Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Please can we start a campaign to stop using the phrase "Baby Elan"! The Elan was one of the definitive sports cars of the 60's and 70's and the +2 was a spinoff to cater for the family man. To call it "Baby" is a disservice to a fabulous car. After all you don't hear of a " Baby E Type" when compared with the 2+2 version. Maybe I am an old f--t with a voice in the wilderness but would welcome other members views. The Revolution starts here!! Jim

Already been tried, but opinion is divided

free-parking-f45/baby-elan-not-here-please-t24806.html

lotus-elan-f19/what-wrong-with-the-term-baby-elan-t25434.html

Hello Old Chap,

You are obviously a new boy around here. This has been a much discussed topic and I have championed the cause for many a year as you will note from my signature.

Baby should not be used to describe THE Lotus Elan and anyone who does use it is an idiot.

Orsom Weels wrote:Already been tried, but opinion is divided

free-parking-f45/baby-elan-not-here-please-t24806.html

lotus-elan-f19/what-wrong-with-the-term-baby-elan-t25434.html

Anyone who says otherwise is wrong

It's a pointless demeaning way to describe a unique car and probably the best sports car ever built.

It's not a baby anything The Plus 2 is a different car and I'm not even going to mention the other thing on here.

As you have probably noticed it really annoys me

Even worse is that anyone on here, on LotusElan.net, would use the term.

Ignorance in the general public is understandable, but on here .......?

I agree completely that the term while not meant to be derogatory, it certainly is.

Having owned many Elans both the 1960's 70's version and at least 5 of the 91 version, including my daily driver now, I like both the cars.

However I also get upset when people trash the 91 Elan as well. It is a great car. Very innovative. Handles fantastic. Reliable and safe.

I realize this is not a forum for that type of Elan, but the 91 is a great Lotus.

Don't see the fuss to be honest, I refer to mine as the +2 / 2 seater or Drophead / Hardtop but most of my family call them the big and little elan's. Thing is i know which one there referring to so doesn't really make a difference, don't see why they can't use anything that's not insulting?

Probably used in ignorance and to avoid any confusion between the two of them

tvacc wrote:I agree completely that the term while not meant to be derogatory, it certainly is.

Having owned many Elans both the 1960's 70's version and at least 5 of the 91 version, including my daily driver now, I like both the cars.

However I also get upset when people trash the 91 Elan as well. It is a great car. Very innovative. Handles fantastic. Reliable and safe.

I realize this is not a forum for that type of Elan, but the 91 is a great Lotus.

I've had a couple of M100's but i can see why some would deem them unfit the wear the Lotus Badge (not me by the way) at the time i had my first M100 i also had a Vauxhall Cavalier gsi and if you covered the badges you would swear the Elan was a Vauxhall model (its ok raiding parts bins to make something original but they overdid it with the M100)

Europatc wrote:Probably used in ignorance and to avoid any confusion between the two of them

I agree but thing is who cares? (hardly going to pull every one up that doesn't call it an Elan Sprint) frankly if Lotus didn't want it to get tagged as a baby or small elan they should have called the +2 some thing else.

I prefer my 2 seater being called a Baby elan over a grp Kit car (which it basically was)

The M100 probably is a decent car but it's not the Elan, we all know which one that is

It's also not relevant to this forum

nebogipfel wrote:The M100 probably is a decent car but it's not the Elan, we all know which one that is

It's also not relevant to this forum

Yes it is, same Snobby. 2 seater owners think they have "THE" Elan and that may well be true but doesn't make the +2 or M100 any less an Elan (just a different Model)

A forum called Lotuselan.net and they exclude a Lotus elan model? explain that one?

There should be no confusion.........particularly not on here.

Elan

Plus 2, +2, put Elan in front of it if you want.

M100 Elan.

The Elan was not a "Kit" car. It was supplied built or in component form to take advantage of a purchase tax loophole.

nebogipfel wrote:The Elan was not a "Kit" car. It was supplied built or in component form to take advantage of a purchase tax loophole.

Definition.....A kit car, also known as a "component car", is an automobile that is available as a set of parts that a manufacturer sells and the buyer himself then assembles into a functioning car. Usually, many of the major mechanical systems such as the engine and transmission are sourced from donor vehicles or purchased new from other vendors. Kits vary in completeness, including as little as a book of plans, or as much as a complete set with all components included.

So would it be factually incorrect to call it a Grp Kit car? No but personally i'd be insulted.

Anyway in my opinion there are FAR worse things for it to be called than a Baby Elan.

nebogipfel wrote:There should be no confusion.........particularly not on here.

Elan

Plus 2, +2, put Elan in front of it if you want.

M100 Elan.

The Elan was not a "Kit" car. It was supplied built or in component form to take advantage of a purchase tax loophole.

Lets get it right.

Lotus Elan S1
Lotus Elan S2
Lotus Elan S3
Lotus Elan S4
Lotus Elan Sprint
Lotus Elan +2
Lotus Elan +2s
Lotus Elan +2s130
Lotus Elan M100

THAT!! Is the Elan Range. Forget the Elan Bit there all elan's, its the Series or Model of elan you are looking at. So why aren't M100's allowed on here? it can't be that 60's/70's Elan owners don't recognize it as an Elan?

I mean to the degree the sites wiki page doesn't even acknowledge there existence http://www.lotuselan.net/wiki/Lotus_Elan_Wiki there is one thing knowing the M100 guys have there own Forum but another making Elan Wiki info that skips a whole gen of Elans? but hey just looks dodgy when owners start talking about there two seater being THE elan like any other is inferior.