinkers. And for those of you not au fait<\/em> with such hackneyed management speak what we mean is the rules of convention simply did not apply to him. He thought outside the box, made sure his team was always singing from the same hymn sheet and got all his ducks in a row before running an idea up the flagpole. Sorry, we couldn’t resist, but suffice to say the Elite is quintessential Lotus.<\/p>\n

It was a car driven by the idea of doing things better by doing them differently. The sleek aerodynamics – it had a drag coefficient of just 0.29, years before the the slippery Audi 100 – and ultra light fibreglass bodywork ensured this handsome sports car<\/a> only needed a tiny 1.2-litre four-pot to keep up with much beefier fare. It handled well too, thanks to its low weight and nimble Chapman engineering. It’s impossible to talk about early Lotus cars without mentioning the now famous \u201csimplify, then add lightness\u201d ethos and the Elite is a prime example of that philosophy.<\/p>\n

\"Lotus,<\/a><\/p>\n

Just over a thousand Elites were built between 1957 and 1963. Not to be confused with the later Elites that were produced from ’74 to ’82 and known as the Type 75 and 83s, the original Elite (or rather more mundane Type 14, as it was known) was an innovative two-seater sports car that had been developed and rigorously tested for a year prior to release, ensuring the car’s giant-slaying credentials, both on and off the track.<\/p>\n

Whilst the Mark VI was technically Lotus’ first production car you still had to break out the spanners and put the thing together yourself if you wanted one, so the Elite, for us, is the first proper road car offered by Chapman and co. as it came fully assembled and ready to rock and roll. Designed by an accountant and refined by a master of aerodynamics the Elite featured a stressed fibreglass unibody with a steel subframe for supporting the engine and front suspension that was bonded into the load-bearing monocoque structure.<\/p>\n

\"Lotus,<\/a><\/p>\n

The results of eschewing the normal steel frame setup was an incredibly lightweight racer that didn’t need a whopping great motor up front to power it. Instead, Chapman chucked in a tiny SOHC 1.2-litre Coventry Climax FWE engine, and although its output was a rather meagre 75-105bhp depending on the state of tune, it was plenty to give the Elite proper racing credentials in terms of performance.<\/p>\n

Some would argue that the first Elites were too fragile but from the driving seat all faults were forgiven because the car was an absolute joy to pilot. Nimble, pin sharp and with go-kart like handling the Elite was a huge success for Lotus, subsequently providing the necessary wedge for Chapman’s Formula One endeavours, and it remains an incredibly important car in the company’s lineage.<\/p>\n

What is it?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Having spent some time in California before being repatriated this<\/a> is one of the earlier Series 1 cars from 1959. An original RHD, manual example finished in alluring dark grey metallic with silver roof and with a mere 46K on the clock, this Elite has benefited from recent recommissioning works, including a carb and fuel pump refresh, fuel tank clean and complete brake overhaul.<\/p>\n

\"Lotus,<\/a><\/p>\n

Why is it a project?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Although dry stored since 2004 the car is a running and driving example and whilst it is a solid example that does present generally well overall there is some age-related patina to both the bodywork and interior. As such, this rather rare Elite would make an excellent candidate for a concours syle resto.<\/p>\n

What should you look for?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Body<\/span><\/strong>
\nWith its fibreglass unibody corrosion isn’t really going to be an issue but check for any signs of accident damage such as cracking and stress fractures as specialist repairs will be expensive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Subframe<\/span><\/strong>
\nUnfortunately the steel elements bonded into the body are not so resistant to rust, however. Check the mountings for the suspension and differential (as well as the windscreen frame) for signs of rot and make sure they’re secure and still properly bonded in place.<\/p>\n

Engine<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe aluminium Coventry Climax four-cylinder (derived from a fire engine pump believe it or not) is a simple affair and tough enough but it does require careful maintenance. This car’s engine and transmission were reconditioned by Climax specialist Stuart Rolt some years ago but do check the history file for evidence of continued specialist care.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Suspension<\/span><\/strong>
\nDue to the car weighing about the same as a Ferrero Rocher the suspension is fairly unstressed and aside from the aforementioned subframe corrosion problems it shouldn’t present many issues. Parts, along with the wheel bearings, do require regular greasing though, so check the history for evidence of due diligence. A lot of owners upgrade the bushings to polyurethane items.<\/p>\n

Interior<\/span><\/strong>
\nOur car<\/a> does carry some deterioration to the cabin and certain fittings, as well as to the rubber seals, so check what needs to be repaired or replaced and have a look under the carpets for any signs of water ingress. Certain interior parts may prove tricky to track down but there are clubs and specialists out there who can help.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What should you do with it?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The Elite was very much a race car with number plates and as such it could be tempting to modify and head to the track but as this particular example is in such wonderfully complete and original condition we would go down the concours route. We’re not talking mirrors on the floor and a hermetically sealed cocoon, more like an interior refresh, paint correction and engine bay detail to bring this legendary Lotus<\/a> back to its best.<\/p>\n

\"Lotus,<\/a><\/p>\n

Beautifully styled and ahead of its time the Elite is a pure distillation of what makes mid century Lotus cars so appealing, so take the opportunity to get down in the weeds and sharpen the point of this pencil<\/a>. We’ll circle back and touch base offline…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To coin a phrase, Colin Chapman was one of motoring\u2019s greatest blue sky thinkers. And for those of you not au fait with such hackneyed management speak what we mean…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":30763,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[322],"tags":[4090,15,90,963,13,2133,693,6856,766,2683,63,2684,6966,14,55,108,1096,139,6965],"yoast_head":"\n1959 Lotus Elite \u2013 Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Lotus Elite is a pure distillation of Chapman's "add lightness" philosophy and this Series 1 is ready for a bit of a makeover.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1959-lotus-elite-project-profile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1959 Lotus Elite \u2013 Project Profile - 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