Lotus - Lotus Elite
The original Lotus Elite, with bodywork penned by Peter Kirwan Taylor, was available from 1958. It had a stressed skin fibreglass monocoque unibody construction, to which everything bolted to. The cars were available for assembly by the customer also, to avoid the punitive purchase tax on new cars. The first cars had bodywork teething problems which got rectified when bodywork manufacture was taken over by Bristol Aviation. For 1960 a higher performance Lotus Elite SE was introduced, which was a more powerful version of the single overhead cam Coventry Climax 1216 cc FWE engine, now fitted with a ZF gearbox. A higher compression Super 95 was also available. The race version of the Elite were fitted with Weber carburettors. The original Lotus Elite (Type 14) was produced until 1963, although the Elite name went on to be used on subsequent Lotus models.
Tyre size for the Lotus Elite was originally 4.80x15 fitted on a 41/2 J wheel. This is equivalent to radial tyre size 155R15 which is what gets fitted today. Blockley produces the perfect high speed rated 155HR15 tyre size, with steel belt construction and perfect period correct tread pattern looking as the original Dunlop did. See full details of this superb Lotus Elite 155HR15 tyre at the link below:
