Lotus Elan M100 Prototype, 1986
Lotus Elan
Lotus Elan•
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Offered Without Reserve
- Original M100 prototype
- Original M100 prototype
- Supplied with original copy of CAR magazine feature
- A real piece of Lotus history with provenance
Few manufacturers have reinvented an icon as courageously as Lotus did with the M100 Elan. By the mid-1980s the company was emerging from an uncertain period following the death of Colin Chapman and, under the leadership of Mike Kimberley, was looking to secure its future with an entirely new generation of sports car. Rather than simply recreate the formula of the original Elan, Lotus set out to engineer what would become one of the finest front-wheel-drive sports cars ever produced, combining world-class handling with everyday usability and build quality that would appeal to a far broader international audience. The project represented one of the largest investments in Lotus' history and would ultimately become the first all-new Elan for almost two decades.
The styling responsibility fell to Peter Stevens, then Lotus' Chief Stylist and a designer who would later achieve worldwide acclaim for the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJR-15 and numerous other landmark designs. Stevens later recalled that unlike many automotive projects, the M100 arrived almost effortlessly. The proportions simply worked, the concept was immediately accepted and, remarkably, changed very little from those earliest sketches. As documented in the original 1988 CAR magazine feature, once a 7/8-scale clay model had been completed it was wheeled out onto the lawns outside the executive offices at Hethel where senior management gathered for an informal review.
Mike Kimberley climbed into the model, surveyed the design from every angle and reportedly declared it "bloody marvellous" — effectively giving the programme its blessing. The design team immediately progressed to the full-size presentation model offered here.
This extraordinary full-size prototype therefore predates the production Elan and represents one of the earliest tangible milestones in the development of the M100 programme. It is the presentation model created to communicate the finished design to Lotus management before production engineering gathered pace, making it a fascinating surviving artefact from the car's formative development.
Following its working life at Lotus, the prototype remained in the hands of a former Lotus employee for many years before being acquired from a barn in Cornwall, where it had rested beneath a tarpaulin for decades. Included with the lot is the original edition of CAR magazine featuring the prototype itself, together with period photographs showing the Lotus management team gathered around the model, providing a remarkable level of provenance linking this unique piece directly to one of the most significant design programmes in Lotus history.
Today the prototype survives in remarkably original condition. Its body panels, interior trim, dashboard and presentation details remain substantially as they were when first displayed at Hethel in 1986. Naturally there is some gentle patination consistent with its age and its years in storage, but considering its construction and purpose, the overall condition is impressive. Still sitting on its original 14-inch alloy wheels, from only a short distance it could easily be mistaken for a complete production vehicle, yet closer inspection reveals the fascinating methods employed in the creation of a full-size styling prototype.
The M100 would finally reach production in 1989 and would go on to earn widespread praise for its exceptional chassis, with many respected road testers considering it the benchmark for front-wheel-drive handling. Although commercial success was ultimately limited by market conditions and pricing, the engineering achievement remains unquestioned and the M100 has since become recognised as one of Lotus' most accomplished road cars. This presentation prototype represents the very beginning of that story.
Opportunities to acquire genuine manufacturer design prototypes with unquestionable provenance are exceptionally rare. Even more unusual is one that can be directly linked to Peter Stevens, Mike Kimberley and the rebirth of one of Britain's most celebrated sports cars. Accompanied by its original contemporary magazine feature and period imagery, this is not merely a display piece but an important surviving chapter in Lotus history, equally suited to a significant private collection, museum or marque specialist. Consigned by Mathew Priddy.
Guide Price £5,000-£10,000
The car is currently located in Northampton
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