10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT… LOTUS ELAN AND +2
Like any of the subjects in this Top Ten Trivia series, telling the whole story of such a fine car would fill a book. All we can do here is give a brief overview to the background and the development, together with our own personal pick of the trivia. So buckle up, as we have a lot to get through in a very short space!
Colin Chapman had made his name building racing specials under the Lotus name, starting with the MkI in 1948. In 1955 Lotus Engineering Co Ltd became a member of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, marking its transition from a builder of specials to a fully-fledged car company. In 1957 they unveiled two seminal classics – the Lotus Seven and the Lotus Elite. The latter has a bearing on this story, as it was a closed coupé for road use as well as track, and the first Lotus to be made from glassfibre. The Elite proved a great
