Classic Cars - Page 2

Renault, the pic is not showing up for me.

The 300SLR is an excellent choice, please allow me to host:



I actually like this angle better:

That one's on my list, too. The others: 1) Citroen DS-23 EFI, albeit in midnite blue. Why? Name one other car that is - A permanent MOMA exhibit - The object of one of the 20th century's finest philosopher's attention - Rife with masterful innovations in chassis, suspension (hydropneumatic), and safety (crumple zones, reinforced doors, 14" inboard front disk brakes, collapsable no-spar steering column, etc.) 2) Alfa GTV1750, the finest sports sedan of all time and even better in blue or white than red. With DCOE's and (unlike the specs in the picture) a Twin Spark head, please! 3) Lotus Elan Sprint, in Gold Leaf livery as shown below. A finer sports car does not exist 4) For nostalgia reasons, a 1993 Mazda Miata LE with ABS and a hardtop as my daily driver. 5) To scare myself occasionally, an E30 BMW M3, BMW's finest effort to date 6) For nothing but going back and forth to restaurants/hotels because it's so pretty and also fun to drive, a Jaguar S-Type 3.8. S-Type and not the slightly prettier Mk. II because the S's bigger hindquarters hold the IRS used from the E-Type through the XJ-6/XJ-S rather than the Mk. II's live axle. Obviously 3.8 instead of 4.2 because the shorter stroke engine is more entertaining. I don't have any Talbot Lagos or Bugattis on the list because realistically I'd only want cars that I wouldn't be scared shitless to drive, lest some fuckhead in an SUV decides to inattentively destroy a piece of priceless history.

Like those $500,000 watches or the Faberge paperweight, I would use these autos on a daily basis, regardless whether it is a Talbot-Lago or Fiat. Diana Vreeland used to own a Faberge cup that she she utilized as a Q-Tip holder in her bathroom.

As a certifiably obsessive multiple Lotus owner since 1967, I applaud your unrepentant enthusiasm for the Elan in general.

Did you notice the Federal S4 model Sprint in your image has S3 seats? Maybe the owner didn't like the headrests that were standard on all the Federal S4 models. For a number of details, the Seven appears to be a mid-1970s Caterham. The Elan roadster is an S2. The FHC is an S3 SE. Are you willing to guess the identity of the (barely visible) Lotus beyond the S3 FHC?

By the time Ron Hickman penned the Elan Sprint for Lotus, John Player and Lotus had abandoned the Player's Navy Cut Gold Leaf colors in favor of the John Player Special colors. Many Lotus owners feel that the Gold Leaf colored Sprint is an amusing anomaly. I ordered my 1973 Sprint 5-speed as shown below without gold bumpers. Those Tech-Del (genuine MiniLite!) knock-on magnesium wheels came later. My Sprint is approaching 40,000 miles on its odometer.

[url="http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i61/FullCanvas/California-LaJollaWindnseaElanandPh.jpg"]


Although I've been blessed to own many unique automobiles over the years, I can't say that I was ever so concerned about other drivers that such concerns prevented me from enjoying my time in the driver's seat. The inattention of other drivers will always be present.

Why deny yourself the pleasure of driving any car for the unwarranted concern about the behavior of other drivers? Parts and skilled labor have always been problematic for the repair and upkeep of specialty automobiles. Ironically, the availability of both parts and skilled labor may be less of a concern today if one knows where to find them.

I pray that our automotive paths never cross if and when I momentarily lose focus behind the wheel of my Ford Escape SUV! Many of us Elan drivers have been known for our lack of attention when driving any and all vehicles.
_______________________________________________

Jaguar XJ13

For me, the most desirable car ever made.

I drove one of these as a kid:

Actually, I didn't. I knew something was vaguely off but I couldn't put my finger on it. Thanks!



Sure, I'll take a stab. I know that in the 1970s Lotus sold a front-engine/RWD 2+2 using their 907 slant four out of the Jensen-Healey and Esprit, though I never knew any came to America. They offered a two box hatchback and a Kamm-back I think one was named Eclat and the other reused the Elite badge. Without cheating I couldn't tell you which name went to which body. But it's the Kamm-tailed one of those two.

Actually, it's a 1977 Esprit S1. The car was retrofitted with some early (non-Federal) Esprit Turbo bodywork including the engine cover and rear bumper.

The Elite 501 - 504 had the big glass Kamm-profiled hatch/window/boot lid. The Eclat 521- 524 was a fastback design. The cars reached the U.S. as early as 1974. Lotus offered an automatic transmission on both models. Neither body style was a big selling item for Lotus in the U.S. market.

The design was an unintentional bridge to keep the Lotus name in the American market until the Giugiaro-designed Esprit was certified for import to America. The Elan and Elan +2 were no longer in production. The few 1975 Europa Specials were no longer crash and smog certifiable. So, the Elite and Eclat were "it" in America for two model years until the Esprit was ready for sale in America as a 1977 model.
__________________________________________

Interesting. It looked a little bit too high to be an Esprit to me, but then I forgot how delightfully low to the ground the early Lotii are.


Interesting. I've never seen one here, even at the British Motorcar Days that Danny Panoz annually holds at Chateau Elan. I've seen both in the UK and the Elite one in South Africa. Did these have the same metal backbone+GRP body as the rest of Colin Chapman's designs from the Elan up? I wonder what an Elite would go for. Hemmings doesn't show any. They do, however, show an 1971 BRG/yellow Elan with black interior that is probably within reasonable driving distance of my mother's house. And a 1991 BRG M100 Elan, though I turned down a great condition local yellow M100 for over $5k less., mostly because I hated the bulbous Chevy Camaro transplant steering wheel and having to leave the driver's seat to move the top. The shifter also didn't exactly inspire Miata-like confidence. The Isuzu turbo was a nice little engine, though.

I like my car, I really do, and right now two cars isn't an option. Still, damn you Hemmings for putting ideas in my head!

- XK 140 DHC
- XK-SS
- Bentley Continental Fastback
- Cadillac V-16
- Pretty much any classic Ferrari

~ ZJ

Identical in design theory to the Elan/Elan +2/Europa.


Regardless of price (and it's usually seductively low when you locate one), the big Elites are generally your investment in someone else's much deferred maintenance .

The car is in limbo. It does not have the nimble qualities that the earlier cars enjoy. Nor does it have the horsepower of a larger GT car. Nevertheless, it's a car worthy of a drive or two if only to understand how Chapman's vision was fogged and diluted by various government regulations. Even with all the interference, the can is fun to drive when everything is right.

We took our 1976 503 on all the back roads between San Diego and San Francsico several times. It was swift and silent. I loved the whine of the rubber cam-drive belt. The air conditioning was nice in the August heat of the Monterey Historic Races. In the end, the car was simply too big for what I want in a Lotus. So, I sold it in 1979. The buyer was momentarily happy! It seems I dodged a major repair bullet by about six thousand miles or eight months.
___________________________________________