The Elite’s introduction demonstrated that Colin Chapman’s skills as a racing car designer and constructor could just as easily be applied to production road cars; it was, nevertheless, conceived with competition in mind, as Chapman’s sights were set on class wins at Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally.
A typically innovative design, the Elite featured a glassfibre monocoque body tub, independent suspension all round and four-wheel disc brakes, while the aerodynamically efficient body made the most of the Coventry Climax engine’s 75bhp, delivering a top speed of 112mph.
