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Re: 1966 Price list

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:23 pm
by Mazzini
Elanintheforest wrote:Andy, the Special Equipment package was first devised by Graham Arnold I believe, and was available for the Lotus Cortina from December 1963.

It was a simialr package, with engine upgrade, seat belts, radial tyres and a badge and a few other bits and pieces. By October 1964 the S/E package also included the leather covered steering wheel.

Certainly in the early days, Lotus Components modified standard cars to S/E specification, rather than them being built to order. So a fully build car was driven down the ramp, into Lotus Components unit where it was stripped and the S/E mods applied. Only 64 Lotus Cortinas were declared to have been upgraded, but the real number was almost certainly much higher....it was a highly proifitable upgrade, and the less the taxman got.......

So in answer to your guess of if you asked you paid.....I'm sure it was just as easy to take an Elan into Lotus Components as it was a Cortina!

Here's the spec of the Lotus Cortina S/E package....scroll down to 'Options'

http://www.lotuscortinainfo.com/?page_id=430

And here's a picture of the demonstrator S/E Lotus Cortina at the Racing Car show in London in Jan 1964, with illustrations behind of what went into the S/E upgrade....

Mark


Wasn't the Elite offered in SE form as well?

Re: 1966 Price list

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:43 pm
by Elanintheforest
It certainly was, but few similarities between the S/E offering for the Elite and that for the Cortina and Elan. Not sure when the S/E options were offered for the Elite, but I think it was towards the tail end of production in '62 / '63.

Mark

Re: 1966 Price list

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:44 pm
by LotusArchives
Hmm Lotus Cortina and Elite, more models where we have little data.

As we're covering all models, has anyone got any marketing material on Elan +2 S/E the '69 cars in the book i'm doing has S, S/E & E/E as the type.

Re: 1966 Price list

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:33 am
by Bill
My S1 (Dec.'63) cost me 1312 pounds from the factory.

Less than 6 months 'till her 50th birthday!

Bill

Keep your stick on the ice!

Re: 1966 Price list

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:52 am
by Bill
Whoops - I mistyped - it cost me 1210 pounds, including radio, radial tyres and tonneou cover

Bill

Re: 1966 Price list

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:53 am
by LotusArchives
Bill wrote:Whoops - I mistyped - it cost me 1210 pounds, including radio, radial tyres and tonneou cover

Bill


I've seen TON noted in the despatch book, I thought it was short for Tonneau cover. I don't think many people went for the radio option, not from the '72/73 records and surpringly not during the Esprit days either.