"The Lotus Elan was designed in 1962, by the legendary Colin Chapman whose brilliance at lightweight chassis design produced one of the best handling sports cars ever; a design which is still revered today. The previous model, the Lotus Elite, had fiberglass monocoque bodywork which proved insufficiently rigid. Chapman introduced an effective steel backbone chassis to the Elan whilst retaining the fiberglass bodywork. So successful was this chassis, that it still forms the basis of Lotus cars today. Only weighing in at 680kg and with a cleverly designed twin-cam 1498cc (and later 1558cc) engine built upon an existing Ford unit, it proved exceptionally nimble on the straights and in the corners, showing Chapman's true understanding of suspension dynamics. In March 1968 the final Series 4 was introduced. The benefits included dashboard fresh-air vents and improved interior trim and fittings. The fiberglass coachwork was lighter and incorporated flared wheel arches to accommodate the wider wheels; side repeater/indicators and larger rear lights were also added.
This lovely example is one of the last and most desirable Series Four models. It is presented in Old English White with an original and good condition black interior. The car has been looked after by renowned Lotus specialists, Elite Auto Specialists of Birdham, Chichester. Accompanying the car is a substantial history file containing many invoices relating to work carried out by Elite Auto Specialists and others going back many years. This car was purchased 26 years ago by the present vendor, he has used it sparingly and kept it garaged, which has resulted in the car being presented in such great condition today."