Classic Cars / Lotus / Car for sale

1964 Lotus Elan 1600 Series 1

Sale price: $23,532.00 make an offer

Pending offers

Date: 2016-04-29

Phil Bishop (from Rockwall, TX) offered 1 usd

Car location: Metuchen, New Jersey, United States

Sale type: Fixed price listing

Technical specifications, photos and description:

Year:
1964
Mileage:
100,000
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1964 Lotus Elan 1600 Series 1 for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2.15) based on 561 votes
                                                                         RARE 1964 Lotus Elan S1 Original Unrestored Survivor w/ Original Engine & Rust Free Chassis
 An original California "black plate" rare early production example of the first series Lotus Elan recently out of 20 year storage. this running and driving survivor has spent it's entire life in the dry southern California climate.
An original unrestored rare early Lotus Elan Series One Roadster from California. with it's original engine and ORIGINAL and RUST FREE chassis! 
Early Lotus Elans are extremely rare with very few LHD S1 Elans built and originally imported into the US.   
The early production Series One (1964) Elan has become especially sought after for it's purity of concept and are prized for their simplicity and minimalist execution that was progressively lost in the later cars as marketing compromises slowly crept in
Of note. the later and much more common Series 3 and Series 4 Elans are often considered somewhat aesthetically compromised due to the necessary framing required for the electric window lifts fitted on theses later cars resulting in a loss of the clean appearance found only on the very early series cars 
Most remarkarlably. due to it's having always been in a hot. dry climate. the original chassis is solid and rust free without any of the usual structural corrosion found on virtually every Elan of this vintage.   
The steering rack supports are in excellent condition as well. without any of the usual rips or distortions to the rack platform. Even more amazingly the chassis retains the original thin chassis crossmember under the sump that is so often crudely cut way over the years by lazy mechanics (owners?) performing bottom end engine work.
 The body is in good condition overall for it's age with a minimal amount of the usual fiberglass stress cracks found on most Elans. however it does have several area of minor localized body damage. most noticeably  the L/F headlamp bucket is punctured (I'm including a factory NOS replacement headlamp bucket) as is an area just forward of the hood. most likely from something dropped on this area during storage. In addition there is a small area of minor impact damage at the right rear corner. I've include photos of all damaged areas.  
The original Lotus Twincam Weber equipped engine starts instantly with a quiet . mooth  steady idle and revs revs responsively with no undue mechanical noises. While the engine has good even compression some blue smoke is evident when revved and there are the inevitable weeping oil leaks.  
The interior still has the original and unique to the Series 1 Elan. "oiled teak" dashboard with their Smiths instruments and the rare wood rim steering wheel with brushed aluminum spokes.
A period correct zippered (driver or driver/passenger) tonneau cover in excellent shape is included. however the car is missing the convertible top along with the original fiberglass side bow pieces and folding top frame. the passenger glovebox dash insert as well as a portion of the driver side interior door trim panel. but replacements should be readily obtainable from one of the various vintage Lotus suppliers either here or in the UK   
While this is a complete. running and driving Elan. please keep in mind that while amazingly preserved. this is a 50 year old virtually original survivor and as such would require at a minimum the replacement of tires as well as brake and clutch hydraulics and replacement of  rubber bushings etc. to be truly roadworthy or you may consider this rare early production Lotus Elan to be an exceptional candidate for a concours level restoration.
 This Lotus is available for a thorough inspection by appointment in Metuchen NJ approximately 30 miles southwest on New York City and only 14 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport. Several overseas shipping companies operating out of Port Newark (New York) are just 10 miles away
                                                                                   Terms of Sale
                                                                                                                         A deposit of $500 will be required within 24 hrs. of end of auction                                                                                                                      Balance must be paid in full no later than 7 days after end of auction.                                                                                                                                 Payment can be made by wire transfer. bank check or cash                                                                                                     The car will not be released for shipping until confirmation that all funds have cleared                                                                                                       Car must be picked up within 7 days unless other arrangements are made and agreed to.                                                                                                                                                       Buyer is responsible for arranging shipping                                                                                                     I will assist in any way I can in coordinating pickup with the transport company or overseas shipper

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