One to Buy: ex-Bob Hayhurst 1967 Lotus Elan S3 SE FHC BRM
/
In 1967, Lotus main dealer Mike Spence Ltd. created the Elan BRM special edition which most notably offered a tuned engine and unique colour scheme.
At the time, Mike Spence was in his second season as a works BRM F1 driver having spent three years with Team Lotus earlier in the decade. Accordingly, Spence was uniquely positioned to make his concept for a Lotus-BRM crossover a reality. BRM had of course already supplied tuned engines for several Lotus competition cars to include the Elan 26R and 47,
Following the death of Jim Clark at Hockenheim in April 1968, Spence re-joined Lotus for that year’s Indianapolis 500. However, he was fatally injured during practice when his four-wheel drive, gas turbine-powered Lotus 56 hit the wall and one of the car’s front wheels struck Spence’s head.
As a consequence of the tragedy at Indianapolis, the Elan BRM project was quickly abandoned. Although over 20 engines had been completed, only around ten to twelve cars were actually completed.
One of these exceedingly rare machines is currently on offer at the Classic Motor Hub showroom in the Cotswolds.
Presented in the trademark BRM colour scheme of Dark Green with Blaze Orange bumpers, this particular example was frequently hillclimbed by its first owner, Bob Hayhurst, who retained it until 1987.
Today, this super little Elan has undergone a complete restoration to include installation of a new Lotus backbone chassis. Importantly, the original chassis is offered as part of the package.
