Coys Auction - The Festival Auction
Brands Hatch Motor Racing Circuit
Fawkham, Longfield
Kent, DA3 8NG
Sunday 24th May 2009
It was after racing a CSM-Ford Special and Lotus 6 that Sussex garage owner Frank Nichols decided to build his own sports racing car. He chose the name Elva - an abbreviation of elle va, French for she goes - for the new machine which he had ready for the 1955 season. Employing Standard Eight/Ten front suspension, a live rear axle and rack and pinion steering, the chassis was completed without the aid of any drawings. Power came from Ford‘s four cylinder 1,172cc engine with an overhead valve conversion devised by one of Nichols‘ mechanics, which was also sold commercially to raise money for his racing endeavours. It was at Brands Hatch after one of the Elva‘s first races that Nichols was approached to build another example of his aluminium-bodied sports racer, and he duly set up Elva Engineering to meet further orders for the car.
Following on from this first mode