Vehicle: Elite (1981)

[rjwooll]

Name: Elite (1981)

Date Added: 19 May 2014 - 11:57 AM

Owner: rjwooll

Short Description: Essex Blue S2.2 Elite Automatic with leather upholstery.Restored and upgraded with the following modifications:Engine upgraded to Excel SE specification;DTA engine management with fuel injection;4 speed ZF autobox (as Excel SA) fitted in place of original BW 3 speed;Excel suspension with adjustable coilover shocks;Full respray in original colourAnodised aluminium trim refinishedThe car's first owner was Sir John Junor (then editor of the Sunday Express and a figure of some fame/notoriety in his day.)

 

 

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[DeanB]

That looks really smart. When I was a kid my friend's dad had one and I loved it. I thought the interior was very exotic and cool. It was also blue - maybe a tad lighter than yours but that could be my memory playing tricks.

Btw was Sir John's notoriety partly to do with his decision to spec a Lotus with an automatic gearbox? :-)

[darryl]

Very nice Elite indeed

[rjwooll]

Many thanks for your kind comments.

 

Notorious for specifying an automatic Lotus? Well that could be one reason! Then he did work in central London, so probably not a bad idea. My decision to keep it automatic was partly to restore the car in sympathy with the original specification, but also based on road tests of the Excel SA which is mechanically the same. Mid range acceleration is very fast (for an Elite!). As I'm going to use the car as a fast tourer, I think the auto suits it quite well.

 

All the best, Richard

[DeanB]

Oops! I mis-read your post about the spec - I thought you had converted it to a manual gearbox. Sorry for being so rude.

I still really like your car though.

[rjwooll]

That's OK no offence taken! Actually I deliberated long and hard about whether to convert it to manual, one of the factors being whether an automatic Lotus was a contradiction in terms. Then I read a couple of things: firstly ACBC's philosophy to make this class of car as sophisticated and comfortable as possible consistent with light weight and efficiency, and Jim Clark's view that manual gearboxes were a necessary evil and that he would rather not have to change gear apart from on the track. So it's not pure in the Lotus 7/Elite (series 1)/Elan/Elise tradition, but follows a different (but still Lotus) design philosophy.

 

And I'm pleased you like the car! Following on from your memories of the interior as a child, the picture shows the car (still only half finished really) at the NEC Classic Car show last year; when families came round the kids absolutely loved getting in the back (remember the individual 'bucket' seats?)

 

All the best, Richard