Lotus Elan Cabrio S1 1600 LHD (1964)

Vehicle description

In 1962, the British sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars presented the Type 26, better known as Lotus Elan. The original Elan 1500 was introduced as an open roadster. After a very short edition of only 22 copies, the engine was enlarged and the car was renamed Elan 1600. Optionally, a hardtop was also offered. The Elan 1600 from 1963 was replaced by the Elan S2 in the course of 1964. The early examples of the Elan - 1500 and 1600 - are also posthumously referred to as Series 1 (S1), although they were not marketed under this abbreviation at the time. The Lotus Elan was the first Lotus road vehicle to feature a steel central tube frame with a body made of glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP). This lightweight construction was to continue in the following Lotus models for almost three decades. With a weight of about 680 kg, the Elan embodied Colin Chapman's philosophy of minimal weight. The Elan was technologically advanced with a 1,558 cc DOHC engine, four disc brakes, rack and pinion steering and independent suspension. Gordon Murray, the designer of the McLaren F1 supercar, is said to have said that his only disappointment with the McLaren F1 was that he couldn't give it the perfect steering of a Lotus Elan.

As if the early momentum of the first series were not already scarce – experts estimate the actual number of S1 pieces, which Lotus did not record correctly at the time, at about 900 copies – so we are dealing with a special rarity in this auction: a Lotus Elan 1600 LHD. LHD stands for Left Hand Drive – making the roadster presented here one of the few left-hand drive vehicles ever produced by the Lotus Elan S1. On behalf of a Lotus enthusiast, the vehicle was completely rebuilt about 20 years ago without regard to costs on a new frame strictly according to Type 26 specifications. The result was one of the best preserved examples of this model. Since then, it has always been lovingly maintained both technically and visually. Only about 8,500 km have been covered with the vehicle since then, none of them on the race track - just for pure driving pleasure.

The Lotus presented here was first registered on 15.07.1964. In total, the car has had three owners since then. The first holder was a Dutch collector. Subsequently, a friend of the current owner bought the car before the current owner purchased it. The vehicle has German papers and H license plates, but is currently not registered. The HU is new. The Lotus is fully ready to drive. There are several folders with detailed invoices for repairs and new parts for this vehicle, and the rebuild is also documented in detail. The car is accident-free, and a Classic Data report is also available. It gives the overall condition of the vehicle a grade of 1.5.

The manufacturer color of the Lotus is gray. A roll bar was added to the roadster as an external modification. Otherwise, everything visually corresponds to the original. No rust or other external defects are recognizable.

The Lotus stands on contemporary black four-spoke aluminum rims. Summer tyres recommended by the English specialist are mounted in the format 165/70 R13. The chassis is unmodified. The brakes are without defects. Overall, no shortcomings in this area.

The interior has a very nice, new genuine leather equipment, in a beautiful dark blue, matching the exterior color and excellently matched to the also dark blue soft top. The sporty three-spoke steering wheel is also covered with grey leather, behind it the wonderfully preserved wooden dashboard with its many round instruments and switches. As an optional extra, the interior heating is to be mentioned, at that time a rarity. The interior is free of damage, only here and there some contemporary patina. The numerous pictures testify to the excellent overall condition.

The very well preserved fabric top with soft top linkage is of course handed over with the vehicle when sold.

As already mentioned, the mileage since the new construction is approx. 8,500 km. The instruments without function were replaced with new parts from England, now everything works perfectly again.

It is the original four-cylinder engine with 1580 cc displacement and an output of 130 hp installed. Four-speed manual transmission. The last service took place in 2020. No defects in engine and technology.

Cooling, chassis and powertrain were recently overhauled. Currently, there is no repair backlog on this almost unique Lotus.

The description of this auction is correct to the best of the seller's knowledge and belief and is not misleading. Kickdown asks all sellers for a number of details about the vehicle and performs some check. However, the bidder must satisfy himself of the accuracy of the description and do all necessary research before submitting a bid. Please read our Terms and Conditions for more details.

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