Lotus released the Elan in 1962 as a compact two-seater, but realised it was losing sales for customers who needed children seats in the rear, so the original design was evolved in 1967 to form the +2, or plus two more seats!

The car is powered by a 1558cc 4 cylinder engine, derived from a Ford unit, but fitted with a twin camshaft Lotus cylinder head. Various carburettors were used through the production run and this car uses rather nice looking Dellorto twin-choke units, which produce a nice induction noise.

The car has been with its current owner for around ten years, and although it has been well cared for, is now in need of some restoration work to bring it back to being a good usable classic.

The headlights are an interesting design, as they use vacuum pressure from the engine to raise them, unfortunately, these ones don’t quite work, so they only partially raise when the engine is running. We will be converting to a more reliable electromechanical kit as part of the restoration.

As well as some suspension and brake work, the electrical system needs some attention, and the door hinges need to be changed, as they are worn. The engine needs a good check over and tune, as there is a pronounced misfire at lower engine speeds.

This is the first Lotus that has visited us at Fostering Classics, but Simon is a fan of the marque and has driven quite a few and is always on the lookout for an Esprit Turbo or even a Lotus Carlton!