Lotus Elan Celebrates 50th Birthday at Goodwood
Lotus will be the headlining marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, and will also celebrate the 50th birthday of one of the company’s iconic cars, the Elan.
Launched in 1962, the Elan competed with cars like the AC Cobra, Ferrari GTO, and Jaguar E-Type. It offered the typical Lotus approach to a sports car: light weight with a modern design. The Elan came at a perfect time for the company, and its success carried Lotus out of an economical downturn.
Four-wheel disk brakes as well as a four-wheel independent suspension were both offered along with other luxury amenities like power windows, carpets and a heater.
Serving as an inspiration for the Mazda Miata and the spiritual predecessor to the Lotus Elise, the Elan design is still borrowed from today in some of our modern vehicles.
17,000 Lotus Elan’s were produced, and all of them are held as icons of the sixties, representing the the decade known for its free spirit.
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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