LOTUS ELITE TYPE 14 (1957-1963)
The Elite was what you could call the first proper Lotus road car, its predecessors all being either racing cars or the kits that would become famous as the later Seven. Its initial release was, unsurprisingly, a little shaky, but as a first Lotus of sorts and built in relatively low numbers it quickly gained classic status. This was well established by the 1980s and, along with the rest of the classic car market, values shot up. A good Elite at this time could be £20,000.
We have seen steady increases since, but nothing dramatic. Today the values hover between £50,000 and £80,000 though projects and cars with special provenance tip £10,000-£20,000 either side of this. Indeed, in July last year we saw a £105,750…