1997 Lotus Elise S1

The recipient of a body-off restoration in 2021 by a director of SELOC, the Lotus owners club, ‘P990 PWC’ drives beautifully thanks to new brakes, suspension and much more, many of which came from renowned independent specialists like Elise Parts and Elise-Shop.

Not that he ever got to drive it. Posted abroad with his job before it was finished, the seller brought it directly from the owner.

Finished in Norfolk Mustard Yellow, it obviously presents very well – but then it has only covered around 2,500 miles since being completed. It also comes with a hardtop as well as a new softtop and is showing just 79,000 miles on the odometer.

Why is he selling it?

Simply because he finds himself in the position of having three classic cars but only two garage spaces – and given the others are 40-years-old and therefore exempt from having an MoT and road tax, the more-modern Elise is the one upon whom the executioner’s axe must fall.

Norfolk Mustard Yellow is surely THE colour for an early Elise: Grounded in the county in which it was born, the hue is as vibrant and exciting as the car itself.

And what a fabulous shape the Elise is: If you’d cloaked its mechanical components in a sheet of yellow plastic and then vacuum-sealed it, then this is pretty much what you’d end up with – and proving the engineering adage that if it looks right then it probably is, aero-adornments are pretty much restricted to a modest boot spoiler and a carefully sculpted front valance and sills.

This paintwork is still in good shape too thanks to extensive use of Paint Protection Film across the vulnerable areas. Dial in that recent restoration, a careful driver and only a few miles covered since being completed and we can’t imagine many driveable examples look better than this.

The alloy wheels are also free of scuffs, scrapes and other kerbing damage AND they’re shod with matching Yokohama Advan Neova AD08RS tyres in 225/45R16 on the rear, and 195/50R15 on the front. All have good tread left on them and no sidewall damage.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

We mentioned earlier that the Elise comes with both the standard softtop AND a body-coloured hardtop, thus extending the Elise’s usability to a full four-season sportscar – and how cool would it be to run this as a daily driver, swapping out those tyres for full winter jobbies as the mercury drops? It’s just a shame we can’t run studded rubber here in the UK…

Other nice touches include black mesh grilles to protect the reversing and rear fog lamps, a beautifully crafted alloy fuel filler cap, a stick-on front numberplate, and twin Janspeed tailpipes.

As for problems, the PPF on the front and the nearside sill is showing signs of age, the offside headlight surround and the roof panel are a slightly different colour to everything else, the paint is bubbling on the nearside rear wing, there a mark on the trailing edge of the nearside sill, and the aerial is broken.

An Elise interior is so gloriously minimal that there’s nowhere for problems to hide – and because it has so few toys, there’s no excuse for things not to work, either.

Which is fine because the only problems we found are some scuffing to the handbrake paint, a lightly patinated steering wheel rim and dashboard surround. Everything we tested works as it should.

And objectivity be damned; doesn’t it look great?

The door furniture, for example, is one small piece of grey trim and a couple of light alloy handles. The floor is alloy sheet with a handkerchief-sized bit of carpet Velcro’d to it, and the dashboard comprises one small Stack binnacle, albeit one that so cleverly designed that it gives you all the information you could ever need despite having just two analogue dials and one tiny digital display.

And, despite the seats having a fixed backrest, only fore and aft manual adjustment, and next to no stuffing, they’re ridiculously comfortable as well as more supportive than a Kevlar jockstrap.

There’s good legroom in there too and a very good driving position, even for tall drivers. Big feet will have no problem operating the achingly lovely alloy pedals too and even getting in and out is a breeze – as long as the roof is off.

The passenger gets a lightweight alloy support to brace their feet against and an elasticated pocket to store their credit card and a folding toothbrush.

The hardtop’s headlining is in good shape too with no tears, stains, or sagging. However, you might like to invest a few minutes to reglue the trim in one corner and one section of rubber seal.

The boot is a decent size, and anyone who’s ever flown Ryanair will appreciate just how generous the Elise’s 50kg weight restriction actually is.

The test drive went well, with everything – brakes, steering, engine, gearbox, and suspension – doing what it should.

