The Lotus Elan S3 was produced in England from 1966 to 1968. It replaced the S2 and was itself replaced by the S4. Exports to the U.S. were likely scarce but perhaps aided by the British TV series The Avengers, which ran in the States during that time. Lovely agent Emma Peel (played by Diana Rigg, whom I had a crush on) drove one in the show, so perhaps that helped sell a few. This example from 1966 has had the same owner for more than 50 years, so it has been updated and upgraded over time. Located in a garage on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, this rarity is available here on craigslist for $23,000 (CDN or USD?).
This seller provides only a single photo, so we had to improvise on the other two. This little sports car has more than 140,000 miles or kilometers on it, yet he or she has only used it sparingly over the years. The title is said to be “rebuilt” so would-be buyers need to find out what that’s all about. We’re told that bits and pieces from later Elans in the 1970s have gone into this car and it has been repainted more than once. The list of newer goodies includes the gas tank, tires, brakes, exhaust, and an engine rebuild. So, this little machine is far from original.
About three years ago, one of the Elans that was driven in The Avengers and later given to Diana Rigg was auctioned off. An interesting write-up from our Jamie Palmer here on Barn Finds shares more about the sports car and the show. And here’s credit for the interior photo and the engine photo as these are not of the seller’s car. Perhaps the off-the-beaten-path location of the car for sale makes getting more photos difficult. Thanks for the tip, “Curvette”.
Rates right up there with the best driving cars ever built. Nice one.