LOT 252

1964 Lotus Elan 26R Hardtop Coupé to FIA Specification Registration no. not registered Chassis no. 26-R-22

Estimate: £140,000 - £180,000

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Lot 252

1964 Lotus Elan 26R Hardtop Coupé to FIA Specification
Registration no. not registered Chassis no. 26-R-22

Goodwood Revival: Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia|18 September 2021, 13:00 BST|Chichester, Goodwood

1964 Lotus Elan 26R Hardtop Coupé to FIA Specification
Registration no. not registered
Chassis no. 26-R-22

*Supplied new to Karl Foitek in Zürich
*Successfully raced in Switzerland 1964-1967
*Chassis renewed
*Original bodyshell modified in period to accommodate Series 2 wheels/tyres (unique)
*Eligible for many prestigious events such as Goodwood Revival, Tour Auto, Spa 6 Hours, etc

Footnotes

An Elite-type glassfibre monocoque having proved insufficiently rigid when applied to an open car, Lotus boss Colin Chapman came up with a simple but effective steel backbone frame for the company's new Elan sports car. Launched in October 1962, the Elan was available as a complete car or a kit at reduced price. Suspension was independent all round with unequal-length wishbones at the front, while a wide-based lower wishbone and modified Chapman Strut, as used in Lotus Grand Prix cars, was employed at the rear. Triumph Vitesse rack-and-pinion steering was used and there were Girling disc brakes all round. The Elan's engine was a highly modified 1,498cc (later 1,558cc) Ford Cortina unit incorporating Lotus's own twin-camshaft cylinder head, and both the gearbox and differential came from Ford. Introduced in November 1964, the Series 2 featured numerous detail styling changes and improved brakes.

As one would expect, given its background and specification, the Elan proved to be a highly capable circuit racer. Capitalising on the numerous successes achieved by privately entered cars, Lotus introduced their own version - the '26R' - in 1964. A stiffened chassis, up-rated suspension, wider wheels, lightweight coachwork, and a BRM-built engine were among the many features distinguishing the 26R from its road-going counterparts. Some of the top Grand Prix drivers of the day were associated with the Elan 26R including Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt, Stirling Moss, and Jackie Oliver. In UK club racing its foremost exponent was John Miles, who won every race at the Goodwood Easter meeting in 1966 driving a Willment-entered example. The factory's record keeping was less than perfect and it is not known for certain how many 26Rs were produced, the official figures being 52 Series 1 cars and 45 Series 2. Approximately 30 genuine examples are known to survive.

A Series 1 car, originally finished in blue, '26-R-22' was supplied to Karl Foitek in Zürich in June 1964 and raced by him for the next three years. Foitek won many Swiss National championships in various categories and was 3rd in the Sports Car class in 1967 driving '26-R-22'. He widened the wheel arches for the 1966 season to accommodate the wider tyres as on Series 2 cars and carried out usual adaptation of the 26R front end (swept bumper, lights). He also changed the colour to orange for what would turn out to be a very successful 1967 season, and in November of that year displayed the Elan at the Zürich Racing Car Show.

In 1968 the Lotus was converted to road car specification for use in Zürich. Exported to the USA in 1970, it was used as road car in Michigan and California, before being placed in storage circa 1982. In 1995 the Elan was re-bodied with a modern Series 2 shell in California, the original shell being retained. The car remained in storage in California from 1997 to 2004 and then was entered in two races there in 2004/2005. In 2006 it returned to the UK, receiving a new 26R chassis and benefiting from other works at Kelvedon Motors. An HTP was issued in September 2007. In 2015-2016 a major overhaul to racing specification was carried out by Gerry Wainwright, including restoration and reinstallation of the original body. A new HTP was issued, valid until 31st December 2027. From 2016 to 2019 the Elan raced in the CSCC's Classic K series.

This 26R's continuous history is very well documented in text and photographs, and the car comes with voluminous research files and many original contemporary photographs. The bodyshell, as raced by Karl Foitek in 1967, is unique: no other 26R with HTP certification carries the sculpted wheel arches that enabled the narrow Series 1 body to accommodate the wide Series 2 wheels and tyres and thus remain competitive. In storage since the end of the successful 2019 CSCC season, this unique 26R is fast, reliable, immaculately prepared, and ready to race.

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