The Lotus Elite was produced from 1958 through 1963. The Elite was Colin Chapman's first real production, road-worthy, closed automobile. The road going vehicles provided the funds to finance the racing program. Constructed of glassfibre monocoque comprised of eight box sections, the vehicle was both light and strong. Under the hood was an aluminum four-cylinder 1216 cc OHC engine courtesy of Coventry Climax. Zero-to-sixty took around twelve seconds and top speed was achieved at 115 mph. Disc brakes were placed on all four corners and the gearbox was a four-speed manual. The suspension was a four-wheel independent setup.In 1957 the first prototype was debuted at the Earls Court Auto Show. During its production lifespan, around 1050 examples were created. It was replaced by the Elan in 1963.The Lotus Elite was a road worthy car, nevertheless, many owners decided to race the vehicle. Examples were entered in the prestigious 24 Hours of LeMans where it captured many class victories.

1960-Lotus-Elite