1969 Lotus Elan - Jay Leno's Garage
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ย. 2024
- 1969 Lotus Elan. In the late 1940s, engineer and RAF pilot Colin Chapman decided to utilize the experience he gained in the skies on the ground, by building a racecar in his girlfriend's garage. While still holding down his day job, Chapmen begged, borrowed and bartered to create his prototype, which he entered in a time trial as an afterthought.
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1969 Lotus Elan - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1969 Lotus Elan - Jay ...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage
Randy, the original ower, was my good friend in college. We bonded over that car! I had been driving formula fords and when Randy found that out he would have me drive his pride and joy when he wanted to go really fast. Four wheel drifts in top gear! It was a blast. I'm lucky enough to have spent many hours in the car. Great fun to drive once you got used to the rubber donuts. We were such gear heads that we would take turns standing on the side of the road and drive by at full throttle so we could hear what it sounded like! A note on the Lotus badge on the hood. It was black in 1969 because that's the year Jimmy Clark died. The last time I saw ithe car was when he was showing it to me in his garage with the head off. I'm so glad to see that Jay bought this car and restored it! It brings tears to my eyes. Randy, RIP, would approve.
I'm so so happy to see that you have restored Randy's Lotus so wonderfully! I know that mom and Randy loved that car and it's incredible to see it in its glory. Mom always spoke highly of you in regards to how you treated her and Randy. 🤗
One of the reasons that Lotus sold so many was because Diana Rigg drove one as Mrs. Peel in The Avengers. That was millions of dollars (Pounds) of free advertising. After all these years, I'm still in love with Mrs. Peel and her car.
Edward Peterson Mrs Peel...mmmm.....
Yeah. Because adults are so inclined to go out and buy a car that was in a movie.
Wasn't the Avengers a TV series in the 60's
Driving through the English country side in a Lotus with Emma Peel in the passenger seat heading out to have a picnic. Man ! How cool would that have been in the 60's ?!
Miss Peel. She wasn't married.
I loved the Elan. Back in 64 in high school, everyone wanted a muscle car. I wanted an Elan. Read the R&T review many times.
Love Jay Leno. A genuine motorhead. Knows his stuff. Seems like a decent fellow, too!
Agree with you Martin. Seems a genuinely nice chap.
i WOULD HAVE SAID THAT
The best!!
can we get a LIKE for Jay's loyal friend, and mechanic, Jim... for so many years, the man helping our buddy, Jay's dreams come true!?
As Colin Chapman was fond of saying 'If you make a car more powerful it will be faster on the straights, if you make it lighter it will be faster everywhere'.
i worked at the Lotus Factory for 15 years and left in 2011, I loved it
+John Miller but you left
yes I did, I was made redundant when my department was closed
Loco Roco
yes I did, I was made redundant when my department was closed
sorry to hear
I'm so Impressed by Jim Hall, great engineer, craftsman, artist! What a pleasure to watch what he does and that he works with Jay on all these great projects.
Thank you Jay and Jim !
Maarten
A legendary car in British motoring history. I completely love the Elan.
Such a lucky guy to have a genius mechanic to make a great car even better. Love, love love this car. Diana Rigg and Lotus Elan. What a beautiful dream world. Hope you do a segment when the white one is finished.
I was thinking the same thing the Avengers was definitely a car show with the Lotus and Bentley, but how about Honey West and the slab side Shelby.
absolutely loved this episode. my neighbour had an Elan and assures me it had the best steering and handling of any car ever
An absolutely sweet sounding engine- one of the best four cylinder engine notes of all time, up their with the Alfa's. Great job!
I really respect Leno and his crew for making these videos. They are very thorough and are made for auto enthusiasts that would like to learn what is out there. There is a lot of knowledge and history in his garage, I hope he always keeps the idea of it. Well done, thumbs up so Jay can see!!
I had a '72 Midget as well. A lot of fun to tinker with, but never wanted to drive it more than 15 miles from home! I spent far too much money on it, did some work on my own and kept it up best I could. A few weeks after I sold it, the steering box fell apart - luckily in a neighborhood, and no one was hurt. I believe it is still on the road!
