One to Buy: ex-Innes Ireland / Tom Threlfall 1960 Lotus Type 14 Elite
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While some of its contemporaries have ballooned in value over the last 20 years, the Type 14 Lotus Elite still remains relatively accessible.
With its perfectly proportioned bodywork, state-of-art fibreglass monocoque construction and performance to match much bigger-engined cars, the Elite proved a revolution both on road and track. Today it provides practically the same thrills, aesthetic appeal and event eligibility as a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta, but at around 1-2% of the outlay.
Inevitably, many Elites were raced by their early owners, but few have the kind of ownership history and competition record of chassis 1182 which is currently on offer at the Historic Classics showroom in East Sussex.
Originally gifted to Team Lotus driver, Innes Ireland, as part of his 1960 contract, chassis 1182 was painted Moonstone White and fitted with a Stage One FWE engine. Ireland also requested a set of fitted luggage. The new car was registered 6572 AR in April 1960.
In early 1961, chassis 1182 was sold to privateer, Tom Threlfall, who had purchased a Lotus Eleven from Ireland a couple of years earlier.
Unlike Ireland, Threlfall took chassis 1182 racing and, over the course of the next three seasons, collected a number of significant results. Among these was third overall at the 1961 Spa GP for cars up to 1.3-litres, ninth overall and second in class at the 1962 Silverstone Martini 100 and 14th overall (fourth in class) at the 1963 Goodwood Tourist Trophy World Sportscar Championship event.
1182 is being offered fresh from a two-year restoration and is ready to hit the track again.
