While I’ve never been much of a Lotus man, I do believe the Elite, like this 1962 example here on eBay with bids over $20K and the reserve unmet, are among the prettiest cars Colin Chapman ever conceived. They just look so delicate and lithe, to the point you can envision them daintily stepping over expansion joints and potholes. Of course, like most vintage Lotuses, they were meant to be driven, and this car certainly has been with its paint-stripped nose and other signs of a long life of use. But that’s what makes it so appealing, too, and the bidders seem to agree. This car is offered by a Tom Shaugnessy of Oceanside, California, and a quick Google search reveals him to be a fairly prominent collector and seller of vintage automobiles. For whatever it is worth buying a car from someone with a reputation to uphold, this well-loved Elite could be a fantastic base for a modest restoration project to bring it to driver-quality and then simply enjoy it. Would you keep it as-is or bring the paint back to as-new?