Category: Lotus
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Lotus Éclat S1, S2.2 and Riviera: History and Buying Guide
UNUSUAL CARS MODEL GUIDE The Lotus Éclat was the front-engined four-seat fastback produced from 1975 to 1982 as the Type 76 and later Type 84. Closely related to the Elite, it used the same backbone chassis and Lotus twin-cam engines but traded the shooting-brake tail for a lower, more conventional coupé profile. Quick answer: the…
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Lotus Elite Type 75 and 83: History, Specifications and Buying Guide
UNUSUAL CARS MODEL GUIDE The second-generation Lotus Elite was the four-seat shooting-brake coupé produced from 1974 to 1982 as the Type 75 and later Type 83. It combined Oliver Winterbottom’s wedge-shaped glassfibre body with a steel backbone chassis and Lotus’s own Type 907 or 912 twin-cam four-cylinder engine. Quick answer: early 501–504 cars provide the…
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Lotus Elite Type 14: History, Specifications and Buying Guide
UNUSUAL CARS MODEL GUIDE The original Lotus Elite, Type 14, was a two-seat coupé produced from 1957 to 1963. Its stressed glassfibre monocoque dispensed with a separate steel chassis, while a Coventry Climax-derived 1,216 cc engine, independent suspension and exceptionally aerodynamic shape delivered performance far beyond its modest capacity. Quick answer: the Elite is historically…
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Lotus Seven S1, S2, S3 and S4: History and Buying Guide
UNUSUAL CARS MODEL GUIDE The Lotus Seven was the minimalist front-engined sports car produced by Lotus from 1957 until 1973. Across four factory series it combined a light tubular chassis, simple aluminium or glassfibre bodywork and a succession of Ford, BMC and Coventry Climax engines. Caterham continued the design after buying the rights, but a…