Lot Ended
Description
Few owners; bodywork restored in 2005; a very smart Elan that was
driven 50 miles to the sale
‘The uncanny cornering powers
of this remarkable machine equal and probably exceed those of any production car
we have ever driven before: similarly, the handling and brakes are certainly not
bettered’ – Motor magazine, September 1967.
Launched in 1962,
the Elan redefined the sports car genre with the its ‘light is right’ poise and
finesse. Steadily improved over its 11-year lifespan, the S4 version ran from
1968 – 1971 and was the best yet, with a host of minor upgrades over its
predecessors.
The familiar
Twin-Cam engine produced 105bhp – 115bhp depending on the state of tune which,
in a car weighing just 1,500lbs made it good for 0-60mph in around 7.8 seconds
with a top speed of 118mph. According to the Elan Registry, 2,976 S4s
were built in total, of which there are only 295 registered survivors today.
Dating from 1968, this Elan S4 started out in life as a Coupe (as
denoted by the 36 chassis number prefix) but was converted to DHC spec at some
point in the past. Although there is no early history with the car, old
registration documents show that from 1977 – 1986 it was owned by a Mr T
Sebastian of London, and from 1986 – 2005 by a Mr R Edwards of
Norfolk.
In July 2005 it was acquired
by a Mr Fielder of Norwich, photos on file showing that by this time it was
already a DHC painted in John Player black and gold (see last photo). Mr Fielder
had it professionally stripped down to the gel coat and repainted in its current
Gold Leaf livery, giving it the looks of the final Sprint model. This work was
carried out by Max Bidwell and Sons of Norwich, the invoice showing that it cost
£4,360 with many photos to show the work in progress.
Always in light
regular use, 16 old MOTs show that the mileage
at this point was 4,916 and it is now showing 19,798 miles. There are various
invoices for routine upkeep and servicing during Mr Fielder’s 15-year ownership
plus a certificate showing that it attended the Guiness World Record gathering
of 246 Lotus cars at Snetterton in June 2009.
It then had another
owner for five years before our vendor acquired it in November 2025. He has
fitted new wheel spinners to the car but other than that it hasn't needed
anything.
Other documentation includes a
period Elan S4 sales brochure, a factory workshop manual, a big file of period
road tests, magazine articles and technical literature plus an agreed insurance
valuation of £32,000 dated November 2018. A dash cam is also included,
fitted to the windscreen by the rear-view mirror.
As you can see in
the photos, this Elan looks very pretty indeed with an excellent paint finish
and a smart interior. Driven some 50 miles to the sale, we are told that it
drives as well as it looks. It has certainly been starting promptly and running
nicely as we have moved it around on site, with healthy 40psi oil pressure.
PS: A bit more history for this car has just arrived which
is shown in the last two photos.
Consigned by James
Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com