1960 Lotus Elite (Type 14) Series 1

Offered for sale is a 1.2L 1960 Lotus Elite Type 14 S1 manual that has been with the current owner for the last 2 years. Coming with an extensive history file, this lot's condition scores an impressive 106/135. An older restoration of the Type 14 that continues to sparkle today...

The Type 14 was Lotus' first production road car and the world's first fibreglass monocoque

Independent suspension, a ZF gearbox, disc brakes, a Coventry Climax all-aluminium engine and a very low drag coefficient of just 0.29 resulted in simply the best driver's car of the era

#1180 (RHD) was shipped to Californian Lotus dealer, Jay Chamberlain in March 1960

From 1968 to 1988 it was enjoyed by owners in Michigan before being repatriated to the UK (2/11/88)

In 1989 it was purchased by Stan Clark from Leicester who was to own it until 2018

He immediately commenced a full restoration and full details are in the huge history file

Repainted in British Racing Green Metallic with a Silver roof, beige suede interior and chrome wires

Engine stripped and rebuilt by Tony Bates. Gearbox rebuilt, suspension rebushed, cleaned and painted

The seats, steering wheel, engine and gearbox are original to Chassis #1180

Very lightly used at this time. MOT 2007 25,975 miles - currently 26,750 miles

Purchased by our vendor in May 2018. £3,262 spent on brakes, dampers etc July 2018

The car remains in superb condition with gleaming paintwork and a very smart cockpit

The engine bay, with its bright yellow cam cover, presents really well as does the boot interior

Workshop manual (S2), V5s, MOTs, dozens of invoices, correspondence, photographs and articles

This little Lotus is simply delightful. If you are a fan of early Elites, then you will probably fall in love

Exterior: 4/5, Interior: 4/5, Engine: 5/5, Transmission: 5/5, Running gear: 5/5, Electrics: 4/5, Vehicle history: 4/5 For a full condition report, view this car on www.classiccarauctions.co.uk/.