Lotus - The Elite, Elan, Europa

The cars Lotus built for the road have always been something of an enigma: they are brilliant machines (as befits the product of a manufacturer who has won the constructor's championship no less than six times), yet they have suffered from a reputation for unreliability. In this study of Lotus: The Elite, Elan and Europa, Chris Harvey takes a critical look at those early cars: praising where praise is due but never being afraid to criticise when that is deserved. This book, the result of painstaking and original research, offers a wealth of technical detail along with history, use in competition, the men behind Lotus, anecdotes, practical advice on restoration, road testers' reports and stories of what really went on behind the scenes. Generously illustrated with colour plates and black and white illustrations, including several body conversions, with the likes of the Hexagon produced Elan estate and Frua Elan Coupe.