1971 Lotus ELAN Sprint

This restoration-project Lotus Elan Sprint has remarkably had just one registered keeper since 1976. The owner was a lifelong bachelor and academic who appears to have placed the Elan at the centre of his life if the paperwork is anything to go by. The vendor has obtained a build certificate from Lotus which states that this is a Sprint built in january 1971 making it one of the first production models.

Last used in 2006, it has had a Spyder spaceframe chassis fitted in 1987, which those who know Elans will recognise is THE chassis to have, being infinitely stiffer than the one the factory fitted and an ideal upgrade to a rotten Lotus original.

The engine appears to have been recently rebuilt too, about 20,000 miles ago, and appears to have the ‘big valve’ head along with Weber carburettors (which are apparently not possible to fit to a S4 head) but we would prefer potential bidders to take a look for themselves on that score. For details of the rest of the car, read on.

There appears to have a colour change from blue to red at one point in its life (performed by Hexagon BMW, no less). That’s OK though, because the new owner is going to have to strip the car and respray it anyway.

Other than that there isn’t a lot to say. The body isn’t rusty, obviously and the glassfibre appears to be in good shape; this was a well-loved car that was cherished throughout its life, so it looks far worse in the photographs than it really is.

The nearside rear wing is probably the worse area; please see the photographs for details. Otherwise it looks like it just needs preparing and painting in the colour of your choice, which sounds like the best of all worlds to us!

The Spyder spaceframe chassis looks to be in good order and will almost certainly need nothing more than cleaning and painting.

It’s going to need a new hood too, and the wheels will need refurbishing and new tyres fitting. But then you’d guessed that, hadn’t you?

The interior is fairly rough but, importantly, it looks to be all there. Potential bidders will want to satisfy themselves on the latter point (the former is obvious…) but you’re going to have to restore the whole lot anyway, so do you care what condition it’s in?

The driver’s seat appears to be an upgraded item, but the original Smiths gauges are all there along with the original Lotus seatbelts.

The steering wheel looks like it will need restoring, but it is the factory - and highly prized - ‘Colin Chapman’ item. The wooden veneer dash is going to need replacing or restoring but the carpets might be salvageable, as might the door cards. A modern headunit and speakers have been fitted.

Charmingly, the original Lotus ‘QR’ sticker is still inside the glovebox.

The Lotus Twin-cam engine was rebuilt in 1994, and the car appears to have had very little use between then and it being laid up in 2006-ish. So, while we obviously can’t warrant its condition, it’s unlikely to need anything serious doing to it to get it running sweetly once again.

UPDATE: the owner has not attempted to start the car, feeling that the fuel system would be better purged and cleaned first. However he has engaged a gear and rocked the car back and forward to check, he confirms that the engine definitely turns and is not seized and that there are no horrible noises from it when doing this - he has also confirmed that the clutch operates.

The rest of the components, are something of an unknown quantity. We’d strongly suggest that potential bidders view the car in person but if that’s not possible then please assume that there will be your fair share of mechanical components that will need refurbishing, restoring or replacing.

However, there are literally hundreds of bills and old invoices for parts and work (a guess would say it totals about 30,000 of your 20th Century pounds), including stuff like having the rear axle rebuilt in and the chap was still buying bits for the Elan as late as 2008 so the mechanical condition might not half as bad as we fear!

The vendor shows that this Elan comes with a 6cm-thick history folder! plus the original owner’s handbook and a workshop manual, many photographs of it throughout its life, a number of expired MOT certificates, and a thick sheaf of old magazines.

In fact, the car’s history folder is far too voluminous to photograph in detail on this listing, so please allow another couple of hours to leaf through it if you do go and visit it!

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored to the very highest standard.

With a replacement chassis, a half-decent body and engine and just one owner who appears to have a fetish for maintenance and paperwork, this is a rare opportunity to buy a restoration project early Lotus Elan Sprint that doesn’t need too much doing to it, meaning you get the chance to stamp your personality on your dream car at minimal cost and effort.

With the prices of Elans finally on the rise, we think the winning bid will be in the region of £15,250 - £17,250.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Chelmsford; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.