Two Car's for March's Car of the Month....Reducing his Lotus-themed collection, here are two of Rob Hogarth's cars …Read on to find our which one he is selling:
Lotus Elan Sprint
In just over a decade Lotus built around 12,000 Elans, from the Series 1 in 1962, through the Series 2, 3 and 4, and culminating in the Elan Sprint which was produced from 1971 to 1973. The Sprint was the most powerful version, featuring the ‘Big Valve’ Lotus twin cam engine. The Lotus launch advertisement for the Sprint was entitled “You should see the Sprint sprint” and quoted 130bhp and 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, and 0-100mph and back to 0 mph in 20 seconds, highlighting both class-leading acceleration and braking. These figures are still impressive today, let alone fifty years ago!
Whilst the straight-line performance was truly outstanding, where the Elan really shone were its driving dynamics: pin-sharp steering, tremendous road holding and handling. Period road tests frequently quoted the Elan as unmatchable across country.
The superb handling doesn’t come at the cost of comfort and makes the Elan’s famed magic carpet ride an even greater achievement.
This is my third Elan. The first was in my early twenties in 1979. The next, my first Sprint, in 2000, and I purchased this one five years ago after seeing an advert for a Sprint at renowned Lotus specialist Paul Matty for a sobering £49,995. Seeing that price, I thought “It’s now or never” and I found this car for sale privately, it having been the subject of a multi-year restoration.
This particular model is known by Lotus historians as an “S4/Sprint”, of which there are believed to be 79. These were cars which were in production (or had just been produced) when the factory announced the Sprint. Several were, like this one, upgraded during the manufacturing process to Sprint specification before the official Sprint models were recorded…and others were returned by disgruntled dealers whose showroom stock was outdated overnight when the new model was announced. Some such cars were taken back by the factory, updated to Sprint specification, and returned to the dealer.
Most Sprints were ordered with a body colour ‘over white’ (lower body) but a single colour could also be specified, with or without the “Elan Sprint” side stripes. The red-over-white colour scheme echoed the Gold Leaf brand then featured on Lotus’ F1 cars - the team being sponsored in that era by Gold Leaf brand owners Imperial Tobacco.
Driving a properly set up Elan is a joy. It positively fizzes with excitement and energy. It is very delicate and after driving heavier vehicles one has to consciously adjust to steering with one’s fingertips. The steering is very sharp and once in the zone is almost telepathic. Low gearing provides searing in-gear acceleration and the gearchange action itself is light, direct and like the proverbial rifle bolt…. zipping up and down the gears is a joy. The famous twin cam is surprisingly torquey for a small capacity (1558cc) unit and its willingness to rev is revelation if you’re not used to one. It delivers plenty of aural drama too.
The Elan is tiny compared to most modern vehicles, yet clever design means the cockpit is roomy and is surprisingly easy to get in and out of. Subjective of course, but to my eyes the Elan’s styling is well-proportioned, handsome and works well from any angle. (A small aside, the Elan’s designer Ron Hickman also designed the Workmate DIY folding bench, later made famous by Black & Decker).
The drawbacks of Elan ownership?
They do need to be properly maintained. That goes for any vehicle of course but the Elan’s delicate nature requires frequent maintenance and they are prone to deteriorate very quickly if not kept on top of. Aside of planned maintenance, there always seems something to do and it certainly helps if one enjoys fettling. However, the Elan’s small size means normally straightforward jobs can be very time consuming (and frustrating!) due to difficult access. For more demanding items, specialist expertise is unfortunately becoming hard to find, and is often expensive. The theory was that once sorted an Elan should be relatively cheap to run for a competent home mechanic….but sadly that has not been my experience. Love it though I do, it confounds me that even starting with an excellent basis, covering just a relatively small mileage and doing much of the work myself, I’ve (still) had to spend substantially more on the Elan than any other classic to keep it in A1 shape.
On the road the Elan’s performance easily copes with today’s needs and though not essential for use in heavy traffic they will benefit from upgrading the cooling system, and the highly tuned engines were never intended for long periods of idling - some can be temperamental. As previously mentioned, the gearing is low and at motorway speeds the rev counter is a considerable way up the scale. Over long journeys it can become tiring.