They just left the steering box laying in the road?
I agree. Jay is not "rubbing" anyone noses. He is sharing his valuable collection to fellow enthusiasts. Not all his cars are really expensive (Chevy Corvair...etc) but they are all cool/or historically significant, and usually fun to drive.
Love the sound of that motor. But I can tell Jay really enjoy's driving this drivers car - nearly every scene you hear that throaty roar! Even getting onto the interstate you can see the car pitched over and the rear end gently stepping out. It looks so graceful (and ton's of fun). It what driving is all about for sure!
I LOVE the sound of the after fire when letting off the accelerator.
Don't know what cams are in Jay's elan but I had 120° of overlap on my '67 SE and a custom header 4-2 pjpe exhaust system with 4 puny glass packs that were barely 1/4" wider than the pipes themselves. When you let off the throttle it barked blaaap. Ah, you had to be there. But I don't know if it was unique to mine but the sound of the starter made you feel like you were in the cockpit of a spitfire and I am not referring to the car.
Jay and Harry(Harry's Garage) have such a genuine love, and passion of real drivers cars, it's amazing they haven't merged into a single show to dominate all. Both are humble, and extraordinarily positioned to teach the world about what's important, ethical, and right about our love of cars, as well as seat of the pants unbiased truths where makers went wrong. It's almost like they were separated at birth :)
Circa 1965: My cousin Molly was Colin Chapman's executive admin (I think it was "personal secretary" back then.) and her company car was a white Elan EXACTLY like the one Emma Peel drove. This ten-year old would just explode with pride when she'd come to visit, and that car was in our driveway. FAB!
Along with his McLaren and the GT40, this is one of my favorite cars in Jay's stable. Kudos.... but please finish the1966 Lotus Elan 26R!
Thanks Jay. I had a series 1 in 1967. Loved that car but for some stupid reason I sold it when I was drafted in 68. Sorta wish I had one now.
Wow, Jay really gets it. Each one of these I watch I gain more respect.
In the UK these were sold as complete cars or a unfinished kit from the factory, thus avoiding purchase tax. The advert said the buyer & a friend could finish assembly in a weekend. They can still be seen in classic motorsport events in Britain, as for being slow & girly, 232 bhp per metric ton & 7 ish sec 0-60mph is no slouch.
One winter I was up in Duluth, MN and saw some cars with racing numbers on them heading toward Lake Superior, so I followed one there. A racing course had been plowed out of the snow; they were ice racing. Almost all the cars were front wheel drive, but I saw one tiny Lotus Elan racing there too.
The largest car was a Olds Toronado. When it went off the course the front end flew up the snow embankment. They towed a few cars back on the track that day. I was surprised to see such a lightweight, delicate and expensive car as the Lotus tangling it up with all the other heavier cars on the course.
Russ Cattell Russ that's a problem is England taxes, had they no taxes they could have great cars like the Germans do, instead taxes backfired on the Brit's
Carolyn E
Yes, I agree, I left England 13 years ago.
Is that correct for the Elan ? I know the Seven was available as a kit, but thought Lotus had moved away from that by the time of the Elan.
Brian, I remember as a boy in the 60's reading my father's car mags seeing an advert for it, the pic showed the incomplete car arriving on a trailer. Trying to persuade old dad, we could do one in the garage, but alas no joy.
Watching in 2019 - we were all so young when this was shot.
This video is not that old maybe 10 years or less.
I worked has a British car salesman back in 1973 and I sold one of these. I will never forget the day I drove this for the first time. I did not expect this kind of power out of a 4 cylinder.
Jay thanks again for allowing me to see your personal collection. I'm always in awe at your knowledge and ability to save all this automotive history!!! Thank all the guys in the shop too they get the job done right!
i love that i can come here and never get the pre-video ads - thanks JAY
"we didnt have to do much work on this"just a new motor new brakes and new suspension
Hey Jay, the two key things you said.
1. Sense of driving.
2. Bonding with the car.
I absolutely agree. I miss that a lot. Today's cars have neither.
