S1 engine bay and boot (trunk) color

[cabc26b]

On type 26 cars I have seen engine bays in both black (painted) or left I presume "natural" which is a dove grey . The question to the forum is does anybody know if there is (was) a point in time where the decision was made to paint the compartments black ?

How about the boot/trunk area , I have only seen them in black ?

[Bill]

The engine bay was origionally painted black on 26/0538 produced in Dec '63, the boot interior is black as well as the underside of the boot lid. the bonnet lid underside is also black with a horsehair insulating pad (black finished) glued to the bonnet bottom.

Bill

[garyeanderson]

A friend of mine bought a S1 with a Spyder chassis as a project 10 or so years ago, he then bought a Galvanized Lotus replacement chassis and I bought the spyder chassis from him. When I picked the Spyder chassis up the S1 was there so I had a close look at the car. It had the engine bay painted grey and had been semi finished (been filled between the top body skin and the top of the wheel arch moldings - see yellow in photo). I don't usually remmember color, but this was the only time I had seen that detail done on an Elan, the rest of the car looked unrestored. I have seen plenty of Elite's painted grey but most of the Elan's (Mostly S2's anS3's) except a few have been Flat black, I think it had something to do with the fact that most of the Twin Cams leek a little oil and black hides it better thn grey.

[cabc26b]

This is my third S1, all have been late 64 production eariest car was 777. A friend of mine is an original owner of an early S1 ( 346, with tke bourne tag) and i recall his engine bay being grey in color . All my trunk/boots have been black. I ask because the paint looks after the fact (see photos)

[cabc26b]

here is a shot of the trunk/boot