Colin Chapman's lightweight masterpiece. The Elan introduced the backbone chassis, pop-up headlights, and proved that a small, light car could offer supercar-level handling. The Sprint, with its Big Valve Twin Cam engine, was the ultimate expression.
History
The Elan was Chapman's attempt to build a more refined Lotus without abandoning the lightweight philosophy. Ron Hickman designed a fiberglass body over a steel backbone chassis, creating a car that weighed just 685 kg.
The Lotus Twin Cam engine, based on the Ford Kent block with a Lotus-designed twin-cam head, produced 126 PS in Sprint form. In a car weighing 685 kg, this gave performance and handling that made the Elan the benchmark against which all other sports cars were measured.
The Elan's steering was famously communicative. Every surface change, every weight transfer, every degree of grip was transmitted through the thin-rimmed steering wheel. Gordon Murray has cited the Elan as one of the greatest driver's cars ever built.
The Sprint (1971-1973) was the final Elan variant, distinguished by its two-tone gold and silver paint and the Big Valve Twin Cam engine. 12,224 Elans were built across all variants.
Sprint models command GBP 40,000 to GBP 70,000.
Production & Heritage
Value estimates are editorial assessments based on recent auction results and market trends.
Technical Specifications
Engine Details
Performance
Tags
Designed by Ron Hickman
