Lotus does not build many cars like the Lotus Elite: a 2-door coupé with 1.2 , built from 1957 to 1963 at the height of the post-war boom. Its designer of record is Peter Kirwan-Taylor / Frank Costin.
Where it came from
The Lotus Elite name has been used for two production vehicles and one concept vehicle developed and manufactured by British automobile manufacturer Lotus Cars. The first generation Elite Type 14 was produced from 1957 until 1963 and the second generation model (Type 75 and later Type 83) from 1974 until 1982. The Elite name was also applied to a concept vehicle unveiled in 2010.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 1.2 . Kerb weight is 503.5 kg. The gearbox is a 4-speed manual. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2242 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Lotus's history is not in doubt: the Lotus Elan followed it. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Fiat 500, the Nissan Skyline, the Mini Mini. Nearby in the Lotus catalogue sit the Lotus 100T and the Lotus 101.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Lotus Elite has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.