Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

s4 dhc sold for ?27,600 inc premium

http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23589/# ... =list&m0=0

some astonishing prices for series land rovers, range rover, etc........

fred

350 miles since restoration 21 years ago... and I thought I do not drive my elan enough...

Thats an Interesting one, So Miles Wilkins restored it 19 years ago then used it once for a promo and mothballed it?

?27k sounds about right for a nice one.

I remember seeing the owner with it on the programme with his dog in the passenger seat.

It is weird that it's only covered such a small mileage since, but who knows the personal circumstance......

Regards
Richard

It was indeed a nice car but probably needed a bit of re-commissioning after so few miles. Not really apparent in the photos but it is a metallic green - close to if not actually Lotus Racing Green as seen on Elise' at about the time it was restored. Nice colour but it may well have put some people off. Ditto the walnut dash for the purists. Weber head despite the bonnet as it was converted from Strombies and if they kept the Stromberg cams it would have been within a gnats of a Sprint in terms of performance anyway (just ?15K cheaper! ).
At an ?18K to ?24K estimate it looked very interesting...
Cheers
Rob
S3 SE FHC
S2
S2 7
22

Just a bit off subject, being in the trade we tend to watch allot of these auctions (Not so much Bonhams though) it's starting to become very clear how much the numbers matching thing is making a difference to the prices, so much so the Auction houses are putting the cars Body,Engine,Chassis and Reg number in the listings (which you could argue is tempting the unscrupulous to clone stolen cars), it's surprising how picky the bigger name auction houses are being about it now even to the degree of turning cars away that aren't fully matching. There was a time they would check the cars status and mileage but they really have got a bit OTT in the last couple of years.

The car chassis (although now replaced) is 14 numbers later than my 69 S4 SE DHC (Federal) - 45/9182. Engine number is a bit later however, some 800 numbers later (assuming sequential and no gaps). Mine is G19504 vs L20320. Mine a G-reg (for later export), while the auction car is H reg.

As noted the head would have been changed from a Stromberg one which would have been as delivered. (I have changed as well, just now, to a SAS replica weber head.)

I also note that he steering wheel is larger than mine (4 holes). I have 3. Is this a difference between an SE and a regular S4? Or just a Federal thing?

Interesting to see a car of very similar production time even if UK vs Federal. Although my car has been on hiatus for extended periods of time, nothing like this one! Wonder how it has done sitting for so long or whether things need (re)sorting.

1owner69Elan wrote:The car chassis (although now replaced) is 14 numbers later than my 69 S4 SE DHC (Federal) - 45/9182. Engine number is a bit later however, some 800 numbers later (assuming sequential and no gaps). Mine is G19504 vs L20320. Mine a G-reg (for later export), while the auction car is H reg.

Interesting to see a car of very similar production time even if UK vs Federal.

Here in the UK we sold the Elan without a engine fitted (as is the case of this particular car) so that the customer avoided the new car purchase tax as they did not purchase a complete car. This means that the engine numbers are even more random than those factory fitted.

sometimes i feel sorry to have to digest all this irrelevant crap regarding matching numbers etc... colin, our master, showed all of you guys the colin chapman path: uncontrolable and deliberate chaos: my cars' chassis should have been a 26 4982 it wasn't; was a 36, then we have the s 1, s 1,5, s2 and 2 1/2 etc.. then there's no two identical (or in theory equal) Sprints, S3s .......nor 26Rs ------------- we could continue for hrs. so only unqualified car dealers will attribute value to those virtues which mean nothing to me (some of us). loving colin and lots of his ideas (especially chassis, suspension and aerodynamics) you CAN (or maybe are allowed to) add where his budget didn't go far enough: invisible lightweight HELP e.f.: lighter brackets, k-nuts, cfrp and kevlar, honeycomb outer interior panels, shortened bolts, no unnecessary insulation, lighter body, seats and doors etc.. A N D LIGHTER Y O U --- that's not the big money btw sandy

el-saturn wrote:sometimes i feel sorry to have to digest all this irrelevant crap regarding matching numbers etc... colin, our master, showed all of you guys the colin chapman path: uncontrolable and deliberate chaos:

Yes, it's possible he knew how silly collectors are and sought to thwart them in their silliness into just enjoying his cars for the smile they put on your face.

I do find it curious to insist on matching numbers for a machine that is quite noticeably non-original. It seems to me that the two disorders should go together.

Still, I have to confess that when I bought my Europa, I insisted the owner supply the original engine that had died of liner leakage during a long dormant stint. After a brief frenzy of energy planning to fit very nice non-originals like Venolia pistons, I haven't even re-approached the oil pump impeller that's become one with that block (I did buy a new one, but the old one has to come out to put it in... After all, the replacement engine is strong and reliable and capable of doing everything the original did a bit better...

1owner69Elan wrote:The car chassis (although now replaced) is 14 numbers later than my 69 S4 SE DHC (Federal) - 45/9182.
I also note that he steering wheel is larger than mine (4 holes). I have 3. Is this a difference between an SE and a regular S4? Or just a Federal thing?

My just acquired 69 S4 FHC is 25 numbers later than you, and it has the 3 hole steering wheel, so it isn't an SE v S4 difference.

I may have this wrong but the thing about "3 or 4 holes" in the steering wheel spokes...... I always thought they all have 4 spokes it's just that normally the one's with the small covers at the end of the spokes (nearest the rim) have the cover "hiding" the "4th" hole & so you cannot see it - please tell me I am wrong here because that's what I have always believed. It is always refreshing to learn something new though......

A

Pastapesto wrote:I may have this wrong but the thing about "3 or 4 holes" in the steering wheel spokes...... I always thought they all have 4 spokes it's just that normally the one's with the small covers at the end of the spokes (nearest the rim) have the cover "hiding" the "4th" hole & so you cannot see it - please tell me I am wrong here because that's what I have always believed. It is always refreshing to learn something new though......

A

+1 ...Agreed

You are absolutely right about the 3 or 4 holes. The fourth hole is there under the covers.

I never noticed it after almost 47 years of ownership.