Storage Unit Find: 1969 Lotus Elan +2

In the early 1960s, Colin Chapman was riding high on successes in Formula racing. But his road-going car, the Elite, struggled in the market, putting Lotus in a precarious financial position. The Elite, while lovely, was fragile and demanded devoted maintenance. Only 1040 examples were sold, and Lotus lost money on every copy. A new road car was needed – something with broad appeal that could be produced at a lower cost. That car was the Lotus Elan, introduced in 1962 and fashioned in two body styles, and several trim and engine variants. No matter the configuration, however, all were two-seaters on an 84″ wheelbase. While the Elan was comfortably popular – and its sales numbers effectively healed Lotus’ bottom line – a young Elan fan graduating to family life was likely to leave the marque for a larger coupe. So in 1967, the Elan +2 was launched. Situated on a 96″ wheelbase with a wider track, larger and more luxurious interior, and vestigial rear seats, the +2 was more a cousin than a sibling to the Elan. Production estimates vary widely, but some say only about 1200 +2s remain roadworthy. Today’s 1969 Elan +2 was found in a storage unit and treated to extensive restoration work, as we’ll see.

Like later Elans, the +2 utilized Lotus’ 1558 cc twin-cam in-line four-cylinder engine good for about 118 hp. Though the +2 was only offered as a coupe and consequently weighed some 500 lbs more than the two-seater, it still tipped the scales at only 1950 lbs. A four-speed manual gearbox brought power to the rear wheels. Performance was sparkling: the +2 made it to sixty in about nine seconds, with later “Big Valve” cars shaving about a second off that time. Braking is excellent, with discs all around. The +2 reportedly handled even better than its already-nimble cousin, with Colin Chapman’s suspension underneath augmented by rack-and-pinion steering. The seller rebuilt this Elan’s carburetors, water pump, and alternator. New axles, seals, and engine gaskets were installed. The suspension was also refreshed.

The interior survived nicely. I’m in love with the +2 wood dash, saturated with gauges – the more the merrier! The seller has replaced the carpet, headliner, weatherstripping, and rubber seals. The pop=up headlamps were repaired. Even the rear parcel shelf is clean and undamaged. This cabin is wider and taller than the two-seat Elan, enhancing its appeal to the “family man”.

As if the foregoing work isn’t enough, the seller also removed the body from the frame and stripped it. So that paint coat must be fairly new. No, the panel fit isn’t perfect, but that’s characteristic of fiberglass-bodied cars and Lotus in particular. If you’re impressed by the restoration work here and yearning for an elegant British ride, you can find this Elan +2 listed here on eBay, bid to $13,100. Pick it up from Valley City, North Dakota, but plan to pay more: not only is the reserve not met, but nice examples of these rare cars routinely sell for more than $25k.