BRAINS AND BRAWN

There’s more than one way to crack a nut, so the old cliché goes, and this very different two-seater pairing from the 1960s offers more than ample proof. On the one hand, there’s the meticulously thoughtout and advanced Lotus Elan – the fibreglass embodiment of Colin Chapman’s lightweight philosophy. The burly Sunbeam Tiger, on the other hand, is more of a sledgehammer approach, relying on cubic inches for its thrills instead. But which makes the better choice as a classic?

Lotus Elan

The impact of the Lotus Elan cannot be underestimated. Its less-is-more approach set a template that inspired the likes of the Mazda MX-5, as well becoming Lotus’ first commercial success and contributing to the funding of its successful racing exploits. It also helped revive a company than had been hampered by the more exotic but troublesome Elite, which relied on more expensive and fragile components.

The Elite used a used a fibreglass monocoque body, but for the Elan ex-Ford man Ron