1961 | Lotus Elite S2

Sold | £73,600 GBP

• First owned by Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda
• Subject of a complete restoration by Rawlson Racing and Bushell’s Restorations from 2018 to 2021
• Featured in Classic & Sports Car magazine in December 2021
• Accompanied by a Lotus Classic Certificate of Vehicle Provenance
• Eligible for the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, and many other historic events

Please note this car is offered without registration papers, bidders should satisfy themselves as to registration requirements in their own jurisdiction.


A little over 1,000 examples of Colin Chapman’s groundbreaking glass fibre-monocoque Type 14 Lotus Elite were ever built, only a handful of which were exported to Japan. Chassis number EB1321837 was one of three to make that journey in 1961, having been invoiced to the Fuyo Trading Co Ltd on 23 August 1961, according to factory records. Its first owner in Japan was none other than Soichiro Honda, founder of the eponymous Honda Motor Company.

“The Elite was like an egg—a world first,” explained Hirotoshi Honda, son of Soichiro and founder of the firm’s tuning arm Mugen, while talking to Classic & Sports Car in 2021. “No frame, no separate chassis: it was kind of like a UFO at that time, and my father was always interested in something new.” Such was the impact of the Elite on Soichiro that his son believed it to have inspired the dashboard on one of Honda’s first mass-produced cars, the S600.

In 1962, Honda finished construction of the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, where the racy Elite was put through its paces by legendary Japanese driver Tetsu Ikuzawa. Hirotoshi then claimed the dubious honour of being the first person to crash at the circuit, rolling the Elite at Spoon Curve before the track had officially opened. “At the time there were only two Lotus Elites in Japan, so nobody could fix it,” recalled Honda. “I eventually found a small garage in central Tokyo, but it took a long time.”

The Elite was refinished in jet black and rejoined the family’s stable of cars but after several near misses on Tokyo’s dimly lit streets, Hirotoshi convinced his father to have the car repainted in white. Hirotoshi eventually left the country, and upon his return two years later discovered his father had donated the car to the Honda International Technical School, where it remained for many years.

In 1980 the disassembled Lotus was acquired by the consigning owner, and in 2018 he commissioned Rawlson Racing to carry out a complete nut-and-bolt rebuild, including fitment of a ZF four-speed gearbox and replacement 1,216-cc Coventry Climax engine built to Super 95 specification by Peacock Engineering. The Elite was restored over three years, with all previous crash repairs correctly remedied by Bushell’s Restorations in Kent with the bodywork finished in Grand Prix White in a nod to its Honda history, while a sanded patch of the inner boot was left exposed to show its previous colour changes—as were scratches to the driver’s window frame caused during the crash at Suzuka.

The Type 14 Lotus Elite is a truly special car with achingly beautiful styling, competition pedigree, and genuine rarity all counting in its favour. This example is even more remarkable, boasting a fascinating early history with a visionary automotive giant who helped shape the modern world: Soichiro Honda.

Please note this lot has entered the UK on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the UK on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the UK.


To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/ch25/.