Description
Offered for sale is undoubtedly one of the most original, unmolested and preserved Lotus Elites on the market today. The car epitomizes a true “survivor”, with a remarkably stress-fracture free fiberglass unibody, original paint and interior, its original numbers matching Coventry Climax FWE (“Feather Weight Elite”) engine and standard BMC 4-speed transmission, similar to that of an MGA but fitted with a special alloy case that incorporated the bell housing for the Climax FWE.
Sold by Lotus to Jay Chamberlain (a fairly successful race car driver and the west coast distributor for Lotus Cars of America) under invoice # ELC 565 dated January 26th, 1960, the car left the factory trimmed in red with a tan interior and it remains that way today. Chamberlain sold the car to Dr. G. J. Gardner of Boise, Idaho in April 1960, the first of two Lotus’ he would eventually sell to Gardner (the second being a 1963 Elan). Gardner drove the Lotus Elite throughout the 1960s and 1970s, entering it into many events including shows, rallies and auto-crosses. He founded the “July Jackpot Jamboree” rally, a three-day, multi-hundred mile drive from Boise to Elko, Nevada. The car won the best mileage trophy for all eight years of the event. A copy of a 1961 newspaper clipping with a picture of the car was graciously provided by the Elite World Register and can be forwarded upon request. At some point in 1977, Dr. G. J. Gardner transferred ownership to his son, Dr. Charles Gardner and his wife Shirley, also of Boise, Idaho. In the mid-1980s Charles moved to Woodburn, Oregon, bringing the Elite with him, and he drove, preserved and maintained the car until putting it on the market earlier this year.
During the Gardners’ 50+ years of doting ownership the car has amassed a mere 33,500 miles and it shows, considering the minimal amount of patina that the car exhibits today. The original paint is excellent, marred only by a handful of minimal chips and scratches, the most notable being one on the nose between the passenger side light pylon and the badge. The panel fit on the car is fantastic and the body doesn’t suffer from the “waviness” typical to most Elites. The brightwork is in great original shape, showing only a ding in the bumper below the driver side front headlight, and the rubber is in good shape throughout. The wire knock off wheels are completely original and wrapped in rubber with plenty of remaining tread. The car’s interior is also in fantastic original condition, the seats, carpets and interior panels bearing just the right amount of patina but free of any notable imperfections. The only significant flaw is a tear in the vinyl surrounding the shifter boot, something easily remedied. That said, as originality is garnering as much (if not more) respect in the vintage car market today, we felt that those types of decisions should be left to the car’s new owner.
Mechanically the car is superb. We recently had a vintage British marque mechanic (who is also a Pebble Beach Concours judge) go through the car and after a few minor adjustments it came back with an extremely complimentary review. He also went through the engine compartment and returned everything (there wasn’t much to do, mind you) to its correct factory appearance and he’s conveyed that he’d be willing to discuss the car with any serious prospective buyer. The four cylinder single overhead cam Coventry Climax FWE engine starts easily, idles consistently and pulls strongly through each gear with excellent compression. The transmission shifts crisply, the car drives and brakes straight and the thing handles with consummate Lotus precision. In terms of a wholly vintage, visceral driving experience, I can’t say that anything in our warehouse is more enjoyable. Whether winding through the canyons, bombing down the highway or even just tooling through town on Sunday morning on the way to “Cars and Coffee”, the Elite is a joy to drive.