Wonderful engine set up Jay you really are the man when it comes to vintage
I love how he calls it "almost the perfect sports car" then dumps a few hundred thousand dollars and a couple years of work into it. It's part of what makes Jay a legend.
One of the best sports car designs ever!!
Memory lane for me. I had a '68 that I bought in 1971 for $1400 when I was in college. It was a white coupe. I drove it every day for about 3 years. I raced every car on the streets around Philadelphia that would accept my challenge and, yes, I did beat "Vettes. Drove it across the country twice and did 115 mph on the interstate in Montana. That car was almost more fun than it was headaches. It cost me dough stacks to keep running and I finally sold it when I was living in the Bronx and parking on the street. Got $1450! Thanks, Jay!
You can't expect a British car to weather the American weather and the long highways, but the Chapman cars had some weak points, immediately electrical problems and then after some thousand miles the doughnuts you've mentioned that were just a bad design would perish very quickly, resulting in a vague rear axle. I think you guys just nailed this video and the car sensibly stock with little mods.
At least engine was pretty reliable, because it still was Ford Cortina GT's 1500 and 1600 litre with Lotus/Cosworth head, Lotus's own 900 series had much more teething problems and is much less reliable than Ford of Britain's powerplants. Also, Elan was base for another legend, Ford Lotus Cortina.
@คีรีวงศ์ โมระศาก British don't drink warm beer. Ale on the other hand has to be served at room temperature as that is the only way it can be stored. Just don't drink ale. Tastes like piss anyway. Drink cold beer instead.
The more I watch these videos, the more I appreciate Jay's ethos towards his vehicles.
As for the Elan, not much beats driving a small, lightweight British sports car.
No, airbags, crumple zones, ABS, seatbelts.... A car that quickly focuses your attention on what you're doing...
(I'm a tad biased...)
Sounds great.
Slow cars that feel fast are more fun than fast cars that need to go dangerously fast. Unless you have track access.
I had a 1968 Lotus Elan S4, in red, purchased at about the end 1967 or the beginning of 1968, in Miami Florida. The specs at time, and even ones I see now, give it's weight at 1442 pounds or thereabouts, maybe that's with the ragtop as opposed to the hardtop. Jay is right, it did feel like driving a go cart. The ride was soft for a British sports car, but you could feel every texture of the road. I used the same rationale for safety as Jay proposed, that being able to maneuver very quickly made up for it's small size and fragility.
Before I bought it I was comparing and test driving a few other cars including an MG, the Triumph TR4 and TR6, the Alfa Romeo Spider, which had a solid rear axle unlike the independent rear suspension of the British sports cars. The Alfa Romeo Spider felt like driving an ordinary car, not even a sports car really. Of course now the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, which I currently own, is probably the best handling and most comfortable sports sedan. The ride and handling of the Lotus was much more refined than the other British roadsters mentioned.
The prices, if I recall, at the in the 1967, beginning of 1968, were something like $2800 for the MG and the Triumph TR4, $3200 for the TR6, $3600 for a late year 1967 Alfa Romeo Spider, and $4000 for the Lotus Elan.
I am seldom jealous but having owned a good few of them over the years I can safely say that none of them were as good as this one!
The pop-up headlight comment made me laugh... any leak in the vacuum system that kept the headlamps up meant they would start to drop down at high speed. A fail safe system would make lights up the default position. Driving fast at night could be very exciting.
Nor did he mention one of the joys of the Elan: lift off oversteer. Not for the fainthearted but when it went well it was the most exhilarating driving experience.
Having owned a '74 Elite, chassis #57 I made my passengers nervous as I pressed the g-force in corners. And yes, it broke down when driving a long distance. But with a motorcycle masterlink and a couple of nuts and bolts, ...back on the road again. Thanks, Jay.
I was just watching 'wheeler dealers' on You Tube which shows a restoration of one of these Elans in England.Very interesting.
JAY!!! Speaking of old Sports cars and 2x2's and the sort, YOU DON'T HAVE A FORD CAPRI YET! You talked about being light and sporty and it dawned on me, the Capri I had was very light for being a stock body....You must get one, they are cheap yet somewhat hard to find in good shape, someone like you with a decent automotive hookup should have very little issues getting one, they are iconic European cars that would fit with your collection nicely!
