Steve Cropley has bought an Elan

[jonwat 451]

At the top of the page you can see my latest new-old Lotus, mentioned recently – a superbly preserved second-generation, front-drive 1991 Elan SE in which I’m going to attack Paul Matty’s Lotus Hillclimb Championship next year.

I know it’s not a ‘real Elan’ in the eyes of many Lotus fanciers, but I’m convinced history sells this car short. It’s a genuine Peter Stevens design, and its special fight-free front drive was developed by the legendary John Miles. And it can turn a 0-60mph sprint in 6.5sec, which is brisk even now. Lotus test drivers of the time reckoned they could lap the Hethel track faster in one of these than a Turbo Esprit.

For £10,000, with that capability, rarity and name, I reckon this might be the elusive car bargain I’ve been seeking all my life.

Autocar 

 

[Bazza 907 1,115]

One day others will wake up and realise what a great Lotus car the M100 is. Until then it's a little secret for those of us with one to enjoy.

I September I did 2000 miles in one week driving the NC500 alongside a mate in his F-Type. Awesome car to do it in and still 16k short of 300k miles.

 

[jep 1,036]

M100 is a stunner, especially the drive and most notably in the wet. 

I hope to get one to rag, just like @Bazza 907 

My 26,000 miler is too clean and too special for me to own long-term. I just want to drive it more and more but that don't seem right for that particular M100.

Justin

[jonwat 451]

Checkout upto £10,000 😃

[LotusLeftLotusRight 1,425]

The dad of one of our good school friends bought one new: a red SE Turbo with grey (half?) leather. He had it delivered and tucked away in his garage for months, because he didn’t want to register it until the new “H” plates came out. Eventually H2LAN saw the light of day, but not very often because he barely used it. His daily driver was a Merc 190E 2.6 auto, which shifted pretty well. Anyway I only went in the Elan once with the owner’s son at the wheel. It was phenomenal: I remember a series of bends near their home like Becketts/Maggots at Silverstone and he barely slowed down for them. The road-holding/grip was astonishing. The son’s normal car was a Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9, which was pretty damn good, but the Elan was another level up entirely in performance. It’s always surprised me how under-valued they’ve always been.

I just did a quick DVLA MOT check. H2LAN’s last test expired in 2018. It seems to have piled on the miles after my friend’s dad sold it and reached 90,000 in 2006, but not done much since.

[jep 1,036]

M100 was just too expensive when new, compared to the good but mainly average MX-5.

And those wanting a classic Lotus fix sans roof tend to go for Elise S1 or S2, rather than M100. Who can blame them?

A bit like Excel - Esprit is the pin-up boy, Excel gets (wrongly) ignored. As Esprit prices rise, Excel is very slowly getting pulled up with it. Just as Ferrari 400/Mondial have as other F words moved up in value.

Dive in whilst you can, I say. Excels and M100 are very under-valued.

Justin

[LOTUSMAN33 1,523]

I like the M100 being the affordable Lotus and a good fun entry level car for people who just want to have a fun weekend driver. I’ve bounced in and out of them for years and still actually enjoy driving them more than any other Lotus.

I also had a lovely white SE still owned by a friend who asked me for it after a drive, he was about to buy a Morgan and never looked back.

Dave  

[jep 1,036]

I'd probably put Elise as my favourite Lotus drive. Close run to Evora. Perhaps M100 next but S3 Esprit hard to resist. Lotus 7....ah, not driven one. That is one big hole in my Lotus education that needs correcting.

Justin

 

[jonwat 451]

Wheeler Dealers' Brewer said it's the best handling FWD car ever.  

[yeller77 129]

Recently posted on the REVS-Limiter facebook page, good stuff with Steve Cropley and Peter Stevens.

www.facebook.com/adam.gompertz/videos/10164715015780577

[jonwat 451]

Cropley update 😃