1959 Lotus Elite Coupe (LHD)

Universally acknowledged as one of the prettiest cars ever made, the Lotus Elite was Colin Chapman's first attempt at a civilized road car in 1957. With an advanced specification, the Elite (Type 14 in Lotus numbering system) was built around a monocoque entirely constructed of fibreglass, with bodywork styled by Peter Kirwan-Taylor using input from aerodynamicist Frank Costin. The Elite boasted ultra lightweight construction (it weighs just 625 kg with fuel on board), Girling disc brakes all round and fully independent suspension derived from contemporary Lotus race cars. Under the bonnet, the Coventry-Climax FWE four-cylinder engine displaced 1216cc and developed 75 bhp (later models had twin SU carburettors to give 85 bhp) and the original BMC gearbox was replaced with a stronger ZF unit. As well as a successful road car (Lotus sold 988 plus a few more in kit form), the Elite proved a winner on the track, scoring class wins at Le Mans six years in succession and Leo Geoghegan took out the 1960 Australian GT Championship. Contemporary road tests confirmed the Elite's potential, recording a 0-100 km/h time of 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h. Today, the Elite remains a popular vintage racer around the world, the combination of lightness, agility, balance and lively performance making it a real pleasure to drive on either road or track.