1968 Lotus Elan S3-SE 'Rob Walker'

“A gentleman’s word is his bond, a firm handshake its seal” – and Robert Ramsay Campbell Walker was most definitely a gentleman. It said so in his passport!

Johnnie Walker heir, Rob Walker, was the private owner of a Grand Prix team with the legendary Stirling Moss as his primary driver from 1958 until 1962. This duo, along with chief mechanic, Alf Francis, managed to post a number of victories, including the first-ever wins for Cooper (1958) and Lotus (1960) Grand Prix cars. He was the first, and almost certainly the last, private team owner to win a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix without ever building their own car. His team was also successful in many other levels of motorsport, including F2, F3, sports car racing and hill-climbs. In recognition of his Scottish roots, Rob painted his cars dark blue with a white roundel and stripe across the nose to echo the Scottish flag.

He also had a successful dealership at Corsley near Warminster supplying Jaguars, Austins and MGs as well as Neville Trickett’s much-acclaimed Minisprint. It was through Rob Walker Garages that the first owner of JXF 20F ordered this bespoke Elan S3 DHC. It was an SE model and was specially finished in Rob Walker’s signature Ford Midnight Blue, we understand, to commemorate Stirling Moss’ legendary win at Monaco in 1961 aboard the Rob Walker Racing Lotus 18. Moss carried race number 20 on that day which is reflected in the ‘20’ in the Elan’s registration number.

Our vendor bought the car a few years ago to add to the Piddington Collection directly from the original owners and naturally it was transferred to the care of Neil and Ken Myers for many months to be fully restored and returned, as close as possible, to the condition that it would have been in when it was collected from the RRC Garage at Corsley by its excited first owners. As with all the Piddington Cars, the chassis engine and bodywork are original and, although the odometer currently reads 58,371 miles, given the Myers family's pursuit of perfection during the rebuild, it’s rather academic. Within the history file there is a picture of JXF 20F from 1967 with the owner’s wife standing alongside.

The sophisticated colour combination of Midnight Blue and black really suit the Elan, somehow elongating its pretty lines and this beautiful example is surely a car to keep forever.

Supplied with the Elan are an original Elan tool kit, original Owners Handbook, Service Book, the current V5C, an early Irish logbook, an MOT from 13th June 1996, further previous MOTs, lots of original pics (mainly B/W), a Rob Walker DVD, Magazines - Motor Sport-Jan 1970, Autosport-May 19,1961, Playboy Magazine from June 1961 featuring RRC and the Stirling Moss book "All my Races".