The original Type 26 Elan debuted in 1962 with a 1500cc engine and four-speed gearbox in a small and stylish 2-seat roadster fibreglass body.

The Type 50 +2 Elan followed in 1967, and then in 1971 the +2S 130 was launched with the Lotus 'Twin Cam' engine, providing an improved 126bhp hence the “130” model suffix.

It produced a maximum torque of 113lb/ft at 5,500 rpm, providing plenty of power to fully enjoy this lightweight and useable family sports car.

The +2S 130 was an appreciable step up in quality with a raft of luxury fittings from quartz halogen fog lights to burr walnut facia and electric windows.

In October 1972 the long-called for 5-speed gearbox finally became an option, making cruising smoother, and the Elan +2S 130/5 became ‘the’ version to have.

The Elan+2 could so easily have been an automotive compromise and there are numerous examples from rival marques of how adding space so often destroys both pace and grace.

But the ever-resourceful Ron Hickman proved more th...