1998 Lotus Elise Series 1

• Formerly registered to highly respected car collector and enthusiast Nick Mason, CBE of Pink Floyd
• Current seller asked Lanzante to fully restore the car to be the best Elise available anywhere
• £15k plus was spent on the restoration.  Superbly finished in Gunmetal Grey.
• The front light mould is from a 1997 Elise GT1 Le Mans clam shell (original with the car) 
• Factory hardtop, Lotus Sport Koni dampers, adjustable roll bar and its original (MMC) brake discs
• Showing just over 27,000 miles. Fresh MOT valid until 23/02/2022
• Fabulous paint, incredible condition and celebrity provenance – a very special little Lotus

Purity is a fragile and vulnerable thing and in August 1996, the revolutionary new Lotus Elise seemed to ooze purity from every extruded anodised aluminium and epoxy resin crevice, with nothing superfluous subtracting from the essence of this truly minimalist, focused little sports car. Although 'beautiful to behold' it certainly was, the time-honoured relationship between 'form and function' was clearly evident in the way it went and handled with its lightweight chassis-tub at 731kg failing to daunt the enthusiasm of the mid-mounted, 1.8-litre K-series engine, and its 118bhp was enough for a 0-60mph time in the low sixes allied to decent torque in the higher ratios. Clothed in two-piece 'clamshell' fibreglass bodywork, the featherweight two-door also featured all round double-wishbone, independent coil-over suspension, rack and pinion steering, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, and a five-speed gearbox.

 Designer Julian Thomson and engineer Richard Rackham were keen to create a car with something of a motorcycle’s feel, and they undoubtedly succeeded, as is evident as much in the aluminium-and-rubber interior and neat little Stack instrument panel, as in the car's dynamic intimacy with the road, the wind, and the weather. The Elise was a reaction to the corpulent world of leather, luxury, and levers becoming increasingly evident in Lotus road cars, and was an attempt to recreate Colin Chapman’s early principles before he abandoned them in a move upmarket.

The early cars were followed in 2002 by the Series 2 but the simpler, more demure Series 1 still defines the breed. Pretty as these early cars are, our vendor decided to go a little bit further in order for this car to look just as he wanted.  Having acquired the Lotus from Nick Mason's family, he decided later on to get marque specialists, Lanzante, to fully restore the Elise to his exacting standards with some subtle modifications.

The seller informs us that in excess of £15,000 was spent on ensuring this particular Elise is one of the very best examples available to buy anywhere. Originally yellow, it has now been superbly finished in an amazing shade of Gunmetal Grey and this particular hue takes the car to another dimension. The front light mould is from a 1997 Elise GT1 Le Mans clam shell and it's worth mentioning that the car is fitted with a factory hardtop, Lotus Sport Koni dampers, an adjustable roll bar and still retains its original composite (MMC) brake discs.

This little Lotus really needs to be seen to be believed so we encourage people to book a virtual viewing or to send a specialist to inspect on their behalf as soon as possible. Showing just over 27,000 miles and with a fresh MOT valid until 23rd February 2022, this amazing bespoke Elise has had more money spent on it recently than today's guide price, and combined with celebrity 'petrol-head' provenance, it represents a very attractive opportunity.