Fans of ahead-of-its-day British automotive engineering will appreciate two early entries to H&H Classics’ 21 June, Rockingham Castle sale.
As a pair, the 1967 Lotus Elan S3 SE FHC and 1971 Range Rover represent very different ends of the motoring spectrum, but each were standard-setting models with few competitors in period. A look inside a garage in the early seventies that contained a brand-new Range Rover and four-year-old Elan would reveal that its owner had taste, enjoying the peerless handling and performance of a Lotus, together with the discreet, go-anywhere capabilities of the groundbreaking new ‘Rangie’.
The Wedgwood Blue Elan is an SE, ‘Special Equipment’ model, so-called for its desirable standard spec of a close-ratio gearbox, knock-off spinners, servoed brakes and more highly tuned Lotus twin-cam engine. The vendor, who (amazingly) has owned the car twice, first in 1978 and then from 2007 to date, states that much work has been done to keep the car in tip-top condition. Since an extensive refurbishment by marque expert Peter Day in the 1990s, which included fitting a new, galvanised chassis, it has covered just 19,479 miles.
The 1971 Range Rover, in evocative Davos White, has also been the subject of a painstaking restoration, fully documented with photographs. It’s an early car – the chassis number is only just in the 1000s – and comes complete with a more fuel-efficient Land Rover 300Tdi diesel engine and 5-speed gearbox, although the original, ‘matching numbers’ 3.5-litre petrol V8 and 4-speed ’box are included in the sale.
The vendor clearly appreciates the qualities of his Range Rover, reporting that it “is a superb car to drive, does not wander and remains sure-footed under modern driving conditions.” And fuel consumption is now 34mpg, apparently.
And the price to fill that 1970s ‘pools winner’s garage’? The Elan carries an estimate of £19,000 - 23,000, while £18,000 - 22,000 should buy the meticulously restored and updated Range Rover.
For more information on these and other early entries to H&H Classics' Rockingham sale, held in association with the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club please contact H&H on +44 (0) 1925 210 035 or info@handh.co.uk
