Classic Cars / Lotus / Car for sale

1963 Lotus Elan Series 1 by Shapecraft

Sale price: £15,000.00 make an offer

Car location: Weybridge, United Kingdom

Sale type: Fixed price listing

Technical specifications, photos and description:

Year:
1963
Mileage:
12,888
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1963 Lotus Elan Series 1 by Shapecraft for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2.05) based on 602 votes
For sale by auction on Saturday 01 June 2013 with Historics at Brooklands. Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit. Weybridge. Surrey. Call 01753 639170
Shapecraft made aluminium fastback conversions for the Lotus
Elan. Designed by Barry Wood. the aluminium tops were bonded to the
glassfibre bodies with some having flared in headlights whilst some
had rear quarter lights. Conversions were available for both racing
and touring and were quoted to increase the speed of the 105 bhp
Elan to over 120mph. without impairing acceleration times. It is
believed that only 10 or 11 Shapecraft Elans were produced and
there is much speculation as to how many remain in existence
today.

This Elan began life with the registration number 55 GUL and white
coachwork. From the body number. 190. the car was manufactured in
1963. The car has a rather interesting and chequered history; the
first owner was known to be a milkman who exchanged it for a Morris
1000 with Hywell Rhys Davis. of Davis Garage in the Brecon Beacons.
Hywell raced it in the colours of golden sand/white with a black
vinyl roof. Some years later the Shapecraft was stolen. involved in
an accident and written off by the insurance company whereby the
chassis plate was removed. The car was re-registered GEU 352H in or
around 1969 and with a later frame number allocated to it. The
original frame number is believed to be 265. This however. may only
be determined by removal of the body and inspection of the backbone
frame. During this period Barry Hawkins. a director of Downton
Engineering near Salisbury. acquired the car. restored it and
changed the colour to green. his racing colours. Hawkins "decided
to exchange it for the first of two new Elan Sprints. from
Sparshatts (Clifford) Ltd of Southampton. Apparently. whilst
Sparshatts were testing the car a few days after the exchange. an
adjusting screw from one of the Weber's was sucked into the engine
through the unfiltered intake causing considerable damage. The
garage then had the engine rebuilt. "

In September 1972. the vendor saw the Elan lurking in the corner
of a car sales showroom with the salesman none too pleased to have
to move all the cars to take it for a test drive. However. the car
was purchased and the colour changed to black. It was used for a
year until the vendor decided to store it until funds were
available for a restoration. And there GEU 352H has remained. in a
dry garage. for 40 years until now when it has been decided to let
a new owner restore the car.

Still sitting on the original backbone frame GEU 352H requires
total restoration. the vendor states. "Most parts are with the car
except the seats. The engine. although partially stripped of
ancillary items. is believed to be good. There is an old green log
book with my name on it and a letter from DVLC stating that the
documentation provided sufficient evidence to link the registration
number with the Lotus. The letter. dated 18th October 1983. is to
be presented to a local vehicle licensing office on completion of
the restoration. I also removed the centre roof section as I wanted
a Targa style car. this may easily be re-instated. " To assist the
new owner of this rare Lotus. a large collection of Lotus books
acquired over the 40 years of ownership will be supplied with the
car including 'How to restore a Lotus Elan' by Brian Buckland. a
workshop manual and a parts manual. This is a rare opportunity for
the dedicated Lotus collector especially as it is offered at no
reserve.

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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Comments and questions to the seller:

from Laurent Vila, dated 01 january 2020
Bonjour je suis intéresser par votre voiture pouvez-vous me faire parvenir des photos

from Laurent Vila, dated 01 january 2020
Bonjour je suis intéresser par votre voiture pouvez-vous me dire le prix que vous en voulez

from Mark Roth, dated 10 march 2018
Dear Sirs

is this car still available to buy?

Many thanks

Mark Roth


from Alderman, dated 17 september 2014
Is the Shapecraft for sale

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