This guy is great, he should have his own TV show!
Keep doing the in-depth tours! I really like how you put it up on the lift to show what was done and what it looks like underneath. I hope this can be done in future episodes. I like to know how the cars work and what makes them so unique. Great episode!
The Lotus Elan, one of the greatest sports cars ever made!
ceetee1459 CeeTee, Yes ! I had a 1969 Series III Bob Hall up on Muholland disliked my new Elan as my previous car was a BRE 5101800cc twin webers, 5 speed I sold to get the Elan, I told Bob you're Nutzo Elan's styling is timeless 54 years later still a pleasing shape. Years later Bob Hall a consultant to Mazda sold the idea that was mine I might add, and the Miata was created Hmm smart on my part ? I just last year purchased a 1966 Elan series II BRG Roadster I love the Motor Car !!!
I love that Jay isn't afraid to drive his cars
I had an Elan Sprint in '72, really super on the road, sadly my ex broke it. Still married the cow.
John you really had an original Sprint? I sell Civics for a living. Mr honda was inspired by this car when he created the Iconic Honda Civic 1976
Over seas visiting my folks. Perfect morning to rewatch this video. Heading over to the Lotus Shop in Hethel tomorrow. Unfortunately I’m leaving before being able to do the tour on Saturday. Thanks, Jay. G
now that's a super sweet sounding car!
God that sound ... So goooooooood
Electric windows haha. Genuinely wasn't expecting that.
Set out to get an Elan, but ended up with a new 1970 Elan +2 - to me a more attractive car, and no less entertaining. I kept it for 21 years, put 70,000 miles on it, three engine rebuilds (oil leaks were unstoppable), went through many sets of Rotoflex couplings and tires pulling Gs in corners - fantastic handling, I guess I was lucky - the electrics never let me down. The next car that had a comparable appeal to me was a Boxster - another "slot car" handler. Now, much older, I get my kicks with a Tesla S P90D "insane".
My shop teacher from high school has one but its a hardtop fast back or gt idk...he rebuilt it from scratch when I was there I helped rebuild it they are sweet cars
I'm a dyed in the wool US 60s-70s muscle car guy. I've built my own A-body. But for Lotus or Jimmy Clark fans- yes I know Clark died in '68- these Elans are holy Grails.
That exhaust burble though :D
Somehow I never saw this one before. Every car guy should watch Jay with this important car.
My 1982 Fiat X1/9 weighed only 1800 lbs., and was originally built as a safety car prototype with a heavy steel body, which carried over to the production car. It had big heavy aluminum front and rear 5 mph bumpers. The engine was 1500cc. Not bad. As it rusted, it got even lighter. ;)
I know what you mean by go-kart handling. I pulled up on a green light once in the far right lane going 35 or so with cars to my left blocking the view to the left of the intersection, when a police car with his lights on but no siren travelling perpendicular to the street I was on blew through his red light, and I was on a collision course with him. I yanked the wheel hard right and the car hugged the curb around the corner doing 30 mph. I didn't have time to touch the brakes. If I had been driving an American car I would have T-boned that police car. Instead I ended up parallel with the police car with me in the parking lane and him in the right lane.
All I can say is Damn what a bad ass Lotus! Jim did a great job on this rebuild and I can't wait to see the white Elan rebuild to do 200-210hp. Thank you Jay!
I loved this video; it is my favorite.
THIS is a sports car!
Jay, you hit the proverbial nail right on the head, regarding the mindset people(Collectively), have where their definition of a light weight sports car is concerned. You mentioned that this little gem only weighs 1550 pounds, kind of like a 550 Porsche Spider. Now, 3000 pounds seems to be considered light weight where sports cars are concerned, but the tires, rims, and brakes have to keep getting wider, bigger, and heavier in order to compensate for all that mass.
Nimble, folks, that's the operative word for true sports cars, light weight and nimble. Jay Leno's Garage, thanks for sharing. :)
OH MY GOSH!....MRS PEEL'S RIDE!
Yep, right down to the color in @ least 1 season!
My heart beats a wee bit faster reminiscing about the lotus elan.
