Introduced in 1967, the Lotus Elan Plus 2 followed in the tradition of the Lotus brand; a peppy motor in a very lightweight and nimble car. The twin-cam Cosworth engine in the Elan produces 120 plus HP, and paired with the 4-speed synchromesh, it’s a spirited ride to say the least. The slightly larger Plus 2 model is a bit more stable than the smaller Elan for those looking to take longer trips.
This 1972 Lotus Elan Plus 2 S has been one of our fun shop cars for a few years now. We have had a blast with it, but we are putting it up for sale to make room for a few new in-house projects.
We purchased the car from one of our customers in running and driving condition and have been taking it out for fun on the weekends since. It’s been a breath of fresh air from our modern everyday drivers as it is extremely lightweight and tons of fun to throw around on the twisty back roads.
Mechanically, we’ve recently done all of the fluids including oil, trans, rear diff, brake, and coolant. It has a few small oil leaks stemming from the oil pan. It will put a few drips here and there over the course of a few weeks, but no excessive puddles. The tires have plenty of tread left and are in good condition.
The only issue that we’ve ever had with the car (surprise, surprise) is that the original wiring was giving us headaches, and we could never get the correct Lucas style harness for the car (insert Lucas Electric joke here). Since we wanted the most reliable driver possible, we installed an American Auto Wire harness, which has worked out really well as we’ve had few such issues since.
Although the motor runs strong and we know it’s been out and rebuilt, we don’t know when it was done as we don’t have any receipts for the work. We have gone through the carbs and ignition during our ownership period and the car runs well. She’s always been a little cold blooded on startup, but runs well after a minute of warming up with the choke pulled out. The motor revs strong into the higher RPMS where it is really at home and is a blast to rip around.
Cosmetically, the car is in driver condition. It shows well from 10 feet, but upon close inspection, it has an average base/clear paint job with some touched up chips. Realistically, it is a $4,000 paint job, and not a $15,000 paint job. The body has remained in good condition without any major cracking to the fiberglass. The frame is also rust free and in good condition. As for the interior, it’s largely original although it does have a newer headliner. The carpeting is an older, fair condition, and the seats and door panels show well. The dash has some minor cracking and a few scratches, but is in better condition than many we have seen.
Give us a call at (314) 567-4200 with any questions!
