Lotus Elan Sprint - The Final Iteration Of The Lotus Ela

This Elan comes with a thick folder of paperwork that shows it spent some of its life in Monaco, where it was owned by former BTCC winner Frank Sytner. It was restored in the mid-1990s around anew Lotus chassis, and boasts various upgrades including an aluminum radiator and expansion tank, plus a tuned Geoff Richardson engine. The history also includes e-mail correspondence between previous keepers that helps to piece together the car's past, photographs of the restoration, seemingly endless invoices and receipts, plus a host of old MoT certificates.

Lotus Elan Sprint

The car itself is superbly presented, with panel fit that is most un-Lotus in its accuracy and excellent paint. The only slight imperfections are a small crack in the finish on the nearside rear wing and the same near the rearmost exhaust hanger. The steel wheels are unmarked and the chrome is flawless. Inside, the trim is first-class, with no wear evident on the seats or carpet. The dashboard is very good, too. There is no cracking or discoloration of the wood, plus the labeling for the switchgear is all present and correct. If you were being hyper-critical, you could say that a couple of the black rocker switches are more faded than the others, but there is little else on which to mark it down. A recent, chunky Moto-Lita steering wheel has been fitted - the original is supplied.

Even when started from cold, the Twin Cam power plant emits hardly any smoke. There are no signs of leaks around the engine bay and all fluids are clean and to level. Oil pressure is 40psi at a cold idle, while the water temperature sits between 70-80°C on a test drive. Performance is strong throughout the rev range, the brakes pull up the car swiftly and squarely, and there are no noises at all from the suspension or drivetrain. It's a delight. With the exception of the driver's electric window, everything works, too - the headlamps raise and lower on demand, for example.

The faulty window will be fixed before the car is sold, and the Elan will come freshly serviced and with anew MoT.

Lotus Elan Sprint’s interior

Lotus Elan Sprint’s mechanicals