Mx5 Miata is the modern equivalent by Mazda, but fails to capture the magic of pure mechanical engineering from those days.
Glorious.
The MX-5 is much cheaper than the Lotus Elan was. The Lotus Elan was an expensive sports car, the mx-5 is an entry level roadster. I think the MX-5 does a perfect job of still maintaining a low weight given the safety regulations impeding it's weight.
Go and find a mk1 1.8 mx-5 / Miata, none of the unnecessary safety aids, no extra weight, just pure driving fun. I’ve owned 3, a mk1 1.8, a mk1 1.8 which I added a turbo to and a mk2.5 1.6. My ex-wife and I toured Europe in one and it never skipped a beat, sun out, roof down, pure driving pleasure.
The original was based on Lotus theories, Mazda took an Elan and stripped it down, worked out what made it tick and emulated it. After the mk2.5 they became heavier and a lot less fun to drive. Now I’m recently divorced I can see another mk1 MX-5 in my future 😀 it’s a pity my budget won’t stretch to an Elan in the same condition as Jay’s. ☹️
Love how clearly jay leno is too good for shitty youtube advertisements...great channel
Light is right.
There really is something extraordinary about driving a car under 2000 lbs. It's hard to put in to words but after you drive one you know what the fuss is about.
"60 feels like 100 as opposed to a modern car where 100 feels like 60"
It's true. I was the passenger in a BMW 320i going between cities on a major highway. Judging by the feel of the ride I thought, God, I wish he'd pick up the pace a bit; this is going to take us all day. I always owned cheap used stuff to get me from A to B. Then I got a glimpse of the speedometer and we were going 40 miles per hour faster than what I guessed from the sensation. All right! Those suckers are planted onto the road and nothing moves that isn't supposed to.
The actual reason that some people actually hang on to the idea of donuts on an Elan is the fact that they contribute to an amount of the spring rate at the rear stiffening it to what Chapman intended. However nowadays the CV shafts and koni dampers and correct springs will produce a fantastic rear end and feel in an Elan
Thanks, never thought of that.
16:00 guy in the next car grilln hard lol....
Hamburgers or Hot Dogs?
Very cool car. I dunno why it took me this long to see this episode. But I'm glad I've finally seen it.
When I see this car I think of Emma Peel and the Avengers.
A cardboard image of Emma Peel should be in the garage.
She really made the car stand out.
@@kevinmoore4887
She (DIANA RIGG) certainly made part of me "stand out".
Thank you Jay! Bought one 2 years ago on a trip to the UK and don't have the time to restore it. Wanted to sell it but still didn't came around to do it. Now I never will! Thank for the videos
His neighbors must hate him with all those burnout marks.
Jay is a decent guy who has worked very hard for what he has. He could have chosen not to share his collection with anybody. I appreciate Jay's knowledge and love of all cars, not only the exotic ones but cars his old man (or mine) would have driven. Being jealous of others will only destroy you. You have the freedom to achieve as much or as little as you wish. Go now.
There is no radiator shielding. Half of the air coming in the radiator intake misses the radiator. Of course the thing will over heat.
Yes, complete useless heavy overkill that inadvertently fixes a problem that's only a problem when standing still.
I had a '71 Elan +2 , yellow with a black vinyl top. It was absolutely stunning. Then it caught fire on the way home from work in 1978. I got it for $4500. I was a heartbroken 25 yearold with no car. I sure wish I still had the Elan.
nice car one of my favorite designs !
The burnout at the end of the video made me smile. It was mixed with a little bit of a laugh, but a good smile none-the-less. That looks like a very fun car.
Triumph, meh. MG, eh. This is my type of British Roadster. Light, powerful, high revving. Glad to see Jay gets how it should be driven.
MG made some great sports cars in the day!
pointless comment - the Lotus would have cost twice what the TR or MG would have.
MGB GT was a nice looking car, no power though.
I want one so bad. This and a Cortina! Gotta love a twincam.
Fantastic ........love my elan ....my wife and pals think I should sell mine. .....no way.......
