EX-LE MANS 1961 LOTUS ELITE Series 2

Lotus Elite performances at the 24hr Le Mans races between 1959 and 1964 are the ‘stuff of legends’ - yet only 20 Elites in those six golden years, were ever entered for the race, but what a legacy – driven by famous drivers such as Clark and Whitmore - 6 out of 6 dominant class wins – 3 class runner-up positions and twice place 8^th overall – quite an achievement for the little car with a 1216cc engine! 

Lotus Elite chassis number 1367 is one of that select few that appeared at Le Mans during that period.  Sold new to Marc Porthault on 10^th May 1961 through then Paris dealer Germain Beaudoin, the car was fully factory assembled to export specifications and finished in Carnival Red.

However, Marc had bought the Elite with every intention of racing it, and in particular, he wanted to race it at Circuit de la Sarthe’s famous 24hr Le Mans race.

To ensure he drove the best, most competitive car he could possibly have, Marc chose Cosworth to do the work – at the time, they were considered the top race preparation team. So as soon as he took delivery of the car from the Paris dealer, he transported it straight back to Cosworth in England.

Cosworth prepared the Elite with a stage 4 engine and full race polished and ported head, original ZF gearbox, twin Weber carbs were fitted, a large capacity fuel tank with a ‘quick fill’ Le Mans filler & cap. Work was also carried out to lighten the car, which now weighing-in at just 630 kilos. Engine power was up from its original 75bhp to 105bhp - so hopes were high for a good result.

By the time all this work was all done, entries for the 1961 Le Mans were just about full, and the Elite’s entry was only accepted as one of five reserve cars. However, this did not deter Marc – he knew reserve cars were allowed to test / practise, and often ended up racing as other cars withdrew, due to the inevitably failures and accidents.

The Elite, drived by Marc and his co-driver J. Devos, lined-up for practise with some of the of the most famous marques and drivers in racing history – Moss and Hill in their Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta, Clark and Flockhart in an Aston Martin DBR1, Salvadori and Maggs also in an Aston Martin DBR1, McLaren in a Maserati Tipo 63 – the race was a ‘who’s who’ of some of the greatest cars ever made, and greatest drivers ever to have raced.   

After successfully completing 130km in practise the car had to be retired, the story of which is one unto itself. 

Although the car failed to make the start, it was presented on the grid, appears in all the race programmes and is listed as one of the 20 Le Mans Elites in the Ortenburger book. 

The Elite, although never entered for Le Mans again, continued its racing life in other hands until the early ‘70’s, competing in races throughout France and Europe.

As a result of Marc Porthault's Le Mans adventure, Chassis no 1367 holds a special place in Elite history being one of just a handful of Elites to have been entered in period for the internationally renowned and prestigious 24rs Le Mans.

Marc Porthault, the Elites first owner and racing driver, is still alive (at 92 years old) and has signed an original copy of the 1961 24hr La Mans race program that will accompany the sale of this car. He has also written and published a book “Memoires de blanc” in which he documents his family’s history and his racing exploits.
 

We have included several period photos from the 1961 Le Mans race showing the Elite on track and in pits, as well as photos of the race programme which includes Marc’s number 62 Lotus Elite as an entry – a photo of the car’s original warranty Marc received from the Paris Lotus dealer is also included.

This special Elite has a well-documented history. Marc Porthault sold the Elite in 1963/4 to a vet who continued to race it until the early ‘70’s, when it was sold to the Maitre brothers who restored it back to show condition. Jean-Francois Piot bought the restored car and ran it until 1981 when he sold it on to Alain Nogier, who kept the car until the end of 1990. It was then that Daniel Miro – one of the founding members of Club Lotus France – bought it.  The car was then maintained by Tony Kilburn, of ex Brabham mechanic residing in the Paris area and so has been maticuliously looked after through its later lifetime.

Today, the current owner continues to maintain the car to the very highest standards. It is now finished in British racing Green with a painted grey stripe. The engine was fully rebuilt by Glyn Peacock around 2 years ago, with the engine re-build including a new cylinder head. More recently the differential and drives have been re-built.

The car appears to have retained its early Weber carbs from its racing days and these have also recently been re-built.

The car currently resides in the South of France (between Nice and Marseille) which must be a wonderful area to go and visit to examine the car.

MK14 Components & Automotive Sporting Heritage are delighted to have been asked to offer this very special ex-Le Mans 1961 Lotus Elite, Series 2, with its exciting race history for sale.  There are only a few Elites that can genuinely claim to have been entered for Le Mans in period, and rarely do we see one of these offered for sale.

The car may be viewed strictly by arrangement.