Lotus Elite 1974-1982

Whereas the original Elite was a delicate coupé noted for its glassfibre monocoque construction, the 1974 car was a four-seat coupé-cum-estate. The work of Oliver Winterbottom, a leading figure in wedge styling, it was practical and helped Lotus move upmarket. It also gave birth to the Éclat, with its purer coupé shape, However, it was the more radical Elite that was the bigger seller, notching up 2398 sales to the Éclat’s 1299.