Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Hello

Long long shot but I'm searching for my dads plus 2 in white with black roof, he sold it in the mid eighties and it was in need of repair maybe no mot, from Castleford West Yorkshire, he was an architect from Belfast and lived in a white Art Deco house so this may trigger a memory ? I'm searching old pics for the reg number but no look so far.

Registered keeper would have been: Terence Richard Hughes

Any help much appreciated !

If you can remember the number then the DVLA will show you if it's still around on the road. It does show cars with SORN declarations but I'm not sure if it includes cars that weren't on the road when the SORN declaration came in.

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

Brian

Weird one, shows untaxed not SORN since 2014 yet it has a current MOT. DVLA won't tell you it's whereabouts - I may have been lucky but I did once get them to forward a letter to a current keeper who did then contact me. I sent a covering letter explaining why I wanted to make contact and then put an unsealed but stamped envelope with it so they could read the content. All they had to do was address the letter. May not work.for you.

UAB807F wrote:If you can remember the number then the DVLA will show you if it's still around on the road. It does show cars with SORN declarations but I'm not sure if it includes cars that weren't on the road when the SORN declaration came in.

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

Brian

My Elan falls in the latter category and does indeed show up on the database, it does have a V5.

The number plate 160 FKO was first registered on Friday 22nd of October 1971 near Kent. The car had been previously registered as UPU 248K, a Chelmsford plate. This car had 7 previous owners before the current keeper acquired it. It was painted red previously.

Tim

trw99 wrote:The number plate 160 FKO was first registered on Friday 22nd of October 1971 near Kent. The car had been previously registered as UPU 248K, a Chelmsford plate. This car had 7 previous owners before the current keeper acquired it. It was painted red previously.

Tim

Thanks thats a great help! Where is this info from?? - can i access it anywhere? I'm trawling through old photos to try and find his reg number, but no luck so far, but Im pretty certain it wasn't 160 FKO when he had it. He did live in Winchester prior to moving up to Castleford. I would like to either rule in or out the one I found and posted up, Im thinking the odds of it being the same car/spec in the same very small town might make it a possibility? when searching for used cars theres not many with the black roof - but im a novice so there could be hundreds!

Im going to try calling the DVLA and see if they will put me in touch with the owner..good advice! will update you if anything comes up

Your dad's car sounds as if it had a black vinyl roof, a very popular mod back in the late 70s and early 80s. Never standard on the Plus 2 when new, it was easy for any body shop or DIY enthusiast to fit. And equally easy to remove, so I really don't think it is any longer a good indicator for you. If you mean that the car had a Webasto style sun roof, then that too was a non-standard option sometimes fitted by dealers or subsequent owners.

White was not a popular colour choice but it is not rare either. Again, these cars tend to have gone through a number of colour changes over the decades so neither would the fact it was white when your dad had it necessarily hold that was the original colour or that if the car survived it is that colour now.

So sorry that I might be pouring cold water on your quest, but I suspect that without the actual reg no and/or VIN you are on something of a wild goose chase. A surprisingly large percentage of Elans and Plus 2s survive, not all drivable of course.

Tim

Hi Tim

thanks much appreciated, I've been digging around and that car isnt the one, but the previous owner of it has put me on to another guy in castleford who may have been the purchaser but his has now been sprayed purple, Im now trying to track him down! I think its going to be a tough ask, although the purchaser description fits my memory of the time (An ex-miner electrician) so maybe theres still hope!

Many owners have a list from DVLA of previous owners of the vehicle they own , it would maybe help if you state your dads name then we can all have a look . One of my cars is white with a black vinyl roof ! .

Steve

steveh wrote:Many owners have a list from DVLA of previous owners of the vehicle they own , it would maybe help if you state your dads name then we can all have a look . One of my cars is white with a black vinyl roof ! .

Steve

Hi Steve

thanks for the suggestion its: Terence Richard Hughes

Cheers
Ben

I am slightly confused about what reg we are looking for but 160 FKO can be found for sale here:-

http://www.blackandwhiteclassics.co.uk/ ... an-2s-s130

James

elanfan1 wrote:Weird one, shows untaxed not SORN since 2014 yet it has a current MOT.

If you don't tax it it is untaxed... Unless you SORN it. You don't need tax to get an MOT.

It is not an offence to keep or use on the road an exempt vehicle.

Personally I wouldn't try it, particularly as the license is free.

Thanks I can rule that car out it's not the one. Still no reg number but I'm told it's still in castleford area and has been painted purple, by the guy my dad sold it to, an ex miner electrician who lives in the area. No name yet still chasing leads !

If this rings any bells let me know and thanks for the help much appreciated

Still searching ! New lead ..tracked through two auctions and a dealership in wakefield but gone cold

TJB 226G

It’s been respray we a blue/purple colour looking at the images

Anyone know it’s whereabouts ????

This is the info I have on the car:

Unit No: 50/1365
Engine No: M18511 (SE Stromberg Domestic Market)
Invoice Date: Mid Feb 1969
Reg Date: 17 Mar 1969
Reg Place: Reading (Mike Spence possible dealer)
Note: Nov 2013 at H&H auction: Extensively restored in the 1980s, as evidenced by related invoices on file, this Elan +2 has been owned by the current vendor for the last 12 years and has been driven by him in dry conditions only. We are advised that 'TJB 226G' has been maintained regardless of cost and is mechanically sound. Finished in blue with black interior, the car is described as in generally good condition, with excellent mechanicals, and offered with the aforementioned bills.

Tim