1976 Lotus Elite 504 Coupe

Originally launched in May 1974, the Elite - or Type 75 in Hethel's internal numbering system - signified a shift in Lotus' marketing strategy away from its kit-car origins and the upmarket Elite was certainly the most luxurious and sophisticated Lotus yet. Built around the traditional Lotus back-bone chassis with fashionable wedge-shaped fibreglass bodywork designed by Oliver Winterbottom, the Elite was powered by a new Lotus engine - the 907 alloy-block unit displacing 1973cc, with twin overhead camshafts and 16 valves giving 160bhp and delivering power to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox derived from an Austin Maxi unit. Three different models, the 501, 502 and 503 were sold with varying levels of equipment and trim and - in October 1975 - the range-topping 504 with Borg-Warner 65 automatic transmission was announced. In total, just 2,398 Elites were built until 1980 when the 2.2 S2 version was announced and the subsequent Excel continued to sell well into the late 1980s. As an affordable, individualistic 1970s specialist car, the Lotus Elite is hard to beat, with distinctive styling, excellent performance and the added practicality of seating for four full adults in the roomy cabin.