How long have you owned your current Elan??

[AlfaLofa]

Not sure whether this has been asked before - but

How long have you owned your Elan?

As a starting point I've owned my car since Mar 1973 - so 38 years and 4 months.

Obviously those who bought their car new will be much more - perhaps even 48 or 49 years.

There is a man nearby who has owned his XK120 from new - making his car (so he tells me) the longest-single-owner Jaguar in the country. He is well into his eighties and still drives the car in the manner expected of an XK.

[ftsoft]

I've owned my S2 since July 1967 (44 years).

Frank

[mrob]

I bought my S1 in July of 1969, 42 years.

[gjz30075]

I guess I'm the newbie here: since May of '78 (33 yrs)

[slimromeo]

free-parking-f19/how-old-were-you-when-you-purchased-your-elan-t21381.html

this may help

[StressCraxx]

May 12, 1978. 33 years.

[Bill]

Hi all!

26/0538 Elan 1600.

Purchased new from the factory on Dec. 20th, 1963 (I guess thats about 47 yrs / 7 months) Had it shipped by sea to Vancouver canada. there were no North American dealers at that time and I beleive it was likely the first direct shipped to NA. I have the origional factory invoice.

Drove it today on this beautifull Vancouver Island summer day.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Wild Bill

[twincamman]

2002 so Its taken this long for some form of assembled reliability ..ed

[elanner]

Pshaw. I can't win the longest, so I'll try for the shortest.

I've had mine 78 days. Every day a new surprise and a long forgotten grin.

There's no mystery in having the same car for 40 years. (Of course, I'm jealous.)

My convenient excuse is that it's my third Elan. I'm ignoring the 30 odd year gap since the previous ones.....

[RogerFrench]

Newcomer, 7 months only.

[bilcoh]

I'll go for the youngest. Owned it 31 years, and I'm 47 now.

Backstory - Family business was a wrecking yard (what do you call that in the UK?). When I was 15, we bought a 74 Europa Big Valve Special at an insurance auction. Punched in the front quarter, did a lot of bodywork and replaced the frame (just happened to have a spare from a burned Europa, so all needed parts were handy).

Had that done by 16, then got my current 66 Elan S2 (Dad had owned it since I was 10 and it was his at the time) back on the road by fixing the broken diff output shaft. Sold the Europa, paid back the purchase loan and bought the Elan with the remains. To be fair, the old man was kind on pricing.

Life was really good back then, now that I think about it. Didn't kill myself in either car, still have the Elan, and after 24 years of it sitting in storage, I've just dropped the frame out and swear I'll have it running this year.

Cheers,

[AlfaLofa]

Looks like there are a couple of potential winners already.

I doubt if anyone will beat Bilcoh for the title of youngest - but can anyone beat Wild Bill for the longest?

By the way in the UK they are (or were) called scrap yards.

[types26/36]

64 S2 Roadster...............1994 ......about 17 years
67 S3 SE FHC.................2011.......about 2months
72 Sprint FHC.................2000........about 11 years

[gordont]

S2 elan birth date April 66
GordonT birth date June 66
Nice to celebrate our birthdays together and always an excuse to buy something for the elan..

I have owned (if that is the right word) for 2 and a bit years

[trw99]

Hi all!

26/0538 Elan 1600.

Purchased new from the factory on Dec. 20th, 1963 (I guess thats about 47 yrs / 7 months) Had it shipped by sea to Vancouver canada. there were no North American dealers at that time and I beleive it was likely the first direct shipped to NA. I have the origional factory invoice.

Drove it today on this beautifull Vancouver Island summer day.

Keep your stick on the ice.

Wild Bill

Hi Bill

I have a factory sales sheet with records of cars that indicate 'Autosport Equipment' of Canada as an importer, around April 1964, presumably about the same time as your car hit your shores. Of course, they may have just been general car importers, not Lotus dealers.

Elsewhere in North America, Ecurie Shirlee and Duchess Auto Co were importing Elans from the start, having previously been involved bringing over the Elite.

It's great that you still have such an early Elan, brilliant!

Tim