The (almost) forgotten Lotus Elan prototype in between
09/20/2017
The Lotus Elan of the sixties was one of the best sports cars of its time, built from 1962 to 1973. In the nineties, there was another Lotus Elan, known internally as the M100. It was built as a front-wheel drive convertible from 1989 to 1995.
What few people know, however, is that there was another Lotus Elan in between, known internally as the M90 and later the X100.
Work on this car began in 1981. Oliver Winterbottom, who had previously designed the Eclat and Elite models and also created the TVR Tasmin, was responsible for the design. A smooth coupé was planned, but the project came to a standstill with the death of Colin Chapman in 1982. Work finally continued under his successor and in 1984 it was decided to build an open prototype.
This had technical similarities with the original Elan, particularly in terms of the chassis structure, but the technology was based on that of Toyota, for example using the engine that was also used in the Corolla GT. A similar concept to the Lotus Excel was chosen for the suspension.
The prototype was manufactured with a view to production in the near future. The molds for the plastic body production were even created. When it came to small parts, they chose what was just right. The dashboard was borrowed from an Opel Monza, the rear lights from the Aston Martin Lagonda, and so on.
Even a jack was procured and the user manual was drafted.
However, the planned production did not take place, as Lotus was already moving towards front-wheel drive in the mid-1980s, and the Peter Stevens M100 Elan was created, while the X100 prototype was parked in a corner somewhere.
In 1998, Lotus auctioned off the prototype with other rare cars, which is how the car ended up in the USA. And it survived and is now back on the market.
The right-hand drive car, which according to the seller is fully functional, now has around 1250 miles on the clock. The silver-grey prototype, as currently advertised on Hemmings , is expected to cost USD 86,000. The price is apparently negotiable.
That sounds very reasonable, but you have to be aware that you are buying a one-off, which may be welcome at many a Concours d'Elégance, but in everyday use may be conspicuous for all the irregularities that can occur with a largely untested one-off.
We would of course be delighted if this "missing link" in the Elan chain found its way back to Europe.
The pictures are from the current owner and are published with the advertisement on Hemmings .
