Lotus Elite Parts and Spares

elite-1973-1983-front The Lotus Elite is a stylish and powerful car, first introduced in 1958 as a sleek 2 door coupe with 1.2L Coventry Climax 4 cylinder engine and a powerful, yet responsive 4 speed manual transmission.

The first Lotus Elite was an ultra-light two passenger sports car that was produced until 1963. The highly innovative technology that was incorporated into the tiny car was cutting edge. The Lotus Elite was one of the first cars to be available with a fibreglass uni-body construction, using the lightweight fibreglass throughout the car, incorporating the steel frame into the body, unlike the Chevrolet Corvette, which only offered the super lightweight material on the exterior of the vehicle.

The resulting car was lighter, stiffer, and provided the driver with unparalleled protection in a crash. The reduced weight allowed the four cylinder, all aluminium engine, to perform as well as, or in some cases even better than, the traditional V8 powerhouses. The Lotus Elite was also fitted with independent suspension in both the front and the rear, providing the most traction possible and the car was one of the first to use disc brakes in the rear.

A variation to the base Elite was introduced in 1960, complete with an updated engine and transmission gear box and updated headlamps. The engines boated higher compression and more aggressive camshaft bearings, creating a full 10hp more than the original 75hp engine.

Production of the Elite halted in 1963, but a newer, larger, more aggressive Elite II was introduced in 1974. Most notably, the change in engine size, from the original 1.2L to a 2.0 and 2.2L and the introduction of the 5 speed manual transmission or a 4 speed automatic version were the biggest changes. The Elite II was the first Lotus to incorporate the DOHC (double overhead cam) technology, which later became the foundation for the Lotus Esprit.

The Lotus Elite and Elite II models were cutting edge for their time, having a stock curb weight of around 2000 lbs. and both models held impressive acceleration and handling stats for any cars of their era.