You could own Jim Clark’s Lotus Elan

Given Clark’s ties with Team Lotus and strong bond with its founder Colin Chapman, this Elan rolls Grand Prix heritage into a road-going package that oozes with historical significance. This Series 3 Coupé was delivered to Clark on 22^nd March 1967, by which time he was living in Paris with his friend and motor racing journalist Gerard ‘Jabby’ Crombac. Being left-hand-drive, it was the ideal mode of transport to Grands Prix in Continental Europe.

The bill of sale was made out to Clark’s address in Pembroke, Bermuda; like many wealthy celebrities he had given up UK residency in the preceding winter because of the UK’s new tax system. Team Lotus bore the £1,504 cost of the Elan, which covered extras including a radio with cassette player (unusual at the time), a cigar lighter and inertia reel seatbelts.

Contemporary reports suggest that NLD 550E was Clark’s favourite of the Elans he drove, its long final drive making it ideal for his travel from Paris to race fixtures in Holland, Belgium, France, Germany and Italy. A hand-written note by Crombac to Peter Windsor, the Australian F1 team mananger and journalist, said that Clark once told him, “On the Continent I have rediscovered the joy of driving,” and that he was using air travel a lot less frequently.

Clark’s final drive of the Elan was always going to be on 3^rd April 1968. He drove it to a private airstrip near Orly to fly on to a Formula 2 race in Hockenheim. Crombac had accompanied him to drive the Elan back to Paris, which was a frequent arrangement. This time was different, though: he told Crombac to keep the keys as Team Lotus was going to supply Clark with an Elan Plus 2 for the season. Clark was killed four days later.

Crombac honoured his friend by fitting a black Lotus badge to the Elan, re-registering it in France and continuing his tradition of driving it to race meetings all over Europe in his capacity as editor of Sport Auto magazine. Ill health eventually prompted Crombac to move the Elan on, and its next owner would be Peter Windsor. 

Windsor had the car resprayed in its original hue and re-instated a green and yellow badge. The engine and gearbox were rebuilt by Henry Mann of Alan Mann Racing and the original UK registration was applied. The interior remains as Clark would have remembered it, barring the replacement radio fitted by Crombac in 1972.

The car has enjoyed a high profile during Windsor’s ownership. It has been a showpiece at the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum in Duns and has been used to raise funds for the Jim Clark Trust at various shows. It has also made appearances at Goodwood.

Windsor is now spending less time in the UK, which is why he has decided it’s time to move the car on to its fourth owner in order for it to begin its next chapter. At the Bonhams|Cars Revival sale it goes up for auction with an estimate of £200,000-£250,000. 

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