Lotus founder Colin Chapman had a famous design philosophy: simplify and add lightness. Early Lotus sports cars were incredibly elemental, with barely any bodywork covering the mechanical bits. But as Lotus entered long-distance, high-speed endurance competitions, aerodynamics became paramount. And the Lotus Eleven, with its elaborate body, was born.
The 1957 Lotus Eleven Club recently offered on eBay is one of the few remaining in street-legal trim. However, driving this tiny sports car on the street for any distance would be an adventure.
Faithfully Restored
Lotus Elevens in the 1957 Chichester Cup at the Goodwood Curcuit in 1957. Colin Chapin is driving car number 28.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956 was a very different race than the modern incarnation. Automakers vied for wins across various classes based upon engine displacement. Lotus aimed at the 1100cc category with the Eleven—and won.
Aerodynamics expert Frank Costin designed the streamlined body. The low, bulbous body enclosing most of the wheels minimized the drag at high speeds. And the Coventry Climax engine only needed to motivate about 1,200 pounds—the combined weight of the car and driver—down the 3.7-mile Mulsanne straight.
The seller has owned this Lotus Eleven since the mid-1970s. He restored it, as much as possible, to how it left Lotus’s Hethel works in 1957. A previous owner had already re-bodied and re-engined the car for racing purposes.
Restoring a hand-built sports car—produced in a series of fewer than 200 cars—is a big undertaking. The original Coventry Climax FWA engine had been replaced with other engines over the years. But the restorer tracked down the exact serial number engine and installed it.
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A Vintage Racer for Everyday Streets
Fortunately, Lotus’s small operations sourced components from common auto industry sources. That enabled the seller to use these components:
- A contemporary MGA transmission
- A rear axle from the Nash Metropolitan
- Suspension components from various English Fords
He fitted original Borrani wire wheels to the vehicle. They look gorgeous—at least what you can see beneath the bodywork. Some original aluminum body panels that went missing were replaced with fiberglass. The only other modern concessions are an electric cooling fan and insulation to manage engine heat. (Old British cars, no matter the maker, are prone to overheating.)
Most Lotus Elevens have become vintage race cars. That makes this street-friendly model especially remarkable. That said, the seller notes that the top isn’t particularly weathertight. Also, the windshield wipers scratch the windscreen.
We shudder at the thought of sharing an interstate with an 18-wheeler, big pickups, and three-row SUVs. Today’s supersized cars dwarf this wee Lotus. But put this lithe Lotus Eleven on a quiet back road, and it should be an absolute joy when the path turns twisty.
Also read: Autocross-Tuned Lotus Europa Is Vintage Track-Day Bargain.
