This site is dedicated to the Lotus Elan Sprint, the final iteration of the Lotus Elan.

The Elan was Britain’s pre-eminent 1960’s sports car. The genius that was Colin Chapman, aided by a talented small team of designers, notably Ron Hickman, had conceived the Elan in 1962 as a replacement for the Elite. The imaginatively designed backbone chassis, brilliant suspension and sparkling twin cam engine, allied to a pretty body, combined to make a winning car, successful not only amongst the discerning motoring public, but also on the track.

The Elan Sprint was the last version marketed, between 1971 and 1973, following the Series 1, 2, 3 and 4. Essentially, the Sprint was an up rated S4, fitted with a more powerful version of the Lotus twin cam engine. Though there are some who see the Sprint as a tuned S4, there is no doubt that Lotus intended it to be a separate version of the Elan (an “S5” in effect) and that it was marketed as such. The Sprint has become one of the more sought after Elan types and they are relatively few in number. This site recounts the story of the contemporary Sprint and does not deal with what has happened since it was dropped by Lotus from their line up in August 1973. All the photographs and articles on this site are from this period only, too. One reason I was prompted to set up this site was because some owners and potential purchasers remain unsure as to what constituted a genuine Sprint, since some S4 owners (and indeed the factory) upgraded their cars to Sprint specification. For those interested in tuning the twin cam engine, brakes, suspension and in renovation, there exist a good number of resources on the internet and in published data.

This site concentrates mostly on the British version, mainly because more information exists in the United Kingdom. However, the Federal versions for the US and the European versions, as well as those Sprints for other overseas markets, also have their place in the history of the marque and additional information for this site is most welcome.

This site is the distillation of my own research and esteem of the Sprint, born in the sixties and subsequently through admiration, ownership and most of all, through driving. I do not pretend to have it right and would welcome additional information, correction or comment. Indeed, anyone attempting to reach any firm conclusions about correct Lotus history or car details will probably never obtain definitive answers. So I set this site out as a guide to help owners, enthusiasts and others get a little closer to answering the Lotus conundrums! 

I have been helped by many people and resources in compiling this site and I thank them all. I would be very happy to share any additional information, correct errors and make improvements to this site.

Tim Wilkes, Essex, UK

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 LOTUS ELAN Sprint