Elite quotes

General Elite, Eclat and Excel discussions.

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richardw
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Elite quotes

Post by richardw »

I've started to note down quotes about the Elite specifically that communicate the design intentions and the car's qualities from published interviews, road tests etc. I'm biased in favour of flattering comments of course.

What about separate threads for favourite quotes about the Eclat and Excel? Meanwhile I'll add my findings on the Elite to this thread and would love to see contributions from others.

Here are my first two:

“Our objective is to produce a very comfortable high performance car and anything that makes the environment of the car easy and more pleasant, like automatic transmission, power steering, air conditioning etc. will all be incorporated in future Lotuses.”

-Colin Chapman, October 1972


“The Lotus has incredibly good suspension. Ride quality is superb..."

"The Lotus Elite is a state-of-the-art car. Superbly trimmed and made, the interior finish easily matching the paintwork, it is now a world standard car. Stretch the imagination and it can be a four seater with some luggage accommodation.....but primarily it is a wonderful car to drive. Performance is excellent, the suspension a yardstick, the handling a candidate for canonisation. Although not exactly underpriced, we believe that the Elite is now as under-rated as icebergs were to the Titanic. It is.....as deserving of laurels as any we know.”

- CAR, September 1978
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mkelite
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by mkelite »

heres a quote from ME ...........lol


'the Elite is a unique, technically advanced vehicle both in handling and manufacture for its period, the last real Mr Chapman complete input car for Lotus and a piece of art which has taken many a long time to realize'. :D

can i see your car pretty please? :wink:

regards all.
DC.

richardw
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by richardw »

A little goldmine of quotes from LJK Setright (he of the Bristols) from Penthouse January 1976:

“Paradoxically it is that most uncompromising of car designers, Colin Chapman, who has redeemed the high-performance high-quality car.Often enough in the past , one or other of his Lotus designs has set standards in steering and roadholding whereby all other cars might be judged; now the Lotus Elite sets new standards for many other motoring aptitudes.”

“At long last we have been given a low-built, low-drag small-engined and efficient roadburner that is a true for seater.”

On the much maligned Lotus gearbox that utilises the Austin Maxi gearset: “The five speed gearbox ...is one of the most gratifying known means of ensuring that Satan finds no work for an idle left hand.”

“...this is one of the very safest roadholders and linehuggers in production, a supremely controllable machine that brings Grand Prix expertise to Dodge City.”

“Fast cornering calls forth no dramatic imagery. It is simply fast cornering: you approach a corner very fast, you steer round it and continue along the next straight still going very fast.”

“...the Elite is a car in which driving is an almost completely cerebral process.”

- LJK Setright, “Day of the Lotus”, Penthouse, January 1976
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alanbell
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by alanbell »

i could dig out my old club lotus magazines and quite a few altogether less flattering quotes but why bother?.

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

We should all know by now that the lack of torque of the original 2 litre was a valid contemporary criticism - but in terms of the driving experience (but only accounting for opinions from those that CAN drive - LJKS being a good example!) the grip and handling compared to contemporary competition was at a very high level.

The torque complaint was addressed somewhat for the 2L post 1976(inc) with the introduction of the E cams (the D cams having very little low/midrange - so avoid 1974/75 engines) and the 2.2L Elites improved the situation further.

For those that have owned both Excel and Elite it's obvious they have very different feels about them - mainly due to rear suspension differences - but also the front geom too. I have fond memories of the way the Elite delivered it's ride handling and grip - and it was worth the inconvenience of the annual UJ changes, rear hub long bolt maintenance, and yes, clutch cable breakages. If a little old lady hadn't written mine off I would still own mine today.

And I agree entirely with LJKS - the Maxi box was a joy to use - a MUCH better gear change than the Toyota box - and my Maxi box gave reliable service for the 15 years I owned my 76 Elite - but then I have a lot of mechanical sensitivity regarding appropriate use and routine maintenance!

I believe there is a growing realisation amongst collectors that the Elite is now an important part of Lotus history and a fair/running examples are worth spending money on to properly restore to original spec - basket cases are less attractive I must admit.
Peter K

richardw
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by richardw »

I fully agree with your comments Peter. It's a shame that Maxi box wasn't up to handling higher power outputs.

