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The story of the Elva Courier - Rien ne va plus

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Created on August 1, 1984

Text:

Dieter Günther

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Elva Courier 1957 - frühes Modell

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Elva Courier MK III 1963 - offen am schönsten

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Elva Courier MK IV S 1967 - hübscher Zweisitzer

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Elva Courier 1958 - Interieur fotografiert in Goodwood

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Elva Courier 1963 - Prospekt 1963 - Seite 1

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Elva Courier 1963 - Prospekt grün S1

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Elva Courier 1963 - Prospekt grün S2

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Elva Courier 1963 - Prospekt grün S3

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Elva Courier 1963 - Prospekt grün S4

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In dieser kleinen Werkstatt in Bexhill wurden die ersten Courier angefertigt - Elva Courier

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Elva Courier MK III 1963 - Bob Danvers-Walker

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Elva Courier MK IV S Type T 1966 - Seitenansicht

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Elva Courier MK IV 1963 - ausgestellt in Earls Court

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Elva Courier MK IV 1963 - vor der Trojan (Kabinenroller) Fabrik

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Lehrte die Konkurrenz das Fürchten - Ein Mk II in Pferdsfeld 1961 - Elva Courier Mk II

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Wolfgang Daewel mit seinem erfolgreichsten Modell, dem Mk I - Elva Courier MkI

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Elva Courier MK III 1963 - Chassis mit unabhängigen Aufhängungen

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Elva Courier MK IV 1963 - Preisliste

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Elva Courier MK IV 1963 - Chassis mit MG B Motor und Getriebe

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Elva Courier MK IV 1964 - das einzige Auto mit Einzelradaufhängungen für weniger als £ 1000

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Die Nase vorne - Ein Courier-Coupe beim Grossen Preis von Deutschland 1962 - Dieser Prototyp ging nie in Serie - Elva Courier

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Der Courier Mk III, Baujahr 1963 - Das von Trojan konstruierte Modell liess jedoch in vielen Belangen zu wünschen übrig - Elva Courier

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Summary

In the late 1950s, there were a lot of people in England, mostly young people, who felt called to become car manufacturers. One of them was Frank Nichols, who founded the Elva company. The name was an original derivation from the French: "Elle va", she goes. With the Elva Courier, Nichols created a progressive sports car that was successful both on the road and on the race track.

This article contains the following chapters

A small car makes it big
Remarkable racing successes with the Mk I.
Financial difficulties prevent further successes
An Englishman saves the Courier
Trojan's design leaves a lot to be desired
The final chapter of the Elva Courier

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In the past, every car sold in England was subject to a horrendous 33 percent purchase tax - unless it was purchased in "component form", i.e. as a kit, and assembled by the customer. As this was the only way for some enthusiasts to realize their dream of owning their own sports car, something like a second market quickly emerged alongside the "established" companies - the "kit car" manufacturers. It was here in particular that the new car brands soon crowded together to such an extent that even a connoisseur had difficulty finding their way around. Nevertheless, the cars had a lot in common: the bodywork was made of plastic and rested on more or less elaborate frames, and their technology was usually based on mass-produced units from BMC or Ford. The company bosses often came from the tuning industry, and their first cars were often screwed together in such tiny holes that the average mechanic would not even have been able to change a wheel. Unfortunately, only a few of them were able to prove that they were as good businessmen as they were technicians - such as the recently deceased Colin Chapman, who turned his former backyard workshop Lotus into a world-renowned company.

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