Good as the Elite was it had proved too specialized a car to build, and was plagued with too many problems for a company the size of the Lotus to produce and develop. They needed something simpler, less ambitious, easier to own but just as good to drive. Enter, in 1962, the Elan, still glass fiber but supported now by a backbone chassis and sprung on ingenious ‘Chapman struts’ that combined ride comfort with incredible agility.
There would be no more Coventry Climax engines. Lotus had its own twin cam engine, a 1558cc unit based on a Ford iron block and delivering 106 bhp, which in the lightweight Elan meant impressive performance on the roads. It was on this car that Lotus built their reputation in the 60s. If wasn’t perfect, quality was always suspect, then most people forgave it because the handling was so good. On the S2 of 1964 centre lock wheels replaced the previous discs. The S3 (1966) had a high final drive ratio together with a close ration gearbox option.
The SE (Special Equipment) version had 115 bhp, close ratio gears and servo assisted brakes. The S4 of 1968 was an S3 SE with wider wheel arches to accommodate low profile tyres. Power increased to 126 bhp in 1970 with the big valve Sprint some of which had five special gearboxes. The Elan also spawned the Elan +2, a 2+2 version for Lotus owners with families. Production of all Elans ended to clear the way for the new Elite, a move up market that, as history has shown, wasn’t entirely successful.
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