ATB Richard
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by alanbell »

Peter,
i am sure you will not agree but based on my experience (bought at a cost of £20k ) the little old lady did you a great big favour. my toyota box has covered five times the mileage (64k miles) that the original beans maxi box and three rebuilt boxes (Voight) did in the elite, you must have the left hand and foot of an angel :D :D :D graham arnold regarded 30k as possible through careful driving, but do you buy a lotus to drive it carefully in that sense.
i will admit the car did have great ride and grip but there was never enough power to challenge it. a Spyder sport conversion to the rear suspension AND the front set up improved it further and solved all the reliability problems except the wretched gear box.
why do so many owners hanker after and those who can afford it fit excel chassis and running gear to them?.
alan

richardw
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by richardw »

alanbell wrote:
why do so many owners hanker after and those who can afford it fit excel chassis and running gear to them?.
alan
Almost certainly because using the Excel chassis is the least expensive route to a reliable car that can be used daily. As with much that Lotus did, the original concept was brilliant but the execution sometimes faulty. I can't comment on the gearbox from personal experience as mine is an S2.2 and was originally the BW 3 speed auto. However I do enjoy reading good things about the Elite as many of them need saying again!

Richard
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by lambert.john »

As a previous owner of two Elites, before my current Excel, I think I can comment here. It is true that from a dynamic viewpoint the Elite was superb, with excellent ride and handling. But the Beans/Maxi gearbox was a disaster and lasted no time in my experience. The auto wasn't a lot better; reliable, yes, but hopelessly undergeared with only three ratios; anything over 60mph was frenetic. Add the problems with chassis rust, coolant loss and subsequent engine overheating, rear brake performance, and oil leakage, Elite ownership was a challenge. My experience with the Excel was, very quickly, a revelation; all the benefits of Lotus performance without the hassles of "Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious".

It was a shame but, simply put, the Elite was launched before being properly developed.
John L.

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Re: Elite quotes

Post by mkelite »

..............BUT the S2.2 Elite addressed that................. :D

(one thing that has always puzzled me is - why in hindsight do many go on about a cars inadequacies, no car will ever be perfect, eco friendly or efficient totally, why do so many always think they could have done better than a manufacturer, and why do so many always want to waste more time and money bastardising an original car when they could have restored the car safely.)

NO RESPONSE REQUIRED BTW AS I KNOW MY COMMENTS OPENS A CAN OF WORMS LOL. :lol:

the Elite was a brilliant conception and yes has faults - i haven't experienced anything a human has made that doesn't yet. lets enjoy these cars for what they are NOW.

regards all.
DC.

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

You hear the same sort of derogatory comments from some about the Esprit, but that benefited from plenty development.

Mind you you could say the original Elan was pretty flawed on the reliability and everyday usability front -even though dynamically it was outstanding in it's time.

But the real reason (in my mind) for the Elan's very high value against, say, the wedge Esprit (a faster, dynamically outstanding 2 seater), is that it's not a wedge, and it's very pretty ... which is a shallow, but important attribute for folk with very deep pockets (makes you wonder if the +£30K Elans, etc really sell at those valuations once the prospective purchaser ponders the Elan's very crude build features).
Peter K

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alanbell
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by alanbell »

i have never claimed that i could do better than any manufacturer, not my job, only that lotus and chapman in particular could and should have done a lot better with the elite. at launch the elite was overpriced, under powered and unreliable, and as time passed and use exposed weaknesses the reliability became more of an issue. that lotus survived the elite/eclat was little short of miraculous, but they left a legacy that the company has found very hard to shake off.
1974 elite launched-----cost 501--£5445.00 ----502 --£5857.00 :!: :!: jaguar e type v12--£3812.00 :roll: :roll: £2000.00 more for the elite, who did you think you were kidding mr chapman.
the elite did not even have the advantage of being less prone to rust than e type, the rust on mine was getting ready to kill me when it was found. i would never have had another lotus had graham arnold not convinced me that with an excel i could have the fun without the angst.

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Re: Elite quotes

Post by alanbell »

another interesting price comparison from 1974,
lotus elite 502 £5857.oo ferrari dino 246 £5485.oo, ridiculous :!: :roll: i wonder what the price difference is to-day. :lol: :lol:

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Re: Elite quotes

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

alanbell wrote:another interesting price comparison from 1974,
lotus elite 502 £5857.oo ferrari dino 246 £5485.oo, ridiculous :!: :roll: i wonder what the price difference is to-day. :lol: :lol:
Well as an investment ONLY- it obvious (until the investors get heavily burned anytime in the future - without notice)...but as Tiff Needell put it recently- he wished he hadn't returned to drive the Dino (about 7-8 years ago) - he now realises it's just a bag of slow but very expensive $h1te. (heavily paraphrased :roll: -but essentially true :P ) Pretty though :) (a bit of a theme running here me thinks -shallow minds with deep pockets :lol: )!
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alanbell
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Re: Elite quotes

Post by alanbell »

whatever needell thinks it is difficult to gainsay market forces, the stuff you mention usually sinks to the bottom. which is there now :?: . :!: :!:

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