Nevertheless, owning an Elan is a special experience. For an enthusiastic driver any Elan must surely be in the top few of any selection of classic cars.
Evante Mk.2 Gran Premio
“The brilliant sports car you’ve probably never heard of…” Classic & Sports Car magazine, reviewing the Evante.
The Evante was conceived as a continuation of the Lotus Elan, updated for the 80s and 90s incorporating features designed to improve on the Elan’s shortcomings.
Around one hundred Mk. 1 Evantes were manufactured by Lotus specialists Vegantune, using their own highly tuned development of the Lotus twin cam. Sadly there were quality issues, and Wikipedia states the company failed in 1991. The rights were purchased by another specialist who then developed the Mk. 2 Evante, adding the proven Ford Zetec 16V twin cam engine and drivetrain for reliability and ease of maintenance plus, at 130bhp, the Zetec’s power was comparable with the final ‘Big Valve’ Lotus engine and definitely more robust, plus its modern fuel injection did not require the specialist expertise nor frequent tuning needed to keep the Lotus’ Weber carbs performing well. The body too was upgraded in strength and quality using Kevlar reinforcement and mounted upon a much more substantial tubular spaceframe chassis in place of the Elan’s delicate chassis which had proven vulnerable to corrosion.
Elan-like performance and driving dynamics were maintained together with a 5-speed gearbox provides relaxed cruising. When the mood takes one for a spirited drive, 0-60mph comes up in 7.9 seconds, and on to 125mph. Like the Elan, independent suspension all-round delivers outstanding ride and handling, complimented by light and responsive rack-and-pinion steering and disc brakes all-round give great stopping power.
The Ford engine and drive train means cost of ownership is far lower than the more specialist Elan and, important in today’s frequent traffic jams, stress-free idling without temperament. Plus, it can be left unused for extended periods and always starts first time. Life's little luxuries are catered for in this Mk. 2 with Gran Premio spec. which includes full leather interior, electric windows, wood dash, etc. The compact size makes the Evante easy to place confidently, yet it will still comfortably accommodate six-footers, with a decent sized boot giving enough luggage space for two people touring.
I imagine many readers would be interested to know how the Evante compares with the original Elan …. it was certainly a question on my mind before buying one!
In summary, my personal view is it compares very well indeed. Despite low production numbers, the quality is in fact very good for this type of vehicle and the designers successfully improved on some key shortcomings of the Elan – which we should remember was initially produced some thirty years earlier. As one might expect, the Mk. 2 is therefore somewhat more refined yet, most importantly, the feel and the overall driving experience remain intact. Quite an achievement and one which, as a lifelong Elan enthusiast, I must admit I was sceptical about before owning the Evante. Plus, the single addition of a 5-speed ‘box gives the Evante a considerable advantage if one wishes to cover a meaningful distance.
Comparing to the Elan’s competition, having owned and enjoyed most 70s British sportscars, the performance and driving dynamics delivered by the Evante really are substantially better in my opinion.
As well as performance and dynamics, when one takes into account the very practical considerations of ease of use in today’s heavy traffic conditions, affordability and cost of ownership, and the Evante makes a very strong case for itself indeed.
"A wonderful reincarnation of Colin Chapman’s best-loved product, full of all the Elan’s virtues and lacking its short-comings" … is how Motor Sport magazine described the Evante.
Of course, it is not a Lotus and, for some, that may be a critical issue….
Nonetheless, the Evante has a further string to its bow:
Its rarity means driving something very different (when, if ever, did you last see an Evante?) which always creates a talking point amongst enthusiasts and onlookers alike. And it’s a great story to share since there really are several improvements the Evante brought to what surely must be one of the greatest sports cars of all time. Quite something.
This one, with just 24k miles, was selected as Octane magazine's Showroom Star last month and is currently featured in Sadcase Classifieds, where you can learn more about the history of the marque along with detail on this specific car. Or, contact robhogarth@btinternet.com or 07968 555801
