Lotus Elite History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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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.
Body styles
- Coupe
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