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1961 Elva MK VI

The Elva MK VI was a purpose-built sports racer and the company's first mid/rear-engined race car. It was intended to compete directly with the Lotus 11 which it did rather successfully, prompting Lotus to respond with its Lotus 23 FIA Group 4 mid-engine sports racer of 1962 and 1963.

The Elva Company was initially based in Bexhill, U.K. when it was founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols, with later cars built in Hastings and Rye (East Sussex). The name 'Elva' comes from the French phrase elle va, meaning 'she goes.' This was much better than the Chevy Nova, which in Spanish (no va) translates to 'no go.' The company primarily built race cars during its existence which were often renowned for their affordability and competitiveness. Among them were sports racers and single-seaters. A road-going model was introduced in 1958 - the Courier - and built through 1969 with approximately 500 examples built during that time.

Like many sports racers of the era, the early Elva vehicles were clothed in all-enveloping fiberglass bodyshells and powered by various engines - mostly 1100cc Coventry-Climax FWA and 1,475cc Coventry-Climax FPF F2 engines. Elva's Formula single-seater cars used B.M.C. 'A' series engines installed its tubular steel chassis. The Mark IV sports racer was the first Elva with a tubular spaceframe chassis which used an aluminum undertray riveted to the chassis to increase strength and rigidity. The Mark V was the final iteration of the Elva front-engined sports racing. These models were relatively successful, particularly in the 1,100cc sports/racing class, thanks to the lightweight construction, good aerodynamics, durable engines, and innovative suspension setups.

The Elva MK VI placed the tried-and-true 1,100cc Coventry Climax engine mid-ship and made its competition debut in 1961 on Boxing Day at Brands Hatch. It wore a design penned by Keith Marsden, disc brakes all round with the rear being inboard, and rested on a steel-tube space frame chassis. The front suspension used double A-arms, coil springs and shocks with an adjustable sway bar, while the rear was fully independent with coil springs and shocks with an adjustable sway bar. The mid-ship placement allowed for a very low and narrow frontal area with a 'lay-down' seating position, with the driver's often slightly higher than the height of the rounded fenders covering the tires. Again, the Elva relied on slippery aerodynamics, lightweight construction, and proven mechanical components. At its racing debut, driver Chris Ashmore finished second to the much more powerful three-liter Ferrari of Graham Hill.

Elva produced approximately 28 examples of the MK VI with most being exported to the United States where new importer Carl Haas was responsible for distribution. In the U.S., the MK VI proved popular and very competitive in the 'CM' and G-modified class, and several American racers such as Mark Donahue got their competitive start in Elva cars.

The Elva MK VI's popularity extended beyond the race track when it was driven in the 1960's musical Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley and Ann Margaret.


By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2022

Related Reading : Elva Sports Racer History

In the year 1955, Frank G. Nichols founded the Elva sports car manufacturing company. Based in Hastings, United Kingdom, the name Elva comes from the French phrase ella va which means she goes. Unfortunately, financial problems that were caused by the failure of the U.S. distributor the Elva Company was sold to Trojan in 1961. Production was relocated to Rye, Sussex, and again in 1966 to the main....
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