The original Lotus Elan was introduced in 1962 as a roadster and later a coupe version in 1965. It was the first Lotus road car to use the now-famous steel backbone chassis with a fiberglass body. The Elan was technologically advanced, with a twin-cam 1,558-cc , 108 horsepower engine with cast aluminum cylinder head, twin Weber carburetors, four-wheel disc brakes and four-wheel independent suspension. An Elan 2+2, called the Plus 2, was introduced in 1967 with a longer wheelbase and two rear seats. An estimated total of 17,000 original Elans and Plus 2s were built. The original Elan is commonly credited as being the design inspiration for the highly successful 1990 Mazda Miata. This example has a four-speed transmission, Blaupunkt cassette sound system, power windows, power brakes and a sunroof. The Smith gauges are all in fine condition, and the remainder of the interior appears to be largely correct and original. Fresh tires have been mounted on the alloy wheels. These little sports cars are very popular and were ranked number six on Sports Car International’s list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.