1973 | Lotus Elan Sprint

The Lotus Elan was introduced in 1962 and would go on to become one of the most successful sports cars of all time. It was the first Lotus road car to use the steel backbone chassis with fibreglass bodywork embodying Colin Chapman’s minimum weight design philosophy, weighing in at just 1,600Ibs. Powered by a 1558cc, twin-cam four-cylinder engine, the Elan adopted several other firsts for a Lotus road car including four wheel disc braking, rack and pinion steering and four wheel independent suspension.

Lotus debuted the Elan Sprint in 1970 at the Earls Court Motor Show with the official launch following in February 1971. The Elan Sprint went on to become the most desirable of the early Elans. The power was subsequently increased to 126bhp, this in turn offered a top speed of over 120mph and a 0-60mph time of just under eight seconds. These impressive performance figures were achieved through an increased compression ratio, big valve head and high lift cams.

Manufactured in December 1972 and then registered on 7th March 1973, this fantastic Lagoon Metallic Blue Elan Sprint was delivered from the factory to Hexagon of Highgate. Surprisingly ordering the car in a solid colour rather than the two-tone liveries they are famous for was an additional cost. The supplied Lotus Certificate of Vehicle Provenance shows that the car was a late car being the 64th from last domestic and the 5th from last ordered in Lagoon Metallic Blue.

Whilst an older restoration, the car presents beautifully, a testament to the skill of the aerospace engineer who spent two years restoring the car along with the care of its subsequent owners. The car has been fitted with a correct Lotus galvanised replacement chassis along with Coolex high performance aluminium radiator, solid drive shafts, uprated rear shock absorbers as well as the wheels having just been refurbished. The interior is correct with its original steering wheel and black vinyl seats. The vendor reports the car to drive incredibly well and that it can embarrass most modern sports cars from point to point.

Supplied with a V5C registration document, Lotus Certificate of Vehicle Provenance, many receipts from marque specialists such as Mick Miller and Paul Matty, correspondence from previous owners and a photo record of the car’s restoration. A rare example in an attractive colour of a late build design classic that presents as well as it drives. Consigned by Will Penrose.