1999 Lotus Elise S1

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

• Museum-grade example of the PH readers’ best sports car of the last 25 years award, the Lotus Elise Series 1

• Just 11k miles from new

• Extensive history

• Immaculate condition inside and out

• Remains as thrilling to drive as ever

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

In case you’d forgotten, 2023 marked 25 glorious years since the inception of PistonHeads. As part of our celebrations, we asked our readership to vote on the best cars launched during that period. Despite some stiff competition, the overall best performance car chosen by you was none other than the Series 1 Elise.

With an innovative bonded chassis for stiffness, an attractive lightweight fibreglass body and a centrally-mounted, free-revving K series engine, the Elise has wowed keen drivers since its launch back in 1995.

And if you wanted to see what all the fuss was about when they launched, and why they are so universally revered all these years later, then here is an opportunity to own what’s probably as close as you’re likely to get to owning a brand new one.

In a delightful colour, with just over 11,000 miles on the clock and owned by a series of collectors, this immaculate example is a car that could happily be displayed by a museum. But given the joy that can be had from the driving experience, that would seem… a shame.

Now, you may want to keep the mileage as low as possible in order to preserve its value and we would kind of understand: this is a car that’s unlikely to lose value over time at this kind of mileage. But we think you’d get away with enjoying it a bit, too. Which would be just as its maker intended.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

• Registered 1 Sep 1999

• Full document pack

• Always said to have been owned by collectors, hence low mileage

• Fully stamped service book, showing services as follows: Sep 1999 @1,320 miles, Aug 2000 @4,291 miles, Sep 2007 @7,934 miles, Apr 2010 @8,747 miles, Apr 2013 @9,315 miles, May 2015 @9,845 miles, Apr 2017 @10,084 miles, Feb 2018 @1,098 miles as written, assume missing zero, Sep 19 @10,849 miles, July 2022 @10,907 miles

• Old MOT certificates

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 22 Aug 2024

• V5 present in owner’s name

• HPI clear

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿

• As is usual for an Elise, the interior is simple and basic, all the better to focus on the driving

• Creature comforts extend to the fitment of a CD/ radio, though to be fair the seats are upholstered in blue leather which, while showing a little patina, remains in excellent condition

• Ahead of the driver is a leather-bound three spoke sports steering wheel and Stack instrument panel

• The floor has Elise-branded mats, while the window winder handles (remember those? – it all helps to minimise weight) also have ‘Elise’ branding

• The switchgear all looks to be in great shape and the owner reports that everything works just as it should

• Sunny day? Whip off the easily removable roof, which has all the correct fixings present

• The car is supplied with the original tools and a leather storage bag for the hood

• In all, it’s as good as you’re likely to find an S1 at this point

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿

• Said to have been inspired by designer Julian Thompson’s love of the Ferrari Dino, the S1 Elise retains a level of purity that was inevitably sacrificed in later versions

• Presented here in Azure Blue Metallic paint, for which the original owner would have paid extra, it looks fabulous

• The bodywork shows no evidence of any damage or repairs and the paintwork has a deep lustre

• Paint protection film on the rear arches and sills has helped to preserve them

• The lights and badges are all original and there is no sign of UV damage to the light lenses, which is tribute to the car’s careful storage

• The 16-inch alloys are unmarked, have centre caps that are as new, and wear Yokohama tyres all round

• The blue hood is in excellent condition

• Overall, it truly is immaculate

𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹

• 1,796cc Rover K-Series engine rated at 120hp, which is more than enough to deliver sparkling performance when it only has 725kg to push along

• Five speed manual gearbox

• Rear wheel drive

• Extensive history

• Said to start every time and idle smoothly

• The vendor tells us that it runs faultlessly and is fantastic to drive

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

Opportunities like this don’t come along very often. Here is a collector-quality example of the car that PH readers, no less, voted their best performance car of the last 25 years. If you’re looking for the respect and admiration of your peers, there’s surely no better way to earn it than to have this in your garage.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in St Albans.