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Lotus Elite


Elite
Vehicle Model

A roadster produced by Lotus.  Produced from model years 1957-1963.

Designed by Peter Kirwan-Taylor, who also arranged the financing to build the car.

The car had a fiberglass unibody construction.  This caused issues with electrical grounds that sometimes led to fires.  Flexing of the fiberglass also caused suspension mounting point failure.  These weaknesses led Lotus to replace the Elite with the Elan, built on a more conventional steel chassis.

Awards and acknowledgements include:

  • Among "The 25 Most Beautiful Cars of All Time" by Automobile, September 2006




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