Lotus Elan Shapecraft

[elansprint71]

[twincamman]

[Old English White]

btw --I allways thought the coupes were FUGLY ----ed

... Ed , still trying to reach the 10 000's !?!
U don't have to be provocant ; just write something constructive or informative ... on the subject !!
I am sure you can.
Btw , is TThompson' Shapecraft Elan still in Japan now !?!
Christian.

[jeff jackson]

can we see pictures of Jenny and Pauls Wedding? javascript:emoticon(':D')
Very Happy

Jeff

[twincamman]

WELL OK --[Jens my daughter ] ----ED

[batfish]

Twincamman
Hopefully attached is a photograph of an Elan with the same frontal treatment as yours that I found in a Lotus book. The picture shows an elan driven by a T E Blackadder racing at Croft in Yorkshire, England in 1966

regards
Batfish

[twincamman]

well Ill be darned ---they must have made hundreds -the one on the right rear looks airborn--thanks for the picture -BTW --that couldnt be that Mr Bean fellow could it ??? -ed

[elansprint71]

Rather remarkably, the first-built Shapecraft Elan has emerged from a 34-year hibernation with the same owner, who bought it back in 1977, knowing exactly what he was buying!

If I had one of these, it would have been fixed up rather quicker than has been the case here! It is definitely "a project" although the vital rear half looks in good condition, all things considered.

Details can be found in the August edition of Classic & Sports Car magazine.

[SADLOTUS]

Hopefully, the article below.

[Elanintheforest]

The owner hopes to fit a Vegantune Cortina Twincam.....What's one of those?!!

Mark

[garyeanderson]

Ian has posted some info in the 26r thread

elan-racing-f12/26r-identities-and-other-info-t17764-330.html

8th post on the page, wonderful Elan - great history. Hope to see more here in the future.

p-a

[elansprint71]

The owner hopes to fit a Vegantune Cortina Twincam.....What's one of those?!!

Mark

A missing word competition? "Prepared"?

Seems that the name is still in existence, although any connection with "our era" is about as tenuous as the modern Shapecraft is to the old outfit.

http://www.vegantune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=27

http://www.shapecraft.com/

[CBUEB1771]

Seems that the name is still in existence, although any connection with "our era" is about as tenuous as the modern Shapecraft is to the old outfit.

The Shapecraft website is a tad entertaining. On the Lotus page they list a Mark IX as a Seven.

[vstibbard]

Dave,

Always on lookout for Shapecraft info..a friend in Singapore just sent me this advert from Nov 63, as I'd been on the track of a car that was owned by stanley Leong in Singapore in around 66/67s and raced in Singapore, Malaysia.. so far no luck in tracking it down. I caught up with the Eli Solomon and Rodney Seow in Singapore recently and had a great chat about all things racing in late 60's as I own 2 cars that raced in Singapore GP and Sports car events over a number of years, Rodney knew the car well having worked on it when it arrived in Singapore, it is was Shapecraft conversion to standard Elan without the side windows and roof vent, was painted red in the photo's I've seen but think it arrived from UK a different colour, but had all the 26R suspension wheels uprights etc fitted to it in Singapore by Rodney when it arrived. Rodney was later to be a winner of Singapore GP for both racing cars and motorbikes.

I'll post photo of the "Singapore Shapecraft" as well, I've scanned a page of Eli Solomon's Snakes & Devils book which documents the GP and Sports car races in Singapore until its demise, for those interested its a great read, filled with photo's. If it prompts anyone do reach out and I'll put yo in touch with the guys in Singapore..

I've read some of the commentary in this thread around what is and what isn't a Shapecraft, the most interesting aspect in the attached advert is reference to extended nosepiece which may explain some of the confusion.

Cheers

V

[elansprint71]

Thanks for posting these, particularly the advert from Surbiton Motors. I'm not sure that anyone took up the long nose option; the prototype had it along with the lower roofline, compared to the subsequent cars.
The option of wire wheels is something new to me, did anyone take that option? I have seen a photo of an Elan with wire wheels but I don't think it was from SM.