1990 Lotus Elan SE

Mid life crisis fulfilled – in summer (2014) I bought this little red topless number and surprised myself, I really like it.

There’s a lot to say about this little car, not least that it is a very early example from the production run.  Me being me I looked for one needing a few jobs doing and surprised myself at how together the car really is.

In Lotus circles, these are marmite cars, people seem to love or hate them. I suppose because they are front wheel drive and went against all the conventional wisdom of the time.  That design decision was well made I think, while the purists prefer rear wheel drive, this was built for a wider cross section of drivers, much more forgiving and in tests at the Lotus test track in Hethel, quicker than the RWD variant they were testing in development.

Mine being an early model has the ‘opera glass’ headlamps, which pop up from the front but hinge in two places with the light unit stowed facing up rather than attached to the lifting cover.

I will post up some photos and records of work done over the next few weeks, but you can expect me to hold onto this car for a while, it is a hoot to drive, comfortable and cheap to insure.

Here are a few photos taken during the Lotus Festival at Brands Hatch in August 2015: