Lotus Elan 1500 Type 26
The original Elan 1500 put a lightweight glass-fibre body over Lotus's steel backbone chassis. Its small twin-cam engine did not need huge power because the whole sports car was exceptionally light.
1964 Lotus Elan, Tour Auto 2015, Toulouse.jpg · Handelsgeselschaft · CC BY-SA 4.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
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More than a set of wheels.
Lotus developed the Elan in 1962 as the road-going successor to the Type 14 Elite. Ron Hickman and John Frayling shaped the new car around a steel backbone chassis, fully independent suspension and a glass-reinforced composite body. The first cars were sold as the Elan 1500 with a 1,499 cc twin-cam four and four-speed gearbox; the engine soon grew to 1,558 cc, so this packet deliberately fixes the profile to the short-lived launch specification rather than blending all Series 1 cars together.
Look a little closer.
At launch the Elan cost £1,499 assembled or £1,095 as a kit, according to Motor Sport's 1962 report.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A spine with a light shell
Instead of asking the outer body to carry every structural load, Lotus bolted a glass-reinforced composite shell to a strong steel backbone. That separated jobs neatly: the spine resisted bending and held the mechanical pieces, while the light moulded body created the shape and enclosed the passengers.
Source: Lotus official road-car history — Elan ↗Why “1500” needs care
The launch Elan used 1,499 cc and was reported at 100 bhp at 5,500 rpm. Lotus's own Series 1 summary spans both 1,499 and 1,558 cc engines, so later 1558 specifications must not be silently copied onto the earliest 1500. Period reporting is the better anchor for this narrow launch variant.
Source: Motor Sport, November 1962 — A New Lotus Sports Car ↗Where these facts come from
- Lotus official road-car history — Elan
- Motor Sport, November 1962 — A New Lotus Sports Car
- Carspector — Lotus Elan 1500
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.