The first Lotus Elite (also known as Lotus Type 14) made its debut at the 1957 London Motor Car Show. After the show, the ultralight 2-seater coupe was put in a development for a year before it went on sale. The car featured highly innovative fiberglass construction which not only included the body shell but also the entire load-bearing structure of the car. Steel was only used for a front-mounted subframe to support the engine, front suspension and provide mountings for door hinges. Weighing just over 500kg Lotus was mates with the 1216cc Coventry Climax FWE all-aluminum straight-4 engine which developed 75hp and allowed a car to be very competitive while keeping the fuel consumption at a low level. In 1960, the Elite SE was introduced as a higher-performance model. Fitted with twin SU carburetors and fabricated exhaust manifold delivered 85hp. The new release was also available as the higher-tuned Super 95 and a very few Super 100 and Super 105 which were fitted with Weber carburetors for racing purposes.