Back around 1969 a friend of mine had a 64 Elan. It had the twin Weber side drafts and manual (not roll-up) windows. It was an amazingly fun car to drive but not actually as fast as people think they were. And it was incredibly fragile. It was rare that we'd go out in it and not have something break before we got back. He hit a telephone pole in it one day and it was totaled, fortunately he wasn't seriously injured. Great memories.
4:40 : OMG It's Jay Leno and mini-Jay!
+therrydicule Dude... I was just about to say that lol.
zzzhuh Luckily, Jay is a good guy... Otherwise, he might start to ask for 1 million cars.
I love the sound of a car with carburators when you lift the gas off at mid-high rpm!!
I swear that right front tire came off the ground on that entrance ramp
chipper442 IT DID
Awesome, I looove the Elan, and hope to have one myself someday.
To me, it's all you could ever want in a British sports car, and they don't even cost a fortune.
The elan was far superior to the lotus Europa,better quality. Use to work on lotus on the docks when they arrived in canada
The best Elan's were built when Lotus was going broke, they skimped and saved on every ounce of material that they cars ended up lighter, and faster than the ones they made when they were doing great! amazing :D ...that exhaust is super sexy, whoever made that should get a serious handshake, and a free box of donuts!
Haha, how can all of Jay's cars be 'everyday' cars? He must hire people to drive them each on a daily basis.
It's a job I wouldn't mind having!
I think Jay means that he doesn't restore them for the showroom. They go out on the road and are not kept in bubble wrap, under a dust sheet.
Thumbs up on the Capri reccomendation! I owned a V6 73 back in the late 90's, LOVED IT! First one I drove was my own dad's 76 Capri II (V6) while pulling a 24' Butterfly sailboat (was the first time pulling a trailer, and first time driving a manual transmission) The Ford/Mercury Capri was an exceptional car for it's time. Very under-rated. My 73 v6 was a BLAST to drive!!!
Jay will you ever own a cortina lotus quick car for its day.
Lotus Cortina!
this car has the acceleration potential of a new mustang gt, with the handling of a :"go-kart", making it one of my favorites in jay's collection... the envy!!
Who gives a toss about aero dynamics,i want pop up headlights.
The vacuum lifted lights sink back into the body up a long hill
sammolloy1 perfect,i wonder if i can fit them on my alfa,also good for downhill braking.
nonp LOL
Neat little car Jay. Every time I watch one of your videos, I find yet another car that I can't live without. Curse you Jay Leno!
Is that a Fram oil filter? You guys cheaped out on your oil filter? That's the last thing I expected to see in one of Jay Leno's engines.
Excellent episode! Gordon Murray apparently said that his only regret was not to have been able to get the McLarens he designed to handle as well as his Lotus Elan. I hear that the frame design came as an accident. Lotus management couldn’t decide on what type of frame to use and production risked being behind schedule. So, while management dithered, the shop came up with a cost effective test rig to which they could mount, run and sort out all the mechanical aspects. Out on the road, the configuration worked so well it was adopted for the production models. The backbone frame is subject to corrosion but replacements are relatively cheap and available.
Dude, get some new lighting in your garage. We just switched to LED lighting in our hangar...its way better!
Thanks Jay you bought back a few memories, not that I was lucky enough to drive Lotus but my first car was an Australian Mk1 Morris Cooper S. As you said there is great satisfaction when you work on your own car. I used to club race it and was only 1/100th sec off fastest for class, beaten by another S but he was on slicks! so I could hold my head up.
Anyone else notice that creepy guy standing in the background?
BloodstainedSinner lol, it’s a cardboard cutout of Jay
one of your best reviews looks like you guys are having alot of fun ! I like when Jim is in the videos
No mention of Emma peel?
+ghraffydd
Mrs. Peel;
we're needed.
See above, more than once. Emma Peel mmmmmm
'He blew his mind out in a car
, He didn't notice that the lights had changed'...... This is from The Beatles 'Day in the Life' track, and it is about the heir to the Guinness fortune Tara Brown, who died after crashing his Lotus Elan at 106mph in central London in 1966. By the standards of the day this is a very fast car. A mate of mine picked one up for about £1500 in 1981. I don't think you would get one for that now!