Besides Lotus Elans.....

[masermartin]

Love the forum, as you can tell I am still rather new here. I haven't yet found an Elan +2 but I continue to be on the hunt. I was just curious on a sheer entertainment basis as to what some of you all have of other sports cars if that is the case.

I have owned a Maserati Biturbo for almost 6 years. I still love that car and still runs great. Unfortunately I will probably have to let it go when it comes to crunch time on getting a Lotus.

In the mean time I bought a 1970 MGB. I figured it will hold me over for my British roadster addiction, but I am wrong because I still really really want a Lotus! Anways, just thought it would be neat to hear from some of you and what else sparks your interest.

[nebogipfel]

Never actually owned one (nearly did on two ocassions but I'm not sure that counts)

But aside from the Elan - absolutely the best car in the known universe of course My first purchase after the lottery win would have to be a Daimler SP250 (Dart).

So ugly they are beautiful, glorious sounding Edward Turner designed 2.5 V8 all housed in a hefty fiberglass body. English excentricity at its best

OK they don't do anything particularly well by some standards but they do it with such style

[Jason1]

Hi

I have a 1968 +2 and a 1995 Mini Cooper, I love the old british cars. In the past I have had about 6 diffferent Mini's. Sadley I recently moved house to a smaller property with no garage or workshop so have had to kerb my vehicle purchases

I am hoping to move fairly soon as I need workshop space and I fancy a Volvo P1800 as well and maybe a Porsche 356 (not a kit). I like the Dart as well and maybe a DB5 (well you have to really, everyone wants to be James Bond).

Jason

[tdafforn]

I second the proposal of the Daimler dart, deamon looking car!!!
Otherwise I have always fancied a Jenson CV8. beautiful sound and nice looks!
cheers tim

[twincamman]

I own a super 7 tc --a 61 bug eye and an ?lan--my son had a mini through collage --

[berni29]

Hi There

I used to have a Carrera 4 and would have another if I had the cash, I have had MG's in the past, but they are like tractors compared to a plus 2. I run a MK1 (1986) Honda CRX as a station car, and have run a plus 2 as a station car as well, but the plus 2 is only good if you can park nose in. Just too long otherwise which is why (apart from having crashed the plus 2) I went for the very short CRX.

Good luck with the search

Berni

[1964 S1]

I agree about the tractors and the Lotus and I even really like MGB's. I've got the S1 Elan and an early +2. My other "sports cars" are two Peugeot 505 Turbo stick sedans, absolutely the second best cars in the known universe.

[theelanman]

currently I have a 67+2 a 70+2s and a 65 MBG roadster as my 'classics'
my everyday car is a 91 M100
have in the past had classic cars but the only other 1 worth mentioning was an 66 S1 fhc Etype

[sk178ta]

I`m getting old, I had 4 successive Elans in period, that`s how old, so I`ve had quite a range of cars. Starting with a Mini then an MGTF I moved up market in `69 with a `66 MGB. This was the most disappointing car I`ve ever owned. No trouble but no character, slow and cumbersome. So 6 months on and I swapped for a `64 Elan. What a difference .......... fantastic. So now I`m reliving my youth!
Jim

[Elanintheforest]