But then a considerable investment was made in buying the right bits from the right people. Highlights include more than €400 on a toe-link kit with another four-figure sum going towards a pair of Gaz dampers. €35 was spent on new bolts and nuts for the suspension too, and the track-rod ends are genuine Lotus items.

The sparkplugs are Champion Double Platinum too and, well, you get the picture and the invoices are online along with many previous receipts for servicing and repairs.

The stamps in the service history booklet and the invoices on file record the following routine maintenance:

· 30.05.1997 – pre-delivery inspection

· Unknown date and 1,278 miles – service by H.G. Motors

· 23.10.1997 and 10,251 miles – service by Tanner Autos

· 17.06.1998 and 20,874 miles – service by Tanner Autos

· 04.05.1999 and 32,000 miles – service by Serviceman Grays

· 27.03.2001 and 43,103 miles – service by Cavectra Centre

· 12.03.2002 and 47,860 miles – service by Cavectra Centre

· 24.03.2003 and 50,162 miles – service by NC Cammack & Son including new front and rear brake pads, a fuel filter and sparkplugs, and fresh coolant

· 25.05.2004 and 50,977 miles – oil service and a new cambelt and lambda sensor

· 06.04.2008 and 67,939 miles – service by Sheppard Racing including a new cambelt and tensioner

· 30.05.2008 and 72,749 miles – service by Chris Foulds

· 18.08.2009 and 74,595 miles – service by Chris Foulds

· 28.07.2010 and 74,978 miles – service by Chris Foulds

· 09.08.2010 and unknown mileage – new cambelt and tensioner by Chris Foulds

· 24.09.2012 and 75,125 miles – service by Chris Foulds

· 01.04.2015 and 75,583 miles – service by Chris Foulds including fresh brake fluid and much other fettling

· 29.03.2022 and 77,128 miles - oil service and filter by Bernard Cody Motor Engineers

· 17.09.2024 and 78,327 miles - oil service and filter by Bernard Cody Motor Engineers

A stainless-steel Janspeed sports silencer was fitted in 2007, and a new alternator was installed in 2019 along with a quickshifter kit. Since then, the seller has spent yet more time and money to fettle the gearchange: “I’m quite meticulous,” he told us, “and get as much pleasure out of looking after my cars as I do driving them and it’s important that the gearchange is as precise as possible – leading to a much slicker gear change.”

It will come as little surprise to learn that it starts on the button, idles quietly, and revs like the thoroughbred it is. There are no warning lights on the dashboard either, nor any odd noises from under the bonnet. No weird smells or obvious leaks, just a marvellous noise at higher revs from that fancy Janspeed exhaust.

The engine bay is so clean and well-presented that we can’t see many folk finding the need to do anything to it other than maintain the condition, and the underside is in much the same condition; clean and neatly ordered, you have only to browse through the invoices we have on file to see that just as much time and effort was expended on the hard-to-see bits as everywhere else.

There are a few minor scuffs to the front and rear, but this is inevitable given how low the little Lotus is. If it’s any consolation, they are very minor and can only been seen with great difficulty.

The Elise’s MoT certificate expires in April 2027 and given the amount of work that went into it, the fact it was a clear pass with no advisories will come as little surprise.

The recent Vehicle History Check is also clear, and the history file includes the invoices for the parts used during the restoration, photos of the work being carried out, some old MoT certificates, the Lotus wallet and book pack, and a V5 Registration Certificate in the seller’s name.

The Elise also comes with an indoor car cover and a model Elise that’s finished in the same colour as the real thing, which is a lovely touch.

Purer and simpler than the later cars, a well-fettled early Elise is almost telepathic in its handling fidelity.

And yet, despite universal acclaim, we still think the Lotus Elise is still undervalued.

This one, for example, despite its many virtues, will probably only sell for somewhere between £15,000 and £20,000 – and while predicting the future is a fool’s game, we’d be amazed if prices don’t start to rise as enthusiasts become disheartened by electric sportscars bloated with excessive weight, nanny-state software, and hard-to-use touchscreens.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.