Elan Spotters Guide

[Unibrain]

As part of the Elan Registry work, I wanted include a brief spotters guide to help identify a car. To try and keep it short I limited myself to a couple bullet points per type. I'm sure there will be feedback and I'm ready for it.

Identification Guide

This is not a comprehensive list of differences between the cars rather a quick guide to identifying a car. Like all manufactureres, there were running changes throughout the life of the Elan. In the case of Lotus, many of these changes were poorly documented. If in doubt, post question to the LotusElan.net forum and ask.

Roadster / Drophead
Elan 1500 ( Type 26 Elan 1500 Roadster )

1500 badge on boot
All were recalled from the factory and updated to Elan 1600 specification

Elan 1600 ( Type 26 S1 Roadster )
1600 badge on boot[/list]
Round tail lights

Roadster S2 ( Type 26 S2 Roadster )
No rollup windows
Oval tail lights

Drophead S3 ( Type 45 S3 DHC )
Electric rollup windows with fixed frames
Oval tail lights

Drophead S3 S/E ( Type 45 S3 S/E DHC )
Electric rollup windows with fixed frames
Oval tail lights
S/E badged

Drophead S4 ( Type 45 S4 DHC )
Square tail lights
Drophead S4 S/E ( Type 45 S4 S/E DHC )
Square tail lights
S/E badged

Drophead Sprint ( Type 45 Sprint DHC )
Complete Details - Link to http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp
Square tail lights
Badged as Sprint
Unique Two tone paint. Could be deleted as an option

Coupe
Coupe S3 Pre-Airflow ( Type 36 FHC-preairflow )
Oval tail lights
No extractor grill on the rear quarter panel

Coupe S3 Airflow ( Type 36 S3 FHC )
Oval tail lights
Extractor grill on the rear quarter panel

Coupe S3 S/E Airflow ( Type 36 S3 S/E FHC )
Oval tail lights
Extractor grill on the rear quarter panel
S/E badged

Coupe S4 ( Type 36 S4 FHC )
Square tail lights
Coupe S4 S/E ( Type 36 S4 S/E FHC )
Square tail lights
S/E badged

Coupe Sprint ( Type 36 Sprint FHC )
Complete Details - Link to http://www.lotuselansprint.com/index.asp
Square tail lights
Badged as Sprint
Unique Two tone paint. Could be deleted as an option

Racing Version
26R ( Type 26 26R Race )
Fixed headlights

[elancoupe]

Looks pretty good.


Not all 26R's had fixed headlights, there are well known examples with flip up lights.

[Unibrain]

Looks pretty good.
Not all 26R's had fixed headlights, there are well known examples with flip up lights.

What one or two identifiers would make sense?

- Fixed Lights (Most not all)
- ?

[elancoupe]

Looks pretty good.
Not all 26R's had fixed headlights, there are well known examples with flip up lights.

What one or two identifiers would make sense?

- Fixed Lights (Most not all)
- ?

S1 and S2 versions had magnesium Lotus designed peg drive wheels.
S2 versions had lightweight bodies and flared fenders.
Most S1's have been updated to S2 spec by now.

[paddy]

I would add square-profile wheelarches for S4 and Sprint.

Also "no rollup windows" for S1/1600.

Paddy

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Stainless steel side trims & flasher repeaters for SE's?
John

[trw99]

Jim

Thanks for the link to my site for Sprints.

In the same vein, you might like to link S1 and S2 Elans to http://www.type26register.com/ for the same reason.

Tim

[Ross Robbins]

Great Idea Jim!!

A couple more things that can quickly distinguish the very similar S1 and S2:

S1 cars had an open glove box separated from the usually teak main dash panel and had thin metal window lift tabs
S2 cars had a full width finished wood dash panel with integrated glove box and thicker cast window lift tabs

And a suggestion for the coupes to distinguish the pre and airflow coupes:

"No extractor grill on the rear quarter panel" might better read "No extractor grill on the rear roof panel", since quarter panel can mean the lower body

Thanks for your thoughtful approach to identifying these cars that are so near and dear to us, yet so rare and similar to the uninitiated.

[types26/36]

Roadster S2 ( Type 26 S2 Roadster )
No rollup windows
Oval tail lights

....and maybe a footnote that the early S2's used some S1 parts including the round taillights..

[Elan45]

I like to mention to people new to Elans that S1 & 2 models, the boot lid is just that, a lid that covers a hole in the back of the car, where-as the later cars, have boot lids that extend all the way to the trailing edge of the car, for better water drainage.

I also call the roadster windows "lift-up" vs the electric windows of the later cars.

There needs to be a disclaimer at the beginning that these notes only apply to two-seat Elans. None of this applies to the type 50 Elan +2.

Good job,

Roger

[Yum-yum]

It would be cool to collect and post pictures of good representations of each type, preferably illustrating as many of the distinguishing features in one shot as could be shown. I don't know the best format or forum for doing this; it might be well done with links to existing pictures here on this forum.

[richardcox_lotus]

I would further refine ""No extractor grill on the rear roof panel"" to be "No extractor grill on the B pillar".

Regards

Richard

[gjz30075]

This is a great idea! I would go even further and suggest posting a small pic of each example difference, if possible. Tim, I was going to suggest this, also, for the Sprint registry, ie, showing the differences between an S4 and Sprint with some pics. Perhaps even differences between Federal and otherwise.

Greg Z

[trw99]

Greg

I'll ponder on your suggestion!

Wait. Out. (A military expression meaning 'hang on a mo and I'll get back to you!)

Tim

[gherlt]

Great idea, I would also add other details which changed over the time, I think of rev counters, tachos, switch types, seats, wheels and so on.
I am now looking at a 1965 S2 in Spain and it has some kind of aluminium wheels on it, seem contempary, but I have never seen them before. Somebody know them all, but I dont know where to look now ...

To make a suggestion for easy implementation, how about a Lotus Elan wiki ?
There all these items and all the *knowledge* could be added and verified by *the community*, also no programming need. I know this one: http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Main_Page .I would give it a better structure (eg following chapter numbering of Lotus manuals, A chassis, B Body, etc).

Regards