Well I have a bit of an eclectic mix, grouped into Lotus, Jaguar and weirdo?s.
Started off with Lotus Cortinas?fabulous cars but had to work up to Elans of course. Still have my S3 FHC bought in 1975. Another couple of Elans and Lotus Cortinas came and went, then came the Jaguar invasion, which are all still here. That started with my everyday car (for 10 years) an XJS. Soon joined by a ?65 E Type coupe, a ?70 2+2 V12 and a ?73 convertible V12. All 3 Es are from California, so no rust. They were joined by a host of other XJS cars, including a 7000 mile XJR-s 6 litre and an early pre-HE manual. The ?73 motor show display XJ6 coupe joined the gang, and with 15 Jags I felt that enough was enough. But it wasn?t, and an old passion for bubble cars was re-kindled (I blame ebay!) so there are a few Heinkels, Trojans and Isettas now filling in the spaces in between the Jags. Not to be outdone, the S3 Elan needed more mates so a couple of very late Plus 2 130s have been added to the collection?one of those is being restored to showroom condition., my all consuming passion for the last 6 months. I think that I?ve bought a few bits from you in the past, Jim.
Others have come and gone. A 970 Cooper S bought for ?35 and sold to buy the first Lotus Cortina, a Healey 3000 restored to perfection but had those tractor-like qualities referred to above, a TVR Griffith 500 that was out to kill me and / or get me banned from driving (9 points on the licence in 14 months), a Dolomite Sprint in Australia that had to be driven with the heater full on in summer to avoid overheating (true enthusiasm), and an M100 Elan that was brilliant and sold to buy the Griff (mistake).
If I had to sell all but one of the fleet the Elan S3 would be the survivor, followed closely by either the E Type coupe or the Elan S130?.the Plus 2 is that good. I?m amazed and baffled (and rather pleased) by the current prices of these stunning cars.
So that?s me?I?ve run out of undercover space for cars now and I?m going to sell off most of the XJS?s. I?ve always wanted a Type 14 Elite, and have a sneaking suspicion that another Lotus Cortina will join the (reduced) fleet in the not too distant future.
Mark

[Dag-Henning]

- have tried to gather a family around the TwinCam engine; Elan S1, Europa TC, a really nice Escort TwinCam ex. Ford Norway, and a Lotus Cortina for historic racing. Furthermore, a 26R replica for historic racing is on its way. Told myself to throw them all out one future day, and I am struggling to make up my mind on what to replace them with ; E-type S1 coupe, Cooper S Mk. 1, Alpine A110 , Abarth 1000, maybe a DB 5, Corvette Split-window -63, Shelby GT 350, Falcon Futura Sprint, .......
There are so many nice creations out there that produce this funny desire "to have and to hold"........Getting old ( past 50), I know it would make sence to go for something that would not require too much maintenance, ...maybe an Elise ??, - or a XKR ???
On the other hand.........

Dag

[purplepete]

Defiinately agree about the sp250 dart,and i'd add a frogeye sprite if i could.I came into elan ownership by accident-a friend of mine has a series 1,and had a huge heap of 'spares' that he coulcdnt decide what to do with,after nearly 20 years of looking at said heap,and of me telling him i didnt like lotus's on the grounds that theyre out of my price league cos i'm just an underpaid gardener,i suggested that we bury ther bits in his woods and make a sort of 'folly',to which his wife suggested that they give all the bits to peter for him to build up an elan of his own-so here i am,with quite a lot of elan,but missing a few important bits,and having given my word that i'll not sell it,got no choice but to continue !!
as for cars i own,i'v got a 67 and 71 vw beetles,but always end up volunteering to help others with their cars,so have intimate knowledge of a couple of frazer nash's,db4 aston,elan,elite,sunbeam tiger,rover p4,but aircooled vws have to be my first love,until i win the lottery,and buy a frazer nash.

[marcfuller]

Like a lot of others I have had an assortment of special interest cars/bikes over the last 35 years. Mine have included a Morgan +4, Porsche 356 A Cabriolet, A-H 100-4, Elan S4, 1939 Ford Cabriolet, 1929 Ford Pickup, Volvo 122, Humber Super Snipe, Norton 850, Ossa 250, Greeves 250, and now a 66 S3 Elan. Nothing compares to the joys of the Elans - from repairing to restoring to driving - nothing is like it and I am very glad my father encouraged me to get another Elan. But, there always needs to be a project right? So when the S3 Elan is solidly back on the road, the garage cleaned up and my coin is replenished I think I will look for a Peugeot 404 Cabriolet.

[chicagojeff]

Started with learning how to drive in Midwestern winters in a 64 VW Microbus. When you can drive that, you can drive anything. Then, a 59 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, BMW 2002, 66 Dart GT, Porsche 914. but, hey, I might want that Biturbo if you're selling? What year and condition? Jeff

[freddy22112211]

Does no Elan owner have (or hanker after) an Eclat (or the others of this breed)? I always imagined (after riding in one) that they would make a great partner car to the Elan.
Gordon