Lotus Elite History

The original Elite (Type 14, 1957–1963) was a landmark of construction: a closed two-seat coupe whose entire load-bearing structure was a glass-reinforced-plastic monocoque, with only a small steel subframe to carry the engine and front suspension. No production car had done this before.

Styled by Peter Kirwan-Taylor with aerodynamic input from Frank Costin, it achieved a remarkable drag coefficient and was powered by a 1.2-litre Coventry Climax FWE four. Light and slippery, it was a class-winning racer at Le Mans and elsewhere — but the complex composite shell was expensive to build, and Lotus is widely said to have lost money on every one. Roughly a thousand were made.