Lotus Elite (Type 75)

Lotus Elite (Type 75) at a glance

The name had first been used on the Elite Type 14 of 1957–1963, a two-seat coupé with a glass-fibre monocoque. Lotus models from all periods are in the Lotus catalogue; our history of Lotus explains how Chapman's company grew.

A new kind of Lotus

By the early 1970s Lotus wanted to leave its kit-car image behind. Wikipedia sums up the aim of the new Elite: "With this design Lotus sought to position itself upmarket and move away from its kit-car past." The car was announced in May 1974 and replaced the Elan Plus 2, the company's earlier 2+2.

Instead of a small two-seater, the new Elite offered four seats, a large glass hatch at the rear and optional luxury equipment. Wikipedia describes the Elite and its fastback sister, the Eclat, as the last Lotus road cars with significant design input from Colin Chapman.

Design by Oliver Winterbottom

The body was styled by Oliver Winterbottom. He later explained that the basic layout of the chassis and suspension had been designed by Chapman himself. Wikipedia classifies the body as a four-seat shooting brake: the roof runs on to an upright tail, which is closed by a large glass hatch.

Lotus claimed a drag coefficient of 0.30 for the body. The body is made of glass fibre and sits on a steel backbone chassis. This construction was derived from the Elan and the Europa.

Engine, gearbox and performance

The Lotus 907 is an aluminium-block four-cylinder with two overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. It displaces 1,973 cc and produces 116 kW (155 hp). Before the Elite, the same engine had already been used in the Jensen-Healey sports car.

Depending on the specification, a four- or five-speed manual gearbox was fitted. From January 1976 an automatic gearbox became optional. Wikipedia says that the Elite and the Eclat had kerb weights "not much over" 1,043 kg.

Trim levels 501 to 504

Lotus sold the Elite in four trim levels, numbered from 501 to 504. Each step added more equipment:

Even the base 501 had four seats and the glass hatch; the higher numbers simply added comfort features. The 504, with all three extras, was the most fully equipped Elite of the first series.

The Type 83 Elite 2.2

In 1980 the Type 83, also called the Elite Mark 2, replaced the Type 75. The main change was the larger 2,174 cc Lotus 912 engine. The chassis was now galvanised against corrosion, and the five-speed BMC gearbox gave way to a Getrag Type 265. Electric headlamp lifts replaced the vacuum-operated system.

The exterior gained a front spoiler, a new rear bumper and rear lights taken from the Rover SD1. Production of the Elite ended in 1982.

Eclat and Excel

The Elite was the starting point for a family of four-seat Lotus coupés. It formed the basis of the Eclat of 1975, which used the same lower body with a fastback roof, and later of the Excel 2+2. The Eclat later evolved into the Excel, so the Elite's basic engineering stayed in production long after the Elite itself had ended in 1982.

Legacy

The Elite did not make Lotus a mainstream maker, but it changed the brand's direction. It gave the company a four-seat model with luxury equipment and its own 16-valve engine, and its chassis and lower body lived on in the Eclat and Excel. For the mid-engined sports car of the same era, see our Lotus Esprit article.

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