"Simplify, then add lightness" Colin Chapman, founder, Lotus Cars The Lotus Elan was born in an era in which genuine innovation was still possible

"Simplify, then add lightness" Colin Chapman, founder, Lotus Cars The Lotus Elan was born in an era in which genuine innovation was still possible. So while cars like the MGB and Jaguar E-Type featured a heavy ladder chassis and rot-prone bodywork, the Elan boasted an elegant glass-fibre body bolted to a tiny X-shaped steel chassis.