1967 Lotus Elan +2

The Lotus Elan +2 was introduced in 1967 with a longer wheelbase and two more seats than the original Elan. It was advertised 'for the discerning motorist who requires the renowned Lotus road holding and performance coupled to an attractive two plus two body'. The Elan +2 embodied the Lotus spirit: it was a fast and agile sports coupé with elegant lines and combined the performance and reliability of the original Elan with genuine 2+2 passenger comfort.

This car is a road-registered race car, having been with our vendor since August 2011. GDS 635F was first registered in November 1967 and was restored in 2004 as a show car with a new spyder chassis. Four years later, it was decided that this pretty little Elan should be converted to a racing car and was subsequently raced between 2012-2015 in the Classic Sports Car Club 'Swinging Sixties' series. In 2013/14, the car was also entered in the competitive Bentley Drivers Club handicap races at Silverstone and was a Class Winner in the ACOC Sprint at Goodwood in 2012. Later that year it also took part in the 2012 Lotus 50th Anniversary races at Brands Hatch and Donington Park, running reliably and quickly.

The bodyshell is finished in French Blue with removable strips and roundels and the interior has been stripped out and, with the lightened boot, bonnet and doors, the cars total weight is a featherlight 775kg.

In March 2012, it was fitted with a full roll cage by Kelvedon Lotus/Kelsport including seat and seat belt anchorages, a Tillett B6 F FIA seat, an OMP FIA 6-point harness, plumbed-in fire extinguisher and FIA cut-out switch, with both inside and exterior pull handles. As with any competition car, interested parties should check the currency and suitability of any safety-related quipment (cage, seat, harness, tank and extinguisher).

The Spyder chassis has tubular negative-camber wishbones and AVO Shock absorbers with spare AVO and Tony Thompson sets if preferred. The engine was rebuilt in mid-2013 with a new American Ford Racing cast block, decked and bored to suit the detailed build. All machining and head building was completed by Anglian Engines, put together by 'J & A Kit and Classic Car' and reassembled with new rings, shells right through top and bottom, gaskets, seals, valves re-cut, head re-shimmed, new springs and buckets, and a new clutch plate in the winter 2014/15 ready for the forthcoming season. The car is accompanied by some spares and four wheels with tyres.

This well prepared Elan was bought in 2016 by our vendor with the intention of campaigning alongside his daughter’s Marcos fast-road car but has not been used much at all in the last nine years. It offers amazing value for someone wishing a low cost entry into club motorsport with a marque that is historically synonymous with small, light, quick sports cars.