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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC - we are needed

Name: Lotus Elan Sprint DHC 1972
Brand: Lotus

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Created on October 13, 2021

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the driver sits far back

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the engine is still behind the front axle

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - most fun when open

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - feels particularly at home on country roads

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - high cornering speeds are possible despite narrow tires

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - even the narrowest mountain passes are enough for it

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - 720 kg kerb weight and 126 hp engine power were quite a statement at the time

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the only difference between the Sprint and the S4 is the two-tone paintwork

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - space for two people and luggage on a minimal footprint

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - only 3.66 meters long, the Mazda MX-5, which the Elan inspired, was 31 cm longer

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - fits into any gap

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - "strictly plastic" - the company name in the background fits perfectly

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the windshield frames were fixed from S3 (1966) onwards

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the aluminum wheels are not original, the central hubs have to do without wings in Switzerland

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the side windows open electrically

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the two-tone body was typical of the Sprint, but it was also available in a single color

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - front view, the Sprint is only 1.42 meters wide

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - rear view, the side-mounted exhaust silencer, which is not typical for all Sprints, is clearly visible

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - each concrete element is probably almost as heavy as the entire plastic body of the Elan

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - compact roadster

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - large Smiths instruments

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - leather steering wheel as standard, the Lotus emblem was slightly smaller on the Sprint

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - signed "personally" by Colin Chapman

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the hood can be opened with a lever in the dashboard

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the 1.6 liter is fed by two Dell'Orto carburetors that can handle a lot of gasoline

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the Sprint received a completely revised cylinder head, the covers were black ex works

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the Lotus sign on the hood

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - the headlights fold out by engine vacuum

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - side indicators and working bodywork

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - celebrated Lotus F1 World Championship titles on the side emblem

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - fuel filler cap as it was also found on other small series vehicles from England

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - Color changes on the trunk lid

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - lettering at the rear

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Lotus Elan Sprint DHC (1972) - centrally routed exhaust pipe

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Lotus Elan S3 (1968) - Wir werden gebraucht - we're needed - Emma Peel and John Steed in the TV series The Avengers (Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone)

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Lotus Elan S3 (1966) - after a crash test

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Lotus Elan S2 (1965) - completed convertibles in front of the Lotus factory

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Lotus Elan S3 (1965) - the coupé next to the Cabriolet S2

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Lotus Elan S3 (1965) - the coupé still without a vent behind the side window

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Lotus Elan S4 (1969) - Plastic body and chassis

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Lotus Elan S3 (1968) - the chassis in the shape of an "X"

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Lotus Elan S2 (1965) - the chassis drawn

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Lotus Elan S3 (1967) - Advertising - neither spaghetti nor wine nor sausage

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Lotus Elan S4 (1969) - as Coupé and Cabriolet

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Lotus Elan S4 (1971) - Special Equipment Drophead Coupé

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Lotus Elan S4 (1969) - the Elan was built here

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This must have been the view from Colin Chapman's office window, many unsold Lotus Elan ...

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Lotus Elan Sprint (1970) - early pre-series Sprint as a coupé in two-tone paintwork

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Lotus Elan Sprint (1972) - as a two-tone convertible

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Lotus Elan Sprint (1972) - as a two-tone coupé

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Lotus Elan Sprint (1972) - Coupé, probably yellow and white

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Lotus Elan Sprint (1972) - probably yellow and white

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Summary

The Lotus Elan was continuously developed for 11 years, and the S1 finally became the Sprint with the "Big Valve" engine, which gave the sports car 25 percent more power and made it fit for the battle with its competitors Jaguar V12 or Fiat Dino. The most famous Elan driver was Emma Peel from "Umbrella, Charm and Melon", but she still had to make do with an S3 and do without the powerful four-cylinder engine. This driving report tells the story of a very special Lotus Elan Sprint DHC that has been used intensively throughout its life and is still unrestored.

This article contains the following chapters

Almost straightforward continuation
Large valves
Enthusiastically received
A big little car
Short career
A special story
Maintenance instead of restoration

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Do you remember? "Wir werden gebraucht" or "we're needed" appeared at the beginning of almost every episode of the crime TV series "The Avengers", broadcast in this country under the title "Mit Schirm, Charme und Melone". It was always John Steed who drew Emma Peel's attention to a necessary assignment in various ways. Sometimes a traffic light would light up blue and show the appropriate marching orders. And the aforementioned scientist Emma Peel (played by Diana Rigg, who died in 2020) drove a Lotus Elan convertible, not a Sprint from the last series, but a Series 3 version with the fixed front window frames. In the many television episodes, the Elan repeatedly made appearances worth seeing, which characterized its character and sportiness well.

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