1960 Lotus Elite

Colin Chapman built lightweight racing cars with aerodynamic designs and small displacement engines. This marriage of efficiency and mechanical sophistication often resulted in performance that exceeded much more powerful machines. His company fostered an enviable reputation reinforced by numerous victories and podium victories, yet Chapman worried its longevity required a firm commercial foundation. Thus birthed the road-going Type 14 Elite Grand Touring Coupe, introduced in 1956 as the far-sighted forerunner of a new age of composite-construction, monocoque-chassised performance cars. Similar to his competition cars, Chapman endowed the Elite with lightweight construction, attractive bodywork, and a potent Coventry Climax FWE all-aluminum inline four-cylinder engine.

Construction
The Lotus Elite received fiberglass monocoque construction with the stressed-skin Glass reinforced plastic unibody acting as a load-bearing structure for the car. The front suspension and engine were supported by a subframe that was bonded into the front of the monocoque, along with a squared-section windscreen hood with mounting points for the door hinges. It provided roll-over support and protection, along with a jacking point for lifting the car.

The first two hundred and fifty examples were constructed by Maximar Mouldings at Pulborough, Sussex, but due to numerous problems, the manufacture was entrusted to Bristol Aeroplane Company. With modifications to the design and construction, the resultant body was stiffer, lighter and provided more protection in the event of a crash.

Mechanical Specification
The Lotus Elite had a wheelbase size of 88.3 inches, an overall length of 148 inches, stood 46.5 inches tall, and was 59.3 inches wide. The suspension was independent all round with transverse wishbones at the front, and Chapman struts at the rear. The suspension attachment points often pulled out of the fiberglass structure, and was one of the shortcomings of using fiberglass-reinfected plastic without a full understanding of its engineering qualities.

Stopping power was via Girling disc brakes, often devoid of servo assistance, positioned inboard at the rear and measuring 9.5 inches in diameter. The tires were Pirelli Cinturato 155HR15.

Engine and Transmission
All production Elites (except one that received a newly developed Lotus-Ford Twin Cam engine) were equipped with a Coventry Climax FWE all-aluminum inline four-cylinder engine. It displaced 1.2 liters (1,216cc) and offered approximately 75 horsepower. The transmission was a four-speed manual unit.

In 1960, the SE version was introduced and came with twin SU carburetors and a fabricated exhaust manifold, boosting engine output to 85 hp. Additional upgrades included a ZF gearbox, Lucas PL700 headlamps, and a silver-colored roof.

The Super 95 version received a higher compression ratio and a stronger camshaft with five bearings. A few Super 100 and Super 105 versions had Weber carburetors and were intended for motorsport competition.

Body Design
Without the aid of computers or wind tunnel testing, designers were able to pen a body with a low drag coefficient of Cd=0.29. Peter Kirwan-Taylor created the original Elite drawings, with Frank Costin contributing to the final design. Frank was the brother Mike (a co-founder of Cosworth) and Chief Aerodynamic Engineer for the de Havilland Aircraft Company.

Production
The Lotus Elite was produced from 1957 to 1963, with 1,030 examples built (as many as 1,047).

Performance
The Lotus Elite was capable of racing from zero to sixty mph in 11.4 seconds and had a top speed of nearly 112 mph.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2023