Lotus Elan SE Roadster, 1967
Lotus Elan
Lotus Elan•
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Chassis No.: 265771
Auction: Monterey 2017
Auction date: August 19, 2017
Lot No.: T110
$40,000 | High bid
- Exterior: Red
- Interior: White
- Body: Roadster
- Delivered new to Graziano Imports in Newington, Connecticut
- One of the last SEs built
- Copies of original MSO and warranty certificate
- Log books and import documents
- Modified to 26R standards with upgraded CV joints
- Fiberglass body
- Dry sump engine built by Jay Ivey
- 1700cc/183 HP engine
- Twin Italian manufactured Weber carburetors
- Lotus heads and Ford block
- Billet crankshaft
- ATL fuel cell
- Aluminum radiator
- ‘Dog Box’ 4-speed transmission
- Limited slip differential
- Front A-arms
- Independent rear suspension
- Koni 4-corner coilovers
- 4-wheel disc brakes
- Rack and pinion steering
- Two sets of 13 inch Panasport Ultralight wheels
- Smiths gauges
Amazingly, this 1967 Lotus Elan has been a competition car since 1972. In its most recent outing in November 2016, it placed fourth in class and sixth overall in a field of 38 cars at the SVRA National Championship. In 2014, it went through a rebuild and upgrade to 26R standards with improved CV joints and a dry-sump engine by Jay Ivey that produces 183 HP at 7,100 RPM. This Lotus Elan weighs in at a feather-light 1,290 pounds with a resultant power-to-weight ratio of 7.04 to 1. For comparison sake, the only car with that same power-to-weight ratio back in 1967 was the high-performance 427 big-block Corvette. What this means is that the Elan is, and always has been, a giant killer.
Although this car started life as a street car, Lotus cars have always been race-bred machines from their very inception. Lotus Founder Colin Chapman only built street cars to support his racing efforts. Chapman is legendary for his fanatical weight-saving efforts, and this machine is a prime example of that mantra. The Elan features an innovative backbone frame that placed the load-bearing stress on the center mid-section along the plane of the driveshaft and on the four suspension mounting points along the front and rear track.
It was a design that not only drastically reduced weight—especially when compared to the conventional ladder frames of the era—but it also allowed the driver to sit close to the ground and thereby benefit from a low center of gravity. When combined with its 4-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and 4-wheel disc brakes, the Elan was a brilliant piece of engineering. This is one fast and beautifully prepared Lotus race car, and it comes with import documents, log books dating back to 1972, a copy of the original MSO and warranty certificate.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/299899/1967-lotus-elan-se-